Narrowing the Search

Below is a list of some of the things we are looking for in a property.


1. Edge of Village

We want to be reasonably close to a village for access to shops and other services. At the same time we don't really want to be right in the center of a large populated area.


2. Lack of Light Pollution

As my hobby is astronomy and being out in La Palma is an ideal place to pursue this, it is important to be away from any sources of light pollution. While La Palma does have laws that limit the amounts of light pollution there are still a number of places on the island that have large amounts of light.

3. Good Views of zenith an Western Skies

Again on the astronomy side of things it is important to have as much of the sky visible as possible . This would mean avoiding being in a dip or surrounded on all sides by tall trees or other obstructions.

4. Land to build Observatory

Ideally it would be nice to build the observatory a little distance away from the house to limit the effects of the air turblance caused by the heat rising from the house .

5. Accessible

Obviously a house would not be much good if you have to be a mountain goat to reach it. Now there are places in La Palma where access may entail a drive down a rough road but there are limits.

6. Ground for Vegetable Garden

As part of the new life style that we wish to have we would like to be able to grow a lot of our own food. This would entail us having a reasonable sized plot of flat land to use for vegetable growing and an area for fruit trees.


7. Services

There are a few basic services that we would need, the main ones being Electric, Water, Sanitation (even if this is a septic tank). Another critical service is an internet connection, being as some of the plans that we have revolve around web based services, being able to access the web is a must.

8. At least One Habitable Building

Even if there are parts of the building that cannot be lived in straight away as long as we have at least one place that we can eat and sleep warm and dry we could live in that while we finish the rest of the property renovations