Enjoy your holidays in the Canary Islands

Those who have already been to the Canary Islands want to return. Those who haven’t yet, should do it soon!

See what you can visit in the Canary Islands and enjoy to the full this little Spanish paradise. The Canary Islands are an archipelago formed by two large group of islands and many smaller ones in the extreme south west of Spain, close to Morocco in North Africa. By its location it’s easy to imagine that its strongest selling point is its pleasant climate, ideal for holidays. But besides beaches and natural beauty these islands have much more to offer. 

The Canary archipelago is formed by seven islands. And since no two of them are exactly similar, you need to know the attractions that each of the Canary Islands have to offer.

If you like sports and adventure, perhaps you will prefer Fuerteventura. If you enjoy culture, architecture, sustainability and wine then Lanzarote could be the choice for you. If you want to visit a museum those on Gran Canaria are superb.

The holiday season here lasts all year round but is at its highest when the weather gets colder in the rest of Europe. The very high season goes from October till April/ May. During July and August, the domestic tourism is strongest. These facts and the distance from the continent dictate that your first concern when planning a trip to the islands be when to fly.

Rule 1- Buy in advance. In order to secure good prices book air tickets at least 3 months  in advance.

Air Companies:

There are plenty of options of flights, and these vary from island to island. Air companies like Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Europa, Vueling, Norwegian, Binter and Transvia, among others, operate flights there.

So that you have an idea of the distance, the islands are about a 4.5-hour flight from London, 2.5 hours from Madrid and 3 hours from Barcelona.

There are two options for flights between the islands: Binter Canarias and Canary Fly.

Boats between the islands: two companies operate boats between the islands: Fred Olsen, normally has faster and more expensive boats, and Naveira Armas. As an example, the route from Gran Canaria to Tenerife with Armas takes 3 hours and costs about £38.

In most of the islands it is essential that you hire a car. All traditional car hire companies are present in the islands but I would recommend the local one- Cicar which offers very good rates.

Cool Combinations of More than One Islands.

You can stay a week in each of the islands without getting bored:

3 days in Lanzarote + 2 days in Graciosa + 2 days in Fuerteventura. The most exciting island (in my opinion) when it comes to landscape is Lanzarote. But the best beaches are in Graciosa and in Fuerteventura. A 25-minute boat trip separates Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

3 days in Tenerife + 4 days in Gran Canaria, which are the ‘capital’ islands in the archipelago, where the large public universities are based are therefore the most populated.  In Tenerife is the highest point in all Spain, the Teide, located within the most visited national park in the country. This alone deserves a whole day to be explored. This is also the birth place of our own Jose de Anchieta, whose birth place town is now a World Heritage Site.

Gran Canaria is known as a ‘continent in miniature’, which means lots of diversity. Start your day with a mind-blowing trekking in the heart of the island and finish the day with a relaxing spa facing the ocean in Maspalomas. Save 2 days to relax in the south of the island where the weather is amazing 99% of the time.

3 days in Tenerife + 2 days in El Hierro + 2 days in La Gomera or La Palma:  this is the best combination if your thing is nature and adventure tourism and leave the beaches for the next trip.

Beaches:

The beaches are the islands’ main attraction. Because of the fine weather they can be enjoyed all year round but the islands get very crowded during summer so, if you possibly can, choose visiting during quieter months. There are many beaches that you simply must visit, and they are scattered over all islands. In Gran Canaria get to know the Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas. In Tenerife, visit Playa de los Cristianos. In Fuerteventura, the Playa de Sotavento and in Lanzarote look for the Playa de Papagayo.

Have an excellent trip.

Karla Barbosa