Seven Islands of Spring-Like Sunshine
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, off the north-west coast of Africa, made up of seven main islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. Known for a mild climate through the year, volcanic scenery, golden and black beaches and clear night skies, the islands are one of Europe's best-loved sun destinations. Their mild, spring-like conditions make them a natural choice for winter sun, while summers are tempered by Atlantic trade winds, giving visitors a long and varied season.
Each island has its own personality. Tenerife, the largest, is crowned by Mount Teide, which at 3,715 metres is Spain's highest peak and sits within a UNESCO-listed national park. Gran Canaria is a continent in miniature, with the Maspalomas dunes and green mountain villages. Lanzarote's lava fields at Timanfaya and the works of the artist César Manrique give it a lunar, designed beauty, while Fuerteventura is a surfer's and walker's island of vast white beaches. The wider Spain guide places the archipelago within a larger Iberian story.
Dunes, Stars and Carnival Colour
Experiences are strikingly diverse. Teide's cable car and clear air make the national park a landmark day out and a world-class place for stargazing, and La Palma's Roque de los Muchachos hosts major observatories. La Gomera's Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO site since 1986, is a mist-draped laurel forest of walking trails. Whale and dolphin watching is a year-round offer off the south-west of Tenerife, and snorkelling, kitesurfing and golf broaden the choice for active guests, with Costa Adeje a leading resort base.
Culture and food add warmth. Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is among the largest in the Spanish-speaking world, and the islands' cuisine centres on papas arrugadas, wrinkled salted potatoes with red and green mojo sauces, fresh fish, goat's cheese and gofio, a toasted-grain flour. Island bananas and Malvasía wines complete the table. A tourist board has a rich palette here, and the nearby Atlantic neighbour Madeira offers a similar year-round appeal.
Read the full The Canary Islands guide on Visit Travel Group, or see TheCanaryIslands.uk on Visit Travel Group.