02 Jan La Palma Reconstruction – December 2025
La Palma’s Reconstruction: December 2025 Update
News roundup from across La Palma regarding science occurring in La Palma, reconstruction efforts, aid provided to residents and industries, and other relevant news. Links to source articles are hyperlinked in taglines for each article.
Sources for all reconstruction updates: La Palma Ahora, Cabildo de La Palma, El Time, ABC España, El Valle de Aridane, El Dia, Mirame, Planeta Canario, Canarias 7, El Diario, National Geographic, El Pais, El Apurón, Diario La Palma
Reconstruction
- LP-2 reconstruction begins after extended delays – The reconstruction of the LP-2 road 2.3 km across the lava flows between San Simón and Tajuya has begun, after the project was stalled for over a year. The project will take 14 months and cost approximately €24 million. The works will initially begin from the southern side in San Simón.
- ‘Red Zone’ residents protest reconstruction uncertainty – Around 150 residents affected by the volcano in the ‘red zone’ closest to the volcano have protested at the uncertainty over plans for their land and planning in the area, and to demand compensation. The area may be incorporated into a protected natural area, but it is uncertain whether this will happen, and if so, what compensation will the residents receive for their land.
- Delay for infrastructure cost payments – The President of the Canary Islands has criticised that the commitment from the Spanish Government to contribute 50% of the costs towards infrastructure reconstruction is not being kept. Specifically, an additional €6.2 million added to the cost, despite being agreed months ago by both parties, has not yet been paid.
- Demand for bus stop in Las Manchas – The Popular Party in El Paso have demanded that a new, well-serviced bus stop is established in Las Manchas. They argue that this is just one of the reasons slowing the post-volcanic recovery in Las Manchas.
- Desire to update planning regulations for La Palma – The territorial planning of the Canary Islands is hoping to update regulations governing the protection of National Parks and other natural lands, with the hope for clearer regulations that will improve regulatory hurdles to reconstruction and improve transparency. In 2026, they hope to expand the Cumbre Vieja National Park to incorporate the 2021 volcanic cone, and create protected areas on the 2021 lava deltas.
The bulldozers enter LP-2 and begin the recovery of one of the main roads affected by the volcano. El Time (2025)
- Building with 53 homes acquired for those affected – The Cabildo de La Palma has acquired a 53-dwelling building under construction in Los Llanos de Aridane for €10.3 million, for which priority will be given to those affected by the volcanic eruption and those living in modular wooden or container homes.
- El Paso tourist office remains volcano-tourism meeting point – The tourist office in El Paso is launching a new permanent coordination and meeting point service to access the Tajogaite volcano trail, through approved tour companies.
- Access to new properties in La Palma – Tazacorte Town Council has restored the Taparrantana road, destroyed by the volcano, allowing access to previously isolated farms. The works are being undertaken by a local company, with 50% funding each from the Spanish Government and Tazacorte City Council.
- The international example of the reconstruction’s legal framework – A reflective interview with Pedro Afonso, Deputy Minister for Economic and Social Recovery of La Palma, has considered the legal framework slowly built up to allow affected people on La Palma to rebuild and be compensated, and how the approach could be applied to other natural disasters in Spain, as well as disasters in other territories.
- Repair works for water infrastructure delivered – The damage caused to La Palma’s hydraulic infrastructure by the eruption have been repaired. The approximate cost of these works was €15 million.
- Tierra Bonita reconstruction wishes for 2026 – Tierra Bonita has published its current perspectives on the challenges for reconstruction, and hopes for progress in 2026.
Aid
- Latest aid statistics – Some updated aid statistics were provided by the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres. €1.23 billion has been spent by the Spanish Government, totaling 72% of the reconstruction funds.
- €150,000 for fishing for volcano losses – €150,000 has been allocated to fisheries in Tazacorte, to compensate for losses due to the eruption, due to a loss of species and the marine exclusion zone along much of the coastline.
- €100 million from Canary Islands for farms and properties – A decree has been issued for La Palma for the allocation of €100 million to pay for properties and farms lost during the eruption, although this amount has come from a surplus in the Canary Islands surplus, rather than the Spanish state. The island secretary for La Palma laments that this represents the Spanish Government has “left La Palma” as far as paying for the reconstruction is concerned. The signing of the payment orders is expected to be completed by the end of December.
- New decree for income tax reductions – In the same aid decree as the €100 million allocated from Canary Islands surpluses, the continuation for the 60% income tax reduction is guaranteed for 2024-2027.
- 2022/2023 aid for farmers paid – The Cabildo de La Palma has begun to pay €6.5 million to farmers for income loss during the 2022-2023 growing season, due to impacts from the eruption. This is funded by the Government of the Canary Islands, and supplements a previous subsidy that only applied to farms destroyed by the eruption.
- Extension of other tax reliefs – A zero-rate of tax on deliveries or imports of goods and services in La Palma, relating to buildings, facilities, or operations impacted by the volcanic eruption, has been extended through 2026 by decree in the Canary Islands Government.
- €750,000 for renewable energy – €750,000 in subsidies for renewable energy systems have begun to be paid to 109 affected people, who are recovering, restoring or relocating their homes.
The latest Sentinel-2 satellite image of La Palma showing the reconstruction on the 23rd December 2025
Science
- National Volcanology Centre Headquarters – It has been officially announced that La Palma will serve as the official headquarters for the new National Volcanology Centre. Casa Massieu and the JTI factory, already used by the Cabildo de La Palma, will serve as the temporary headquarters for the National Volcanological Centre located between Tenerife and La Palma. The permanent headquarters is slated to be built on a plot of land in Tacande, although Tierra Bonita allege multiple potential issues around its siting there.
- ‘Ash and lava’ exhibition opens – The “Ash and Lava: Scientific Revelations by the Volcano” organised by CSIC and Tenerife Museums, has opened at the Caños del Fuego museum on La Palma, installed until June 2026. The exhibition covers the research and monitoring undertaken by CSIC during the eruption, on land, from the air, and in the sea.
- Gas extraction pipe installed in Puerto Naos – A pipe is being installed in Puerto Naos as part of ground depressurisation tests that hopes to extract gases including CO2 accumulated in the subsoil since the eruption in low-lying areas which remain the most affected by elevated gas concentrations.
- Volcanic risk training days – The Canary Islands Government has organised training days on volcanic risks in La Palma, aimed at Civil Protection and Emergency Management staff, and is a practical complement to a theory course on volcanic risk that took place in October.
Other updates
- New documentary at Elder Museum – The documentary Tajogaite: Submerged Landscapes of a Volcano, is available to view in the Elder Museum of Science and Technology. The documentary comes from the DELTA project, which has been actively monitoring the lava deltas since their emplacements, and their subsequent journey towards marine recovery.
- “Los Volkis in La Palma” book presented by IGN – The education children’s book “Los Volkis in La Palma” has been presented by IGN. A digital copy of the book is available for free, and is intended to educate about volcanic phenomena with a sensitive approach, given the impact of the eruption on many who experienced it.
- Incentives for airlines extended – The Cabildo de La Palma has extended the exemption of air taxes on La Palma, with a hope to improve the air connectivity of the island, which decreased following the eruption and pandemic. The President reiterated the need to extend these until 2030 going forward.
- Tierra Bonita questions exclusion zones and yellow traffic light – Tierra Bonita has questioned why exclusion zones remain around many areas close to the volcano, and the maintenance by the Cabildo of the yellow traffic light alert level, 4 years after the eruption ended.
Title page for the Los Volkis book
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