Canary Islands Travel Guide


The latest travel Information on Canary Islands, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Canary Islands Information

Overview

The Canary Islands (Islas Canarias) comprise Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. Despite being Spanish territories they are much closer to the coast of Africa than to mainland Spain and it is this mid-easterly Atlantic location that accounts for their remarkably mild climate. 

All the islands are of volcanic origin, and the archipelago offers strikingly diverse landscapes including remarkable sub-tropical flora, luxuriant pine woods, giant sand dunes and mountain peaks.

By far the most popular holiday playgrounds are Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Away from the resorts however these islands, ironically, also offer the most varied landscapes. Next in popularity come Lanzarote, then Fuerteventura. Lanzarote has managed to combine modern resorts with much-praised eco-friendly development and low-rise aesthetically pleasing design, while Fuerteventura is famous for its wind-driven watersports and some of Europe’s finest beaches.

La Gomera is a charming small undeveloped island, often visited as a Tenerife day trip (just 30 minutes by ferry), while La Palma, very green, uncommercialised and arguably the most beautiful island, is primarily a destination for walkers. Most westerly of all is El Hierro, windblown and well off the beaten track, attracting a mere handful of walkers each year.

Note: Consult the Spain section for information on Passport/Visa, Health, Money and Public Holidays.


Top Things To See & Do

Explore the cosmopolitan city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (website: www.infosantacruz.com), the island capital. Enjoy its rich architecture, churches, museums and colourful bustling market. Afterwards relax on the golden sands of Playa de Las Teresitas.

Take a hike in the Caldera de Taburiente on La Palma, one of the largest and most fertile volcanic craters on earth. Or just take in the view from the Mirador de La Cumbrecita. Then explore the charming little capital, Santa Cruz.

Visit Timanfaya National Park, an awe-inspiring moonscape created by an 18th-century volcanic eruption that covered around one-third of Lanzarote in lava. Take the coach tour, feel the heat of the dormant volcano and book a walking tour.

See as many of the seven César Manrique visitor attractions as you can. This great Lanzaroteño artist, landscape designer and ecological champion defined the essence of the island with his fantastic creations. Don’t miss Jameos del Agua or Jardín de Cactus.

Visit lively Las Palmas, capital of Gran Canaria, with its magnificent location between two bays. Sights include the Casa de Colón (Columbus House), cathedral, market, Pueblo Canario and several museums. It has a fine beach too.

Go windsurfing or kitesurfing off Fuerteventura’s fabulous soft golden beaches. Giant dunes back unspoiled beaches in both the north of the island, at Corralejo, and in the south at Jandía, where world championship events are staged.

Visit Teguise (website: www.costateguiseturismo.org), the picturesque Colonial-style former capital of Lanzarote, with aristocratic palaces, historic convents, churches and a castle built on a volcanic cone with great views over the town. Come on a Sunday to enjoy the colourful market.

On Tenerife take the cable car up Mount Teide, the highest point in all Spanish territory at 3,718m (12,198ft). It climbs to within 300m (1,000ft) of the summit - from where you can walk the rest (free permit required). Teide National Park was declared a World Heritage Site in 2007.

Spend a day in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife’s north coast. Splash out in the César Manrique-designed Costa Martiánez lido, explore the Colonial-style old town and enjoy Loro Parque, one of the world’s finest marine and wildlife parks.

If you can, visit during Carnaval (February/March). The celebrations on Tenerife, in Santa Cruz and Puerto Cruz are some of the biggest and most colourful outside Rio de Janeiro.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Going Out

Food and Drink

In the main resorts, restaurants offer the full range of international cuisine, Spanish dishes and a limited choice of local delicacies. Often restaurants and bars, particularly at the cheaper end of the scale, simply cater for the tastes of particular holidaymaker’s nationalities. British-oriented, and to a lesser degree, German-oriented establishments are common in the main resorts. Spanish wines and spirits are the best value. Local beers are pilsner-type lagers.

Regional specialities:
• Mojos (olive-oil based sauces): picón (spicy red to accompany meat) and verde (parsley and coriander sauce to accompany fish).
• Papas arrugadas (wrinkly new potatoes boiled in sea salt).
• Potaje (vegetables only soupy stew), puchero and rancho canario (meat stews).
• Sancocho (stew of salted fish, sweet potatoes and vegetables).
• Bananas, tomatoes, avocados and papayas are grown locally.

Regional drinks:
• Ronmiel (rum-honey).
• Sweet dessert wine.
• Lanzarote and Tenerife also produce good table wines.

Nightlife

All the major Canarian resorts are well equipped with bars and nightclubs. Revellers head for Playa de las Américas on Tenerife or Playa del Inglés on Gran Canaria; the latter also hosts one of Europe’s largest gay scenes. Both are famous, sometimes notorious, for their full-on nightlife. The resorts also stage Canarian folklore and flamenco shows, even though the latter has nothing to do with the islands.

As the only major city in the archipelago Las Palmas offers a full range of cultural activities including theatres and more sophisticated nightclubs. In Lanzarote Puerto del Carmen is the most lively after-dark resort, while Corralejo flies the nocturnal flag for Lanzarote - both however are small scale compared to Tenerife and Gran Canaria. On the other islands peace and quiet predominate.

Shopping

The islands are known for their duty-free shopping, which means bargains on electrical goods, cameras, jewellery, perfume, tobacco and spirits. Island handicrafts include open-work and embroidery, pottery, rugs, woodcarvings and basket-work based on palm leaves, cane and reed. Highly regarded Cuban-style cigars are a speciality of La Palma. Lanzarote and Tenerife produce good-quality wines. Specially boxed strelitzias, the most exotic of the islands’ flowers, and Canarian mojo sauces are ubiquitous souvenirs.

Shopping hours: Traditional hours are Mon-Sat 0900-1300 and 1600-2000. Large shopping centres are open all day and Sunday too.


Climate

Summer sunshine is guaranteed on all the islands. At other times of year however El Hierro and La Palma can be cool, with a west European spring-like climate. Both Tenerife and Gran Canaria have a north-south divide with parched southern shores and cooler, slightly wetter northern climes. However, by European standards rainfall is low throughout the islands.

Required Clothing

Lightweight cottons for much of the year with shower protection and warmer wear in winter.


Contact Addresses

Promotur Turismo Canarias (Canary Islands Tourist Board) in Tenerife

Calle San Sebastián 152, 38005 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Tel: 9222 29466 or 9020 03121.
Website: www.canarias-turismo.com

Promotur Turismo Canarias (Canary Islands Tourist Board) in Gran Canaria

Calle Víctor Hugo 60-bajo, 35006 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Tel: 9282 93698.
Website: www.canarias-turismo.com

Patronato de Turismo

Centro Comercial Yumbo, Avenida España, Playa del Inglés, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Tel: 9282 19600.
Website: www.grancanaria.com




Disclaimer
We've tried to make the information on this page as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like passport, visa, health, customs and transportation requirements) with the relevant authorities before you travel.