High above the sea, the road from Santa Cruz winds its way up into the green northeast of La Palma. In the upper areas, the slopes and gorges are covered with moist, dense laurel forest. The laurel forest and its natural habitat around Los Tilos were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO as early as 1983. Here, forests from the Tertiary era, which have long since died out in Europe, have been preserved.
The colonial town San Andrés and the modern town of Los Sauces are enthroned above a rocky coast with few precious bathing opportunities, such as the wildly romantic Playa de Nogales between Puntallana and La Galga or the Charco Azul and La Fajana marine pools at San Andrés y Sauces.
On the slopes of "La Corujera", in the Cueva El Tendal near San Andrés y Sauces, the ancient Canarians have left such interesting traces on the slopes of "La Corujera", in the Cueva El Tendal near San Andrés y Sauces, that the island government is considering the establishment of another Guanche Archaeological Park.
