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Canary Islands

Scented pine forests, haunting volcanoes, lunar-like landscapes, secret sandy coves, miles of Sahara-style dunes, beach-hugging resorts. This is the unique beauty of the Canary Islands.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Cueva Pintada Museum & Archaeological Park

Gran Canaria

Discovered by a local farmer in the late 19th century, this is one of Gran Canaria's most important pre-Hispanic archaeological sites: a cave adorned with…

Casa-Museo de Colón

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

This fascinating museum documents Columbus’ voyages and features exhibits on the Canary Islands’ historical role as a staging post for transatlantic…

Pico del Teide

The cable car provides the easiest way to get up to the peak of El Teide. The views are great – unless a big cloud is covering the peak, in which case you…

Fundación César Manrique

Upon returning definitively to Lanzarote, César Manrique built his spectacular house and creative centre, Taro de Tahíche, into the lava fields just…

Parque Nacional de Timanfaya

Lanzarote's most spectacular sight, the eerie 51-sq-km Parque Nacional de Timanfaya sprawls around the Montañas del Fuego (Mountains of Fire) formed by…

Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves

Santa Cruz de la Palma

For splendid views down the valley to Santa Cruz, put aside time to tackle the 4km uphill hike north of town to La Palma’s main object of pilgrimage, the…

Playa de Cofete

This is the main beach in far-flung Cofete, near the southern tip of the island and the main draw on the island for many. It's huge, quite beautiful and…

Villa Winter

This impressive structure, with its castle-like turret, was built by German engineer Gustav Winter in the 1930s. Rumours linking Winter to the Nazi party…

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Mar 24, 2022 • 2 min read

Just ahead of welcoming visitors flocking to its islands for the Easter break, Spain's Canary Islands are suspending some COVID-19 safety measures.

Feb 18, 2022 • 6 min read

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written by Joanne Owen

updated 05.06.2024

The Canary Islands are home to the world’s second largest Carnival and the highest mountain in Spain . It is also home to world-class wines and beaches. Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro - all have a lot to offer travellers. But what is the best Canary Island? Read our guide and choose for yourself.

What is the best Canary Island?

1. tenerife - best for an infinite variety, 2. fuerteventura – best for wind sports and beaches, 3. gran canaria – best for diverse landscapes, 4. lanzarote - best for an elegant ambience, 5. la graciosa - best for secluded getaways, 6. la palma - best for jaw-dropping scenery, 7. la gomera - best for heavenly hiking, 8. el hierro - best for utter escape, how to get to the canary islands:.

The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Spain , your essential guide for visiting Spain .

Travel ideas for Spain, created by local experts

9 days  / from 2468 USD

Andalucía Explored

Discover the best of Andalucía's breathtaking palaces, churches, museums, vineyards, and more, as you travel through spectacular scenery dotted with pueblos blancos and bordered by rugged mountains and coast en route to Granada, Seville, Ronda and Jerez de la Frontera.

4 days  / from 643 USD

A culinary experience in Seville

Explore the cuisine and surroundings of Seville in Andalucia. From Iberian ham over sherry wines to the production and secrets of olive oil, this tour is an ideal weekend getaway. Decide yourself if you prefer a rental car or a chauffeur-driven car to explore the beauty of Andalucia.

10 days  / from 3791 USD

Spanish Honeymoon

Discover Andalusia, starting with the cultural city of Seville, then on to Córdoba and Granada, home of the stunning Alhambra Palace. Next you'll visit Granada and the Albayzin Arab quarter, then enjoy a stunning hot-air balloon ride, before ending your trip with a luxury boat trip from Marbella!

5 days  / from 1480 USD

Made for Madrid

Take to the Spanish capital for art, culture and a taste of life in the city, Madrileño-style. Explore age-old churches and pretty plazas, stroll through the lovely Buen Retiro Park and visit captivating Toledo. Then, come sundown, discover the city's vibrant barrios and lively nightlife.

4 days  / from 1399 USD

A Madrid getaway

Spend four days discovering the wonders of Spain's capital Madrid: from fascinating museums like El Prado and Reina Sofia over exploring unknown corners with your private guide to a day trip to the surroundings, this itinerary packs the best of Madrid.

18 days  / from 4590 USD

Hidden Spain - From Barcelona to Basque Country

Do you want to explore highlights in Spain while staying in nature at the same time? Look no further. Start your Spanish adventure in Barcelona before heading off to the mountains - drive your rental car to Andorra and further on to Basque Country. Decide between driving yourself or guided tours.

The diversity of landscapes on the Canary Islands really is staggering, spanning dramatic deserts and snow-capped mountains, verdant valleys and towering cliffs. Then there’s the seemingly infinite number of beaches - of both the black and white sand variety - take a look at our guide to finding the best beaches in Gran Canaria as proof.

What’s more, the Canaries are volcanic (hence that black sand), and volcanic islands are never dull. For example, La Palma’s Teneguia erupted as recently as 1971 - if you find that thought exciting take a look at our guide to the top 20 volcanoes around the world .

Given all this diversity, there's no question about which is the best Canary Island - rather, it’s a case of which is best for you. And the good thing is, no matter what your travel style, there’s an island to suit your needs.

If you're planning a trip to Spain, don't miss our Spain itineraries and information on how to get there . 

The caldera of Tenerife's Mount Teide © Shutterstock

The largest of the Canary Islands in size - Tenerife is especially suited to families and couples whose interests diverge. Say one of you is a confirmed beach bum while the other likes to hike.

While Tenerife’s dry southern strip is its tourist epicentre - a string of resorts, restaurants, water parks and bars beloved by Brits - most of the island’s attractions lie beyond this entertainment enclave.

On the north coast, picturesque Puerto de la Cruz has been attracting northern Europeans for over a century, with much of its colonial grandeur remaining intact, despite the commercialisation of its seafront promenade.

Fans of Spanish food and old-time charm would do well to visit La Orotava, an unspoiled town perched on a steep hill above Puerto de la Cruz. Blessed with stately mansions, ancient churches and cobbled streets, it’s also home to an abundance of beautiful local restaurants.

To experience Tenerife’s jaw-dropping crowning glory, head inland through cool pine forests to Teide National Park, home to the eponymous iconic volcano, and Spain’s highest peak. The epic lunar landscape around Mount Teide is best seen from a  cable car in the company of a local guide as part of a wider island tour.

Ready to escape the winter gloom? See our guide to the best places to visit in winter for sun .

Where to stay in Tenerife:

• For La Orotava stays: Hotel Alhambra
• For beach stays: Hotel Cleopatra Palace
• For luxury stays: Hacienda del Conde

Find more accommodation options in Tenerife

View Of Roque Nublo And El Teide, Gran Canaria © StockWithMe/Shutterstock

Next up in our guide to the best Canary Islands is Fuerteventura. The second largest island, Fuerteventura lies less than a hundred kilometres away from the African coast and is one of the least developed islands. Wind-swept, sandy and barren, it boasts the best beaches of the archipelago, most of which are blessed with fine golden sand.

Once a sleepy fishing port, unpretentious Corralejo is now a lively seaside resort town with a mix of Brits, Germans and locals contributing to its vibe. This tapas-bar-rich town is also close to some of the island’s top natural attractions.

The main highlight is Corralejo National Park, a swathe of protected sand dunes best explored on a  buggy or quad bike trip . Alternatively, try a 4x4 fix with a juddering jeep tour which takes in Cofete Natural Park - think cacti and incredible coves.

Fuerteventura windmill against a typical beautiful, blue sky backdrop © Shutterstock

If you’re seeking a beautiful beach experience, look no further than the soft sand of Playa del Moro. Its epic, windy setting gives it an appealing wildness, and it’s also one of the area’s best places to surf.

Lastly, no visit to Fuerteventura would be complete without heading to idyllic Isla de Lobos. Travelling to, and exploring, this largely uninhabited nature reserve is rewarding for nature-lovers and families alike.

Where to stay in Fuerteventura:

• For Corralejo stays: Luxury Cayetana
• For beach stays: Castillo Playa
• For family stays: H10 Tindaya

Find more accommodation options in Fuerteventura

The fine sand and turquoise waters of Fuerteventura's Jandia Beach © Shutterstock

The third largest of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria comes a close second to Tenerife in terms of having all-around appeal - dramatic scenery, perfect beaches, lively resorts, cultural sites aplenty, and restaurants worth writing home about.

Gran Canaria’s dramatic landscape comes courtesy of its classic volcanic cone profile and if you're up for an adventure take a look at our guide to exploring the rugged heart of Gran Canaria on foot . The island's mountainous nature also causes huge climate variations. So you might leave Las Palmas in damp and cloudy conditions and an hour later be enjoying the blazing hot sun on the spectacular Maspalomas Dunes.

As for Las Palmas itself? At once a major commercial hub, historical centre, cosmopolitan resort, and essential seaport, this is arguably the most beguiling of Canarian capitals. Adorned with attractive museums and galleries, it’s a stunning place to amble an afternoon with an informed Canary Islands travel guide taking you on an  Old Town walking tour .

For an easy hike to an epic sight that the entire family can enjoy, head to Roque Nublo. Given that this mighty rock was once worshipped by the island’s indigenous population, this is sure to satisfy culture vultures and outdoorsy types alike.

Where to stay in Gran Canaria:

• For rural stays: El Rinconcito de Tejeda
• For beach stays: Valentina Beach Apartments & Suites
• For family stays: Hotel Cordial Mogán Playa

Find more accommodation options in Gran Canaria

Sunset on Gran Canaria - one of the best Canary Islands © Shutterstock

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The youngest of the seven main islands, the stylish Lanzarote is also the most aesthetically pleasing - largely thanks to the work of one man. César Manrique was a visionary architect who stamped his creative architectural style on lots of local projects.

To see the magical side of Manrique’s vision in situ, head to Jameos del Agua. The first visitor attraction Manrique designed, this mood-music accompanied fantasy journey through a gorgeous volcanic grotto and underground lagoon really is out-of-this-world.

Alongside Manrique’s unique architectural vision, Lanzarote is also known for its idiosyncratic viticulture that sees Malvasia wine grapes grown in the island's craters. Seeing as the island’s wine is made distinct by its volcanic terrain, it makes good sense to combine wine-tasting with a visit to the island’s Timanfaya National Park.

For family-friendly resort life, plus golden beaches and a bustling marina that’s perfect for people watching, Playa Blanca comes up trumps. It’s also where you catch the forty-minute ferry to Fuerteventura. Speaking of ferries, for a more remote (and incredibly beautiful) beach experience, head to tiny La Graciosa - a picture-perfect place to get away from it all for the day.

Where to stay in Lanzarote:

• For boutique stays: Hotelito Rural Flor de Timanfaya
• For beach stays: Apartamentos Acuario Sol
• For family stays: Grupotel Cinco Plazas

Find more accommodation options in Lanzarote

Lanzarote's weird and wonderful wine production landscape in La Geria © Shutterstock

At the northern tip of the Lanzarote is the small fishing port of Orzola. This is the embarkation point for a ferry service to the tiny Isla Graciosa, run by Líneas Maritimas Romero. With superb beaches, this is the place to get away from it all for the day and is also a great place for a family holiday .

For an unforgettable view of Isla Graciosa drive up to the Mirador del Río an observation gallery built into the cliffside – yet another of César Manrique’s unmissable creations. This is probably the most spectacular mirador in the Canaries. Great cliffs curve down to the beach, with Graciosa just across the strip of water called simply El Río (The River), and two smaller islands, Montaña Clara and Alegranza, in the background.

Combined with a small section of the northwest coast of Lanzarote, the islands form the Parque Nacional del Archipiélago Chinijo. The only sound here is the wind gently whistling through El Río.

Spain is well known for its amazing wines and this tailor-made trip to The Lands of Wine allows you to explore two famous regions: Ribera del Duero and La Rioja. Four different wineries, from traditional to modern, and many restaurants on the way await your visit.

Where to stay at La Graciosa:

• For couples stays: La Pardela Excellence Apartamentos
• For beach stays: La Graciosa Camelia Beach Vistas Mar
• For family stays: Apartamentos Graciosamar

Find more accommodation options in La Graciosa

La Graciosa © Shutterstock

The entire island of La Palma has been declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve for its remarkable scenery - some parts are dramatically volcanic, and others are lushly forested. It’s no wonder that the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands is known as both La Isla Bonita (The Beautiful Island) and La Isla Verde (The Green Island).

The capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma, is an attractive history-rich town that’s well worth a day (or two) of exploration. Clean and bright with a mix of traditional and modern architecture, back in the day (namely, the Renaissance era), it was the third most important port of the Spanish Empire, after Seville and Antwerp.

A cool way to uncover La Palma’s volcanic origins (in both senses of the word "cool" - these caves are chilly) is to take a guided tour of the unique 500-metre-long, 3-metre-wide lava tunnel .

Moving now from subterranean exploration to peak adventuring, the pinnacle of La Palma’s scenic highlights is the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, where the finest views of the archipelago can be seen from Roque de los Muchachos.

You can drive most of the way up and then ramble around the volcanic mound on foot. Blanketed in dense Canarian pine woods, and zigzagged with deep ravines, the park is a picture-perfect paradise for ramblers.

• For Santa Cruz de la Palma stays: Hotel Emblemático Holiday Time
• For beach stays: Puerto playa
• For country stays: Apartamentos La Caleta

Find more accommodation options in La Palma

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Columbian history, rugged terrain, and honey rum - more on that later - La Gomera is cheese to Tenerife’s chalk. It’s a mountainous island, criss-crossed by long, winding roads, with a coastline dominated by dramatic cliffs - and few beaches. 

But the real jewel in La Gomera’s crown is its interior - lots of vertiginous verdant valleys that are often capped by clouds, with the Parque Nacional de Garajonay at its heart. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this park has a well-marked circular trail and contains rare laurel forests, subtropical plant species and archaeological sites - all the while serving up sweeping views.

Though small in size, La Gomera is big on delivering food and drink specialties, such as almogrote, a spicy cheese paste. To wash it down, there’s lots of local wine to choose from, or ronmiel liqueur (literally, rum honey). While Canarian rum is popular on all the islands, this is a La Gomera speciality. As is guarapo - a honey-like syrup made from the heated sap of Canarian palm trees.

Ready to explore the food of Spain? Don't miss our guide to the best Spanish food.

Where to stay in La Gomera:

• For sea views: Apartamentos Tapahuga
• For various activities: Telegraph Hostel
• For town stays: Hotel Torre Del Conde

Find more accommodation options in La Gomera

Local specialities on La Gomera © Shutterstock

Last (but not least) in our guide to the best Canary Islands comes rustic El Hierro - the smallest and most south-westerly island in the archipelago is also the hardest to get to, and the least set-up for tourists.

If you’re looking for bouncing bars in the company of 24-hour party people, this isn’t the island for you. And, as with La Gomera, if you’re looking for picture-perfect beaches, this isn’t your nirvana either. El Hierro is a sanctuary from tourist trappings - a haven for divers, hikers, and get-away-from-it-all-ers.

Valverde, the only Canarian capital located inland is small, with a cluster of friendly bars and restaurants. Other impressive inland sights include the Tubo Volcánico, a 295-foot volcanic cave, and El Sabinal, a forest of juniper trees (sabinosas) that have been twisted, gnarled and bent by the wind. If you’re desperate for a bit of beach time, Playa del Verodal is El Hierro’s best. 

For fine dining and diving, you’ll want to head to La Restinga, a laidback fishing village with a black sand beach, diving centre, and bunch of good fish restaurants. Neighbouring Bahía de Naos is a marine nature reserve.

Where to stay in El Hierro

• For wonderful views: El Laurel
• For coast stays: Salitre
• For beach stays: Lightbooking Varadero La Restinga

Find more accommodation options in El Hierro

El Hierro - a haven for hikers © Shutterstock

There are numerous airline flights from all UK airports to the Canary Islands. Some flights involve a stop-over in Madrid or Barcelona. You can also fly to Gran Canaria or Tenerife and get a connecting flight. Note that many people go to the Canaries on all-in package holidays, which can be the cheapest way to do it.

At present there are several flights to the Canary islands from the US operated by British Airways, Air Europa and Iberia, that usually go via Madrid or via London airports.

You can also travel to the Canary Islands by ship. The most popular operators are:

• The Trasmediterránea ferry company . Runs a weekly service from Cádiz to Arrecife, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de la Palma.
• The Fred Olsen Shipping Line runs ferries between Gran Canaria and Tenerife and between Tenerife and El Hierro.
• Naviera Armas has services from Gran Canaria to Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Gomera and Lanzarote, and Tenerife to El Hierro and La Palma.

Do you want to explore the highlights in Spain while staying in nature at the same time? Look no further. Start your tailor-made Spanish adventure in Barcelona before heading off to the mountains - drive your rental car to Andorra and further on to Basque Country. Decide between driving yourself or guided tours.

Ready for a trip to the Canary Islands? Check out The Rough Guide to Spain . If you travel further in Spain , read more about the best time to go , the best places to visit and best things to do in Spain. For inspiration use our Spain itineraries from our local travel experts . A bit more hands on, learn about getting there , getting around the country and where to stay once you are there.

If you prefer to plan and book your trip to Spain without any effort and hassle, use the expertise of our local travel experts to make sure your trip will be just like you dream it to be.

We may earn commission from some of the external websites linked in this article, but this does not influence our editorial standards - we only recommend services that we genuinely believe will enhance your travel experiences.

Joanne is a Pembrokeshire-born writer with a passion for the nature, cultures and histories of the Caribbean region, especially Dominica. Also passionate about inspiring a love of adventure in young people, she’s the author of several books for children and young adults, hosts international writing workshops, and has written articles on the Caribbean and inspirational community initiatives for Rough Guides. Follow her @JoanneOwen on Twitter and @joanneowenwrites on Instagram.

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20 Top Attractions & Places to Visit in the Canary Islands

Written by Michael Law , Lana Law , and Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated May 13, 2023

Authors Michael and Lana Law spent a month touring the Canary Islands in the fall of 2022.

Golden-sand beaches that run for as far as the eye can see, craggy volcanic peaks piercing the sky, jungles full of rare trees, and a collection of vibrant towns with countless things to see and do, you'll find all of this and more on the Canary Islands.

Just off the coast of northwestern Africa, these sun-kissed islands have been drawing visitors to their shores since the 1970s. Lie on the beach and soak up the sun, splash in the waves, climb to an ancient volcanic spire, run up and down massive sand dunes, or explore the narrow streets of the Old Towns. No matter what you choose, it's all here for you.

Getting here is easy. Charter flights from Europe depart almost hourly. But leaving these beautiful islands is the hard part!

Plan the best places to visit on your vacation with our list of the top attractions in the Canary Islands.

1. Teide National Park, Tenerife

2. timanfaya national park, lanzarote, 3. beaches of gran canaria, 4. the beaches of tenerife, 5. the beaches of fuerteventura, 6. admire the works of cesar manrique on lanzarote, 7. go dolphin & whale watching in tenerife, 8. santa cruz de tenerife, 9. las palmas de gran canaria, 10. meet animals at loro park, tenerife, 11. san cristóbal de la laguna, tenerife, 12. la orotava, tenerife, 13. explore cueva de los verdes, lanzarote, 14. puerto del carmen, lanzarote, 15. santa cruz de la palma, 16. hike to roque nublo, gran canaria, 17. join the fun at the carnival of santa cruz de tenerife, 18. parque nacional de garajonay, la gomera, 19. go stargazing on mt. tiede, tenerife, 20. caldera de taburiente national park, la palma, map of attractions & places to visit in the canary islands, what are the canary islands like, when is the best time to visit the canary islands.

The third highest volcano in the world at 3,718 meters in altitude, Teide towers above the small island of Tenerife , the best known of the Canary Islands. Teide National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site , includes the entire mountain, and a trip inside the immense crater is a highlight of a trip to the Canary Islands.

Inside the crater's rim is a caldera - the crater floor - 19 kilometers in diameter, and a drive across this barren moonscape is like driving into the center of the earth. This crater is actually what's left of a much larger mountain that blew its top about three million years ago, collapsing into itself. In places, it left walls that rise 457 meters above the crater floor.

El Portillo Visitor Center is a good place to visit first, where an excellent little museum has interactive exhibits showing how volcanoes form and exploring the environment of the crater. Outside, a path leads through a botanic garden, where labels help visitors recognize and identify native plants they will see in the park.

To see the crater from above, and for wide-ranging views, ride the Teleférico cable car up Teide's cone, a newer volcanic peak that formed above the giant crater after the original top of the mountain slid off.

Although the view from the cable car is outstanding, it can't match the experience of crossing the crater floor to see the varied remnants of the volcanic action: lava fields; jumbles of jagged, black lava boulders; dunes of lava pebbles; and outcrops of red, blue, yellow, and black volcanic stone. Stopping points at various features have signs in English describing the flora and fauna and explaining the landscape, and walking trails lead to the highlights.

Lanzarote has a much more recent volcanic history than Tenerife - the cataclysmic eruptions that covered most of the island in molten lava and volcanic ash took place between 1730 and 1736. The seven-year series of eruptions buried 11 villages and drove the population from the island, which had previously been the garden of the Canaries.

After the eruptions stopped, the farmers returned and found innovative ways to cultivate parts of their ash-covered land. The most dramatic of the volcanic landscapes, including a still-active volcano, are now protected as the UNESCO-listed Timanfaya National Park.

You literally have to see it to believe it: huge areas of unearthly terrain covered in swirls of solidified lava, cracked into crevices by more molten lava still moving beneath it. To see the entire park, go to Islote de Hilario , at the top of a volcanic cone, where park rangers demonstrate the tremendous heat just beneath your feet. Dry brush thrown into a depression bursts into flame, and water poured down a pipe erupts back out in a boiling geyser.

Read More: Top-Rated Things to Do on Lanzarote

The far south coast of Gran Canaria has a succession of beautiful golden sand beaches. Between Playa de San Agustin on the west and Puerto de Mogán to the east, sunseekers will find no less than six major beach resort areas.

The largest is Maspalomas , with a protected reserve of huge sand dunes in behind stretching in layers to the sea. Mountains of wind-riffled sand undulate above beaches, where dunes as high as 12 meters are constantly carved and shifted by sea and wind. You can wander for hours on foot, marveling at their desolate beauty, but it's more exotic to climb on a dromedary for a lurching camel ride through this spectacular dunescape.

Just around the point to the east is another of the island's best beaches, Playa del Inglés. Similar to Maspalomas, but easier to access, this beach is painted with bright umbrellas and backed by a promenade and a line of restaurants, cafés, shops, and amusements. It's one of the island's liveliest beach scenes at any time of day or night.

Because of the clear, warm water, diving is popular here and an underwater park has been designated at Arinaga, north of Playa de San Agustin. There are diving schools at Maspalomas, Playa Ingles, and several other points, and you'll find facilities for all manner of other water sports here, including sailing and windsurfing.

The capital city of Las Palmas has several excellent beaches, including Playa Las Canteras, with a wide, sandy shore and gentle waters thanks to a natural breakwater formed by volcanic rock. This coast sees large waves from the Atlantic Ocean; the western end of the beach is one of the best places on Gran Canaria for surfing .

Read More: Top-Rated Things to Do on Gran Canaria

Like those of Gran Canaria, the fabled beaches of Tenerife lie along its sunny south coast. Among the most developed, with plenty of holiday homes, hotels, restaurants, and sports options, are the golden sands of family-oriented Playa de Las Vistas and the upscale enclaves around Playa del Duque , on the Costa Adeje to the west. At the latter, you'll find shopping, luxury spas, golf, windsurfing, jet skiing, and other activities.

Smaller natural beaches with darker sand dot the entire shore east of Los Cristianos as far as El Medano , a fun and funky place where you'll find a world-class kiteboarding and windsurfing destination. If you crave a bit of solitude, head a bit south of El Medano and check out the golden sands of spectacular Playa de la Tejita, Tenerife's largest natural beach, which is frequently featured on social media postings.

Perhaps the best beach for families is Playa de las Teresitas , just outside the capital of Santa Cruz. Its gently sloping, golden sands (imported from North Africa) are protected by artificial barrier reefs that make it perfect for children and swimmers, without the heavy surf of some other beaches.

Miles of beaches on the island of Fuerteventura are almost empty, and even most of those with well-developed tourist infrastructure, are uncrowded. The soft sands of Africa's deserts are blown across the 100 kilometers of open ocean to find their way to Fuerteventura's west coast and between your toes.

Along Fuerteventura's shorelines, these same sands are washed by the clear, clean waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The 16 kilometers of beaches around Corralejo are some of the best on the island. Here, you'll find ever-shifting sand dunes running right down to the water's edge.

Laze on the sand here and take a dip, or for the more sporty types, sign up for a surfing lesson. If the winds are up, be sure to swing by Flag Beach, also known as Playa Medano, and watch the kiteboarders race across the waves under their colorful kites.

Farther south is Playa Sotavento (leeward beach), which has earned Fuerteventura its reputation as a haven for beach lovers. This unique beach is a massive sand flat where the tides come up slowly, creating warm, shallow pools in behind the shore break.

At the far end of the Jandia Penisula, you'll find more amazing beaches. Playa Jandia and Playa Matorral are massive stretches of golden sand with a lively townsite packed with restaurants and shops behind. These beaches are favored by the beach-walking crowd for their flat and hard sands and wonderful views.

Read More: Top-Rated Things to Do on Fuerteventura

The artist Cesar Manrique is remembered not only for his works of art and architecture but for the inspiration and dedication that saved the character of his native island of Lanzarote. After a successful art career in New York and on the continent, he returned to Lanzarote in 1968, where he began a campaign to save Lanzarote from the unbridled tourist development that had ruined so many other holiday destinations.

He set the island on a new environmentally and culturally sustainable path by designing and building a series of tourist attractions that used and celebrated the nature of the island - its volcanic landscapes, ragged lava flows, and soaring cliffs.

These include his own dramatic home, Taro de Tahiche , built into a series of subterranean bubbles caused by lava flows; Jameos del Agua , an auditorium, swimming pool, and restaurant built inside a huge volcanic bubble; Monumento al Campesino , with a monumental modern sculpture and handcraft gallery; Mirador del Rio, a scenic overlook high above the sea on the north coast; Jardin de Cactus , a stunning cactus garden built into a former quarry.

He also repurposed a disused fort into the Museo Internacional del Arte Contemporáneo in Arrecife, designed the beautiful Salinas Hotel in Costa Teguise, designed signs for several other attractions, and created huge wind toys - mobile sculptures at road intersections throughout the island. But most of all, he imbued the islanders with a pride in their unique landscape and traditions, and a determination to protect its integrity.

Several of these attractions have gift shops filled with quality local crafts and art, excellent places for souvenir shopping .

The Atlantic Sea off Tenerife is known for its whales and dolphins, and a whale watching cruise is one of the island's favorite things to do for families. You can spot whales and watch pods of dolphins cavort – as many as five different species – on boat excursions from various harbors. Many cruises include a stop at a secluded bay for swimming or snorkeling.

A variety of crafts are available, from sleek sailboats and catamarans to luxury yachts. You'll be accompanied by trained crew members who will help you spot and identify the marine life you see. You'll also get different views of Mt Tiede and the coastline. For those who like their wildlife experiences to be closer to the water — or in it — there are tours for kayakers and divers, as well.

The capital of Tenerife is a lively and attractive city, marked by some outstanding architectural attractions. Foremost of these is the magnificent Auditorio de Tenerife , an opera house and concert hall overlooking the sea, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The concert hall hosts world-class performers, conductors, and orchestras.

Santa Cruz has other cultural highlights, including the excellent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts , where you'll find works by Spanish, Flemish, and Canarian painters.

At the fascinating Museum of Nature and Man , you can learn more about Tenerife's native people, before the arrival of European settlers, and about the volcanic history of the island. Close to the museum, the lively Mercado de Nuestra Señora de Africa is a good place to find local crafts. Santa Cruz is where you'll find the best shopping on Tenerife.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a sun-drenched seaside town with an interesting historic legacy from its Spanish colonial past, dating from the 15th century. The city was founded in 1478, Spain's first colonial foothold in its westward expansion toward the New World.

The impressive 16th-century Cathedral of Santa Ana has a Gothic interior, with unusual palm-shaped columns, and in the south wing is the Diocesan Museum, with a rich collection of religious art and gold and silver work. The interesting archaeological and ethnographic collections at the Museum of the Canary Islands reveal the prehispanic culture of the island.

The 15th-century Casa de Colon was the home of the first governor, where Columbus stayed en route to the New World. Exhibits in the museum detail his explorations. The house is a beautiful example of Canarian architecture, with delicate wooden balconies, lovely patios, and a monumental doorway.

The Néstor Museum exhibits the artwork of Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre, one of the most renowned Spanish Symbolist painters. The museum displays his paintings, including portraits and landscapes, as well as his drawings, sketches, and craftwork. The Néstor Museum is part of the Pueblo Canario (Canaries Village) built in an idealized "neo-Canarian" style. Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo , seven kilometers from Las Palmas, is a spectacular botanical garden filled with native Canarian plant species and set in a beautiful valley.

One of the most popular tourist attractions for families in the Canary Islands is Loro Park just outside of Puerto de la Cruz. Combining high standards of conservation with good entertainment, the park has one of the world's largest collections of parrots, a large dolphinarium, and an immense aquarium with an underwater tunnel where you can walk as sharks and other sea creatures swim overhead.

A bat cave; a gorilla jungle; a huge penguin habitat; and various exotic animals, including tigers and crocodiles, fill the large park.

Address: Calle San Felipe, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

This charming colonial city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its exceptional cultural heritage. San Cristobal de la Laguna, locally known simply as La Laguna, is the former capital of all the Canary Islands. The lovely historic town has many architectural gems, such as its elaborate cathedral, Renaissance and Neoclassical churches, and impressive mansions built by wealthy families in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The town's parish church, the Iglesia de Nuestra La Concepción , was built 1496 and modified in the 16th and 18th centuries. The sanctuary is simply adorned and has Mudéjar coffering. Another important church is the 17th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán , with Plateresque details on the facade and an ornately designed Mudejar ceiling. Paintings by the Canary Island artist Cristóbal Hernández de Quintana decorate the interior.

For a historical overview of the region, head to the History and Anthropology Museum , housed in the lovely Casa de Lecaro, which dates from 1593.

In a beautiful valley of banana plantations, this colonial town has been designated as a National Historic-Artistic Site . The historic quarter is filled with gracious old homes, many with ornately carved wooden balconies.

The most outstanding of these architectural gems is the Casas de los Balcones , built in the 1630s as a home to a wealthy colonial family. Today, it's a museum and gallery of traditional Canarian crafts and needlework. To admire the interior balconies, step inside the plant-filled patio. The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción , a 16th-century Baroque church, has two remarkable bell towers.

The beautifully landscaped Hijuela del Botánico is filled with more than 3,000 colorful tropical flowers and rare plants, set in lawns with decorative pools. An even larger botanical garden is in nearby Puerto de la Cruz, which was once part of La Orotava, a port known for its fishing (its boats still bring in the daily catch to its restaurants). Cesar Manrique, the artist, sculptor, and architect from the neighboring island of Lanzarote, designed its Jardin Beach among volcanic rocks.

One of the most popular things to do on Lanzarote is to explore the seven-kilometer-long volcanic tube that extends from La Coruna mountain to the sea. These tubes were formed when the surface of a lava flow cooled and hardened while the molten river of lava still flowed beneath it. When the subterranean lava emptied into the ocean, it left the hollow tube deep underground.

The two-kilometer section that you can tour inside the cave is in its original state - the only things that have been added are lights and walkways for safety. You enter the caves through a jameo — a hole created by the collapse of a thin place in the roof of the lava tube. Some of the larger chambers are as high as nine to 12 meters. The stone of the walls is red, orange, and black, formed by compounds such as iron oxide and calcium carbonate in the stone.

The biggest tourist town on Lanzarote is lively Puerto del Carmen, surrounded by more than six kilometers of sandy beaches with calm waters. The old fishing village has been transformed into a bustling vacation destination with a wide selection of hotels and restaurants, but for all its tourist amenities, it has not lost the feel of a real Canarian town.

Those visiting during the first two weeks of August will be delighted by the Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen . This religious festival honors the patron saint of the fishing village, which is decked out with colorful bunting for the occasion. The village celebrates with a traditional procession of decorated boats. One of the boats holds the statue of the Virgen del Carmen, while other fishing boats follow in a twilight maritime parade.

Read More: Best Beaches on Lanzarote

This pleasant seaside town has the most unspoiled seafront of any in the Canaries and still reflects the favored position it held in the 1500s, when it was one of only three Spanish ports allowed to trade with the New World. Stroll along the cobbled Calle O'Daley to see the handsome homes of wealthy merchants and appreciate the prosperity this town enjoyed in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The 16th-century Iglesia del Salvador has a beautiful mudejar ceiling and a painted altarpiece. The Ayuntamiento (town hall) was once the cardinal's palace, built in 1569, and has a magnificently carved ceiling and Renaissance arcade. Every five years, the island celebrates its patron saint, the Virgin of Las Nieves, with Quinquennial Fiestas , following the same traditions the townspeople have enjoyed since 1680.

The symbol of Gran Canaria, this 220-foot pillar of stone is one of the world's largest natural crags.

The views from the base of the rock are stupendous. You are standing close to the center of the island, which stretches before you in all directions, layer after layer of ragged volcanic peaks. If the weather is clear, you can see the cone of Mount Tiede on Tenerife, the highest peak in Spain.

Be prepared for both wind and sun, and wear sturdy shoes; the trail is rocky and no place for sandals. The trail is only three kilometers long but is more challenging than many sightseers expect. It's uphill all the way, with no level sections, and some of it is very uneven and over rocks. Be prepared for a bit of a workout, especially on some of the steeper sections. Count on at least 1.5 hours of total hiking time there and back.

On weekends and holidays, it's a good idea to arrive early in the morning because parking is limited at la Goleta.

Each year, Tenerife's capital city goes wild for three days of carnival parades, parties, concerts, and general merrymaking. This is normally in February, before the start of Lent.

Carnival actually lasts for three weeks , but the first two are less colorful, given mostly to selecting the various queens who will participate in the grand finale, which is on the last three days. That's the time to be there, to witness the parades and join the open-air parties that continue day and night.

As many as 400,000 people fill the streets, music is everywhere, and the costumes are lavish confections of feathers and glitter that often overshadow the beautiful girls wearing them. The parade floats are even more elaborate and imaginative than the costumes.

The Carnival of Santa Cruz is second only to Rio de Janeiro's in popularity and worldwide recognition. Some tips: reserve lodgings early (a year in advance is not too soon), don't even think of bringing a car into Santa Cruz, arrive early to stake out a good viewing point for the parades, and wear a costume – however simple – so you can take part in the fun.

La Gomera rises so steeply from the Atlantic that it is impractical to build a road around its coast. Crowning the top half of the island is the world's largest pre-glacial forest, protected as Garajonay National Park, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Seventy percent of the 9,325-acre park is covered by a dense laurel forest, similar to those covering Europe in the Tertiary Period.

These beautiful, green forests are home to many plants and animals that are indigenous only to this island, and the island's streams and springs are fed by clouds and mists that hover on the peaks in the park. The terrain is steep, and paths through the misty moss-draped forests open to breathtaking, if often vertigo-inspiring, views. The island capital of San Sebastián was where Christopher Columbus outfitted his ships before crossing the Atlantic in 1492.

While the volcano and its giant caldera are the island's top tourist attraction during the day, Tiede National Park offers another appeal after dark. It has been certified as a " Starlight Destination " by the Starlight Foundation, for the exceptional quality of stargazing.

This is due to a low level of light pollution, the trade winds, and its location close to the equator, which allows you to see all the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere and most of the Southern Hemisphere's. Of the 88 officially recognized constellations, 83 are seen from Tiede. This makes stargazing one of the favorite things to do at night on Tenerife.

Some of the most spectacular stellar events are meteor showers , the best known of which are the Perseids in August and the Quadrantids in January, although smaller ones occur throughout the year. A good way to see the stars, planets, and other celestial phenomena is with a Night Sky Star Safari Teide National Park Tenerife tour , where you can stargaze through a professional telescope with the help of an expert guide to explain the wonders of the night sky.

Known as the Isla Bonita (Beautiful Island), La Palma is the greenest of the Canary Islands. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve , La Palma's landscape varies from pristine forests to sheer cliffs and black-sand beaches. Among its many protected environments is the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, where volcanic peaks rise to 2,400 meters, and lava flows descend to the sea.

For those in search of idyllic surroundings, the park has wooded areas with streams and waterfalls. Along the rocky coastline, picturesque little bays are hidden away in between steep hillsides.

Although part of Spain, the Canary Islands are much closer to Africa than they are to Europe. Fuerteventura is only 160 kilometers from the northwest coast of Morocco, close enough for its beaches to be made of blowing Sahara sand.

Spanish is the local language, but tourists may be surprised to find a distinctly Canarian character and culture that is quite different from mainland Spain.

In other words, don't expect bullfights or flamenco. Expect to find plenty of other tourists, especially on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, most of whom have come for the fabled beaches.

The Canaries have long been popular with British and northern European sunseekers, so you'll find English spoken in most restaurants, hotels, and shops. You'll also find a surprising variety of things to do on these seven islands, from water sports and hiking trails to modern art and sightseeing in charming colonial towns.

Although each island is different, they have in common their volcanic origins, which have led to some of their most distinctive natural attractions. The four largest islands, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria, all have fascinating volcanic features, two of which are national parks. The islands have three UNESCO World Heritage sites .

There's no wrong season to visit the islands, as their placement where the tropical climatic zone joins the subtropical zone gives them an almost ideal climate of perpetual springtime, with average temperatures varying only 14 degrees throughout the year.

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The Perfect 2-Week Canary Islands Itinerary

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Fondly known as the islands of eternal spring, the Canary Islands are as close as you can get to Hawaii without leaving Europe. These volcanic islands enjoy a blissfully warm subtropical climate throughout the year, making them a great choice if you’re looking to shake off the snow and enjoy some glorious winter sunshine.

During your 14-day Canary Islands trip , you’ll have the chance to discover just how diverse the landscape of the Canaries really is. From wind-swept black sandy beaches that stretch on for miles and sleepy fishing villages that time forgot to lush jungles home to mysterious hidden walking trails and urban cities that will make you feel like you’re in Madrid or Barcelona, there’s absolutely loads to explore here. 

Compiling your own travel itinerary can be a big challenge. Especially if you’ve never been to the place you’re visiting before. There are so many must-see places in the Canary Islands that it can feel overwhelming just getting started.

To help you out, we’ve done a lot of the hard work for you and have put together a fun-filled guide you can follow to explore the very best that the Canary Islands have to offer. We’ve also added some tips to help you get off to a great start before you even book your flight!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of our links we may earn a small commission (don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you).

Two Weeks in the Canary Islands

Preparing for the canary islands.

The Canary Islands form part of the EU. So as long as you plan on spending fewer than 90 days within the archipelago, you don’t need a visa to travel to the Canary Islands. All you need is a passport that’s valid for at least three months following your planned departure date from the Canary Islands. Your passport also needs to have been issued within the past 10 years. 

The above information is true for most countries, including the US, but not all of them. To be safe, check official sources to find out exactly what paperwork you need to travel before leaving home for your 2-week trip to the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands’ currency is the euro. It’s possible to exchange your money for euros before you travel. But it’s a better idea to wait until you arrive on the islands before getting euros. All you need to do is go to an ATM and withdraw the cash directly from the machine. Getting euros this way is reliably cheaper than exchanging your money.

If you don’t want to use cash at all, you don’t have to. Almost everywhere, from tiny minimarkets to fine dining restaurants, accepts all major credit cards, with the exception of American Express.

Things to Know Before You Go 

If you speak Spanish and you want to try to talk to the locals during your 2 weeks in the Canary Islands, you may struggle a little. While they do speak the same variety of Spanish that locals do on the mainland (Castellano/Castillian), they’ve got a distinct dialect that can be difficult to understand.

To make it worse, each island has its own dialect with its own slang words! Don’t worry too much about it. A lot of locals on the island speak at least basic English, so you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.

Most people in the Canary Islands have an extremely laid-back attitude. When your waiter tells you they’ll be back “in 2 minutes” with your bill, don’t be surprised if they take more than 10 minutes. Get used to being on Canarian time, and you’ll have a much more chilled-out vacation. 

Avoid doing anything important in the middle of the day, on Saturday afternoons, or any time on Sunday. Many important businesses, such as banks, pharmacies, post offices, and supermarkets, close between 1 pm and 5 pm on weekdays, from 2 pm onwards on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays. Use the time to get out into nature and enjoy the gorgeous landscape. 

Getting Around the Canary Islands

Depending on where you’re traveling from, you may find it a little tricky to get to the Canary Islands. We recommend you fly to Tenerife South Airport because this airport has the most connections to the rest of Europe. If you’re planning a big European trip, try to end up in Barcelona or Madrid before visiting the Canary Islands. You’ll find it easy to fly between the islands and these two cities. 

There are no ridesharing companies in the Canary Islands, and taxis can be pricey. Public transport (buses and trams) are an option, but they can often be very infrequent and unreliable.

Because of this, we recommend flying into your starting airport and renting a car. Gas is very affordable in the Canary Islands compared to a lot of other places in the world. There are also very low-cost ferry routes that go between many of the islands several times each day. 

Renting a car and moving between the islands via ferry allows you to be flexible with your schedule and carry all your stuff without worrying about paying extra for baggage. 

Canary Islands Itinerary: 2 Weeks to Explore the Highlights

Tenerife north – 2 nights.

The north of Tenerife is the first stop on your Canary Islands itinerary. This part of the island is blanketed in lush greenery, dotted with hidden villages, and home to some of the most spectacular volcanic beaches you’ll ever see if your life.

Things to do in Tenerife North

Mount teide.

Start your 2-week trip to the Canary Islands with a visit to Mount Teide. The highest peak in Spain, this impressive volcano and the surrounding landscape look like something you’d find on an alien planet, not a subtropical island.

Guachinches

The north of Tenerife is where you’ll find “guachinches.” These are small Canarian restaurants that dish up great local food for less than the loose change in your pocket. We suggest checking out Guachinche Como En Casa . 

Loro Parque

Loro Parque is, without a doubt, one of the top places to visit in the Canary Islands for animal and plant lovers. Or, for something a little less touristic, go hiking in the Anaga Mountains. This is one of the most stunning parts of the island, with trails ranging from 30 minutes up to 8+ hours. 

Getting To Tenerife North

The easiest way to get to Tenerife North is to fly into Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport from mainland Spain or one of the other Canary Islands. There are cheap flights leaving from Barcelona and Madrid several times each day.

After you arrive in Tenerife North, we recommend you rent a car. Car rentals and gas are incredibly affordable in the Canary Islands. Driving yourself is the cheapest, quickest, and most convenient way to get around.

Where to stay in Tenerife North

If you’re craving a bit of urban life, consider staying in Santa Cruz. This is the island’s capital city and is the liveliest place in the north of the island. The biggest vacation resort town in Tenerife North is Puerto de la Cruz. Here you’ll find loads of great hotels and attractions with a more laid-back vibe than the resorts in Tenerife South.

For a unique experience, stay in La Laguna. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Laguna is full of stunning buildings and beautiful parks with a distinctly local, Canarian feel. 

Tenerife South – 2 nights

The most popular vacation destination in all the islands, the south of Tenerife boasts luxury resorts, dazzling beaches, and world-class attractions. Because the island is so compact, you can easily visit rural Canarian villages, mystical forests, and breathtaking viewpoints after just a short drive.

Things to do in Tenerife South

Tenerife South is home to so many of the best Canary Islands attractions that you’ll be exhausted after the end of your second leg! Siam Park , voted the best water park in the world for more than seven years running, is an absolute must-visit. If high-speed watercoasters aren’t your thing, there are plenty of beaches where you can enjoy a chilled-out day in the sun. Playa del Duque is one of the best.

Tenerife is an amazing place for wildlife, so hop on an eco-friendly boat tour and go searching for whales and dolphins. When you need time to unwind, head to the bohemian surfer resort town of El Medano and barhop while enjoying the gorgeous views. 

Getting To Tenerife South

The easiest way to get from Tenerife North to Tenerife South is to simply drive there. If you decide against renting a car, hop on the bus. While a taxi is convenient, the trip will be very expensive.

Where to stay in Tenerife South

As Tenerife South is mostly a purpose-built vacation resort, there are plenty of fantastic places to stay. Costa Adeje is in the center of the region and boasts countless hotels, cafes, bars, restaurants, and stores. For something a little more laid-back, we suggest the older and more peaceful area of Los Cristianos.

If you want to get away from the tourist areas, consider staying in La Tejita. This neighborhood has a very local vibe and is home to the largest natural beach in Tenerife. 

La Gomera – 2 nights

One of the smallest Canary Islands, La Gomera feels like a place that time forgot. This clandestine island is one of the best places in the Canary Islands, home to a never-ending number of hiking trails and viewpoints. Very few people speak English here, so brush up on your Spanish before you go! 

Things to do in La Gomera

Garajonay national park.

The best 2-week Canary Islands itinerary has to include hiking in La Gomera. The island is blanketed in thick, verdant forests that hide trickling waterfalls, centuries-old bridges, and fountains that boast some of the purest water you’ll ever drink. Whether or not you plan on hiking, the Garajonay National Park is a magical place to visit, with a labyrinth of trails, picnic and BBQ areas, and a visitors center. 

Abrante Viewpoint

For an awesome view, visit Abrante Viewpoint. Here you’ll find a glass platform you can step out onto and gaze 1,300 feet below you, across the ocean and all the way to Tenerife. To get a little closer to the ocean, spend a lazy day at the volcanic beach at Valle Gran Rey.

Getting to La Gomera

If you’ve decided to rent a car, you can reach La Gomera from Tenerife South via ferry. Fred Olsen is the fastest and cheapest ferry service, with several connections every day between Los Cristianos in Tenerife South and San Sebastian in La Gomera. 

If you’re using public transport, you can fly from Tenerife South Airport to La Gomera Airport with Binter. The flight goes via Gran Canaria. So even if you don’t have a car, we still recommend you travel via ferry for a speedier journey.

Where to stay in La Gomera

San Sebastian is the main city in La Gomera. Here you’ll find a decent selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants, which are all within walking distance. Valley Gran Rey is the biggest vacation resort on the island, although it has a much more serene and local vibe than anything you will have experienced in Tenerife.

La Palma – 2 nights

La Palma is where you’ll find some of the most stunning places to see in the Canary Islands. Fondly nicknamed “La Isla Bonita” (the Beautiful Island), La Palma is filled with misty forests, dramatic volcanoes, and a spectacular coastline. 

The island was recently devastated by a volcanic eruption that lasted months. Although everything has settled down now and it’s completely safe to visit today, you can still see the remarkable aftermath of the natural destruction. 

Things to do in La Palma

Start your La Palma adventure by hopping in your car and heading for one of the best places to go in the Canary Islands. The volcano that erupted (Cumbre Vieja) is located in the southern center of the island. Drive anywhere in this area, and you’ll be surrounded by giant mounds of ash the volcano left behind.

Salinas de Fuencaliente

When you need a breath of fresh air, head to the coastline and visit Salinas de Fuencaliente . This fascinating place shows you how salt is harvested from the sea and used to make all kinds of wonderful products. If you’d prefer something a little sweeter, visit Quesería Luna de Awara and Bodegas Carballo for some cheese and wine tasting.

Roque de Los Muchachos

La Palma is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. End your visit to the island with a guided tour to Roque de Los Muchachos , where you’ll learn about everything in the night sky.  

Getting to La Palma

You can reach La Palma from La Gomera by taking the Fred Olsen or Naviera Armas ferry. Both ferry lines operate between San Sebastian in La Gomera and Santa Cruz in La Palma. Alternatively, you can fly with Binter between La Gomera Airport and La Palma Airport. 

Where to stay in La Palma

Llanos de Aridane is the most built-up part of La Palma, with the most cafes, restaurants, bars, boutiques, and stores. It’s very central, and staying here makes it easy to travel anywhere on the island. If you want to chill out somewhere and enjoy plenty of beach time, Tazacorte is the place for you. This small coastal village has black sandy bays and one stunning upmarket hotel. 

Gran Canaria – 2 nights

Part desert and part tropical paradise, Gran Canaria is where you’ll find some of the best places to visit in the Canary Islands. The second most popular of the Canaries, after Tenerife, Gran Canaria has it all. From wild, rugged landscapes and beaches that stretch on for miles to amazing family attractions and stunning coastal villages, you’ll have a great time here. 

Things to do in Gran Canaria

Maspalomas dunes.

Start off the Gran Canaria leg of your journey with one of the best things to do in the Canary islands – the Maspalomas Dunes. Located in the south of the island, these undulating mountains of sand will transport you to a remote desert in an instant. For something a little less dry and arid, check out Poema del Mar . This amazing aquarium is packed with enough exhibits to keep you entertained for hours.

Poema del Mar

Whether you’re in the mood to explore or relax, Las Canteras Beach is a great place to visit. Here you can lounge under the sun on the soft golden sand or take a walk along the promenade that stretches on for 2 miles.

If you’ve got time, check out the resort town of Mogan. With gorgeous bougainvillea, rippling canals, and cute bridges, this place is as close as you can get to Venice without leaving the Canary Islands. 

Getting to Gran Canaria

To get to Gran Canaria from La Palma, simply hop on the ferry at Santa Cruz. In a few hours, you’ll arrive at the Port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. A quicker option is to fly from La Palma Airport in La Palma to Las Palmas Airport in Gran Canaria. 

Try not to get confused with the similar names! This journey takes less than one hour, although you’ll have to drop off your rental car in La Palma and pick another one up in Gran Canaria. 

Where to stay in Gran Canaria

If you’re seeking a lively vibe with plenty of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, plan to stay in Maspalomas or Playa del Ingles. You’ll find loads of evening entertainment here, as well as gorgeous hotels and dazzling beaches. For something a bit more peaceful, we suggest Puerto de Mogan, San Agustin, or Puerto Rico. 

While there are still plenty of dining options and beaches at these resorts, they’re slightly more upmarket and peaceful. Check out our picks for the best hotels in Gran Canaria .

Fuerteventura – 2 nights

Not as developed as Tenerife and not as primitive as La Gomera, Fuerteventura is figuratively nestled comfortably in the middle of the two. While the island is home to some of the best cities to visit in the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is best known for its dramatic sand dunes, rugged coastline, and spectacular conditions for all kinds of watersports. It’s a wonderful place to visit if you want to surround yourself with nature while still being just a short walk away from civilization.

Things to do in Fuerteventura

Caleta de fuste.

For an experience you’ll never forget, head to Caleta de Fuste and go swimming with sea lions. The port in this resort is home to three friendly sea lions who love showing off their skills and playing with visitors. For more animal antics, dry off and take a gentle stroll along the coastline. Keep a look out, and you’ll spot countless cute chipmunks hiding and playing among the rocks! 

Corralejo Natural Park

The must-visit attraction in Fuerteventura is the Corralejo Natural Park. With giant golden sand dunes that stretch into the sky, this part of the island is an excellent place to snap some amazing photos. 

Majorero Cheese

When you need a break from all the sightseeing, visit one of the island’s many cheese museums. Fuerteventura is famous for its delicious Majorero cheese, which is something you’ve absolutely got to try. 

Getting to Fuerteventura

Getting from Gran Canaria to Fuerteventura is easy if you’ve got a rental car. Simply drive to the Port of Las Palmas and hop on a Fred Olsen or Naviera Armas ferry. In just a couple of hours, you’ll arrive at Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura.

If you want to avoid the ferry, you can also fly between the islands. There are several cheap flights every day connecting Las Palmas Airport in Gran Canaria with Fuerteventura Airport (also known as El Matorral Airport). 

Where to stay in Fuerteventura

Corralejo is the liveliest place to stay in Fuerteventura. This part of the island is home to luxury hotels and small boutique inns, as well as great beaches, cool cocktail lounges, and trendy restaurants. 

For something a bit more tranquil, consider staying in El Cotillo or Caleta de Fuste. These peaceful resort towns boast gorgeous beaches and natural volcanic swimming pools, as well as a good number of fish and seafood restaurants. Check out our picks for the best hotels in Fuerteventura.

Lanzarote – 2 nights

Last up on your Canary Islands itinerary is Lanzarote . This stunning island was formed by a volcanic eruption 180 million years ago and, as a result, has a spectacular landscape full of surprises. The coastline is dotted with luxury vacation resorts and gorgeous beaches, while inland, you’ll find incredible volcanic scenery and some of the most beautiful cities in the Canary Islands. 

Things to do in Lanzarote 

Timanfaya national park.

If you only do one thing in Lanzarote, you’ve got to visit the Timanfaya National Park. Here you can surround yourself with a phenomenal alien-like landscape created over millions of years. You can also stop by El Diablo restaurant and have your food cooked using the heat of a volcano! 

When you’ve had enough of mountains and volcanoes, head to the coast. If you want to stay on top of the ocean, try your hand at surfing in Famara. If you’d rather get underwater, go diving and discover the very first underwater museum in Europe .

Jardín de Cactus

Not a fan of water? Stay on dry land and discover thousands of plant species at the Jardín de Cactus. Or visit the César Manrique Foundation and check out the amazing house where the famous local artist used to live. 

Getting to Lanzarote

The final leg of your journey is just as simple as the others. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are extremely close. Hop on a Fred Olsen or Naviera Armas ferry in Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, and in 30 minutes, you’ll arrive at Arrecife Port in Lanzarote. 

If you’d rather catch a plane, you can fly from Fuerteventura Airport to Lanzarote Airport (César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport). But there are no direct flights – you have to fly via Gran Canaria. Because of this, we definitely recommend catching a ferry. It’s both quicker and cheaper. 

Where to stay in Lanzarote

If you’re visiting Lanzarote as a family, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise are great places to stay. These resort towns are in the middle of all the action, home to great hotels, bars, restaurants, shops, and beaches.

Consider staying in Famara if you’re an avid surfer and you want to catch some waves. This part of the island always has amazing surfing conditions. Or, for a little bit of peace and quiet, consider the laid-back resort of Haria. Check out our picks for the top boutique hotels in Lanzarote ! 

There you have it! That’s our perfect 2-week Canary Islands itinerary. Where will you be traveling on your trip to the Canary Islands?

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Nicola is a freelance writer with an insatiable hunger for travel. She swapped her home in the UK for the sunny Canary Islands when she was just 11 and she has been based there ever since. From crawling on her hands and knees inside pyramids in Egypt to swimming with baby sharks in Bali and searching (fruitlessly!) for the Northern Lights in Iceland, Nicola takes every chance she gets to explore new places. The incredible experiences she has around the world fuels her writing and inspires her to plan even more adventures for the future.

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A historic way station between the Old and New Worlds, the Canary Islands have been influenced over the centuries by African, European, and South American waves of immigration. Perhaps that constant cultural influx is what makes Canarians so welcoming and outgoing. Every day on the Canaries brings a new landscape—you might relax on a Caribbean-style beach, be startled by giant lizards in a tropical plantation, or climb a snowcapped volcano. From total relaxation in a luxury resort to strenuous hiking via mountain refuge huts, and sampling some of Spain's finest wines on a bodega tour, these small islands offer big experiences and a very different side of Spain.

A volcanic archipelago 1,280 km (800 miles) southwest of mainland Spain and 112 km (70 miles) off the coast of southern Morocco, the seven Canary Islands lie at about the same latitude as central Florida. La Gomera and El Hierro, as well as parts of La Palma and Gran Canaria, are fertile and overgrown with exotic tropical vegetation, while Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and stretches of Tenerife are as dry as a bone, with lava caves and desert sand dunes. Even so, Spain's highest peak, Mt. Teide, on Tenerife, is sometimes capped with snow. Geographically, the Canaries are African, but culturally they’re European, and spiritually probably Latin American (many islanders have close blood ties to Cuba and Venezuela). The Spanish that's spoken here is, in pronunciation and intonation (but less so in vocabulary), more Latin American than Iberian. Salsa and reggaeton, less popular in mainland Spain, are basically all you'll hear at the wild Carnaval fiestas here.

Before the Spanish arrived, the Canaries were populated by cave-dwelling people called Guanches who were genetically similar to the Berber tribes of northern Africa. In the late 15th century the islands fell one by one to Spanish conquistadores. Columbus resupplied his ships here in 1492 before heading west to the New World and helped establish the archipelago as an important trading center. The Guanches were decimated by slave traders by the end of the 16th century, and to this day, their customs and culture remain largely a mystery. The most significant Guanche remains are the Cenobio de Valerón ruins on Gran Canaria and the mummies on display at the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Each of the seven islands is a world unto itself with unique charms, landscapes, and patrimony. Our coverage focuses on the four largest and most-visited islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. The smaller western isles of El Hierro, La Gomera, and La Palma are no less attractive: if you have a few days to spare, visit them from the larger islands via plane or boat.

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The best Canary Islands to visit

By Anna Hart

This Spanish archipelago lies off the north-west coast of Morocco , on the exposed tips of a vast volcanic mountain range beneath the Atlantic Ocean. The irresistible combination of Moroccan and Spanish flavours, plus year-round sunshine and a wildly varied topography primed the Canary Islands for over-tourism throughout the 1990s, and they’ve struggled to shake off their bad rep as package-holiday destination ever since. But travellers who look past these dated assumptions are rewarded with an idyllic cluster of wildly diverse islands waiting to be rediscovered.

The varied scenery of the islands is spellbinding: Tenerife , Lanzarote , Gran Canaria and their neighbours have otherworldly volcanic landscapes, lush pine forests, secret rocky coves and swathes of sand dunes. Permanent good weather, historic towns, a calendar of unusual festivals and superlative cuisine and local wine mean there is really no bad time to visit. Travellers can bed down in stylish beach hotels , agriturismo Airbnbs, remote bohemian yurts and cliff-hugging private villas. Whether you’re a dedicated road cyclist keen on discovering remote corners of Gran Canaria, an architecture buff obsessed with César Manrique’s structures across Lanzarote or a nature-lover seeking out new species of wildflowers in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of tiny El Hierro, there is a Canary Island for every traveller.

As the largest and most developed of the islands, Tenerife has sophisticated hotels, brilliant food and a rich cultural offering. But beyond the busy southern hotel complexes, it’s entirely possible to find unspoiled corners, such as cobblestoned Garachico and colourful La Laguna in the rugged and less-developed north, giving travellers the best of both worlds.

Dominating the entire island is snow-capped volcano Pico del Teide, Spain’s tallest peak, criss-crossed with some of the most spectacular hiking trails in the Canary Islands. In Tenerife’s crammed cultural calendar, one highlight is the Carnival of Santa Cruz in February, the biggest parade after Rio de Janeiro. And the Surrealist painter Oscar Domínguez is rightly revered here in his homeland, with a fabulous collection of his canvases displayed at TEA (Tenerife Espacio de las Artes) in Santa Cruz.

We've rounded up the best bits of Tenerife here

FUERTEVENTURA

Just 60 miles off the African coast, Fuerteventura is sun-baked and wind-blasted, with cacti-dotted plains, rolling sand dunes and crashing, emerald-green waves. Its Parque Natural de Corralejo, containing the largest dunes in the Canary Islands, is almost Martian in its otherworldliness. The Atalayita Village Archaeological Interpretation Centre is the island’s most significant historic site, with ancient aboriginal houses built into lava-formed walls. The year-round sunshine and consistent wind make the island a world-class destination for wind-surfers and kite-surfers who flock to Playa de Sotavento, but there are also plenty of sheltered coves for swimming, snorkelling and sun-basking. In a further rebuttal to accusations of over-tourism, goats outnumber people on Fuerteventura, and the prevalence of goat’s cheeses – the most popular being Majorero – on the island’s menus is a constant reminder of their supremacy.

GRAN CANARIA

A multi-faceted favourite with travellers who want to combine some dedicated beach action with mountain hikes and visits to historical towns, the third-largest island in the archipelago is arguably the most diverse of the lot. Nearly half of the Canarian population have made their home here in Gran Canaria, among Las Palmas’s historical highlights including the 15th-century Cathedral of Santa Ana and the 18th-century Casa de Colón, where it is claimed that explorer Christopher Columbus plotted his five-week first voyage to America. The island’s mountainous interior attracts modern explorers, with Artenara perhaps having the most melodramatic views of all.

Read more about Gran Canaria here

Devotees swear this is the most authentic Canarian island, a pint-sized delight with some of the best cuisine in the archipelago dished out of backstreet tavernas, a vibrant craft scene and a lingering local lingo – Silbo Gomero – comprised of whistling sounds that carry messages up to three miles to neighbouring villages. San Sebastián is the island’s capital, where restaurants serve watercress soup and fiery papas arrugadas (potatoes with chilli-pepper sauce), and potters can be seen spinning traditional ceramics in open-air workshops. For an island that measures just 22 miles from east to west, it somehow packs in 400 miles of dedicated trails, and it was awarded World Biosphere Reserve status in 2011.

The least developed, second-smallest and most southwestern of the eight main Canary Islands, El Hierro is beloved by responsibly minded travellers for its small-scale, largely family-run enterprises, undulating hillsides dotted with wildflowers and for being entirely self-sufficient with renewable energy. Criminally overlooked, El Hierro is romantic, remote and a haven for hikers, kayakers, snorkellers and surfers.

As a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, more than half of the island is pristine wilderness, and forward-thinking regulations prohibit the construction of buildings higher than two floors. This untamed, traditional yet ecologically progressive island appeals to intrepid adventurers as well as solitude-seekers, while the 47-room Parador hotel is an oasis of low-key luxury and culinary sophistication among the more homespun guesthouses and restaurants around the island. For flight-minimising travellers who want to mix-and-match their Canary Islands, the ferry from Puerto de la Estaca in the north of the island sails to Tenerife in under three hours.

The greenest island in the archipelago, La Palma is dedicated to nature, its black-sand beaches spared the mass development of the larger islands with their white sands. Canarians call the island ‘La Isla Bonita’ (the Pretty Island), and the capital Santa Cruz de La Palma is an architectural delight, with a 16th-century old town lined with grand, balconied and whitewashed manors and residences.

In 1983 La Palma was the first Canary Island to be designated a Biosphere Reserve, and it remains one of the quietest spots in the Canaries, the choice of travellers who prefer low-key luxury and natural abundance over the glitz and glamour of the island’s big sisters.

The rainforested north is a highlight, where the Enchanted Forest lives up to its name, but the volcanic south, where craters and craggy rock formations mark the landscape, is no less remarkable.

This has always been the Canary Island of choice for those looking for a holiday less ordinary. Geologically extreme and culturally unconventional, Lanzarote has a lunar landscape that is characterised by 300 volcanic cones and faintly apocalyptic blackened lava fields, where volcanic vineyards offer a completely unique experience of wine tourism. The island’s glorious irregularity and bohemian ethos is underpinned by the legacy of 20th-century lanzaroteño artist, architect and visionary César Manrique, whose spectacular constructions are dotted across the land and include a cavernous underground music venue and nightclub, a Bond villain-esque lighthouse and a space-age cactus garden.

Beyond its endlessly fascinating culinary and cultural credentials, Lanzarote is a dream destination for road cyclists due to its network of routes, while surf shacks line the coastline.

Read more about Lanzarote here

LA GRACIOSA

It was only in 2018 that Spain’s General Commission of the Autonomous Communities of the Senate declared this dinky rocky outcrop with no paved roads and just 700 permanent residents the eighth official Canary Island. Reached from Lanzarote by a half-hour ferry, La Graciosa is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, making for uncrowded beaches, a smattering of modest guesthouses and restaurants, and dirt roads that can only be navigated by foot, bike and the occasional four-wheel drive. Accommodation is generally confined to campsites or cute rental cottages, but a number of savvy Airbnb hosts accepts guests on their yachts in the tiny marina.

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You may have heard of Tenerife or Gran Canaria, but there's more to Spain's Canary Islands than these two popular spots. The Canary Islands are popular with European travelers, but may not be on the radar of U.S.-based travelers thanks to their far-flung location closer to Africa than Spain. With United's new nonstop service from Newark (EWR) to Tenerife South (TFS), though, these islands are much easier to reach and much more accessible for American travelers.

You may be surprised at what each of the seven different islands has to offer — from shopping, star-gazing and volcanic wine tastings to lava tubes, kite-surfing and rolling sand dunes. Don't forget about the beautiful long stretches of sandy shores and picturesque rocky outcrop over the sea.

If you're excited to have a Canary Islands vacation, but aren't sure where to go or which island is right for you, this guide can help you figure out which of these seven volcanic islands (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Fuerteventura, El Hierro or La Gomera) is best for your trip.

Getting to the Canary Islands

United's new nonstop flight means that U.S. travelers can finally fly without having to stop in another Spanish or European hub. The flight launched on June 9, 2022, flying three times per week.

Hoping to reach another island that's not Tenerife? You'll have to change planes in Tenerife, or in a hub like Madrid. There you can get nonstop flights on various airlines, such as Iberia, Air Europa and low-cost carriers, to five of the seven islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Palma. You can also reach many of the islands from European hubs, flying on full-fare carriers or low-cost carriers like Wizzair, Ryanair, Vueling, Jet2 or EasyJet.

The smallest islands, El Hierro and La Gomera, both have airports, but you can only fly to these islands from Tenerife and Gran Canaria. It's also possible to travel by ferry. La Gomera is reachable in under an hour by ferry from Tenerife.

For outdoor adventures: Tenerife

Tenerife is home to one of the largest and most impressive volcanoes in Europe: El Teide. Even though it may be a breezy, summery day down below at sea level, you might spot snow near the peak of the volcano. It's possible to get nearly all the way to the top of the volcano via an intense hike or a cable car, but a trip to the summit requires a permit .

Paragliding is a popular sport around Tenerife. You can also go canyoning on Tejina Mountain, an ancient lava dome system of craters and caves. If you still haven't had enough of volcanic remnants, explore one of the biggest lava tubes in the world, Cueva del Viento, with over 10 miles of passages.

Hikers should trek through Anaga Rural Park, home to the Mercedes Forest, which features a number of moss species and laurel trees.

A walk up (or drive, if you're feeling lazy) the Los Gigantes cliffs, aptly named due to their massive size, offers a stunning overlook of the cliffs with views of the ocean and Tenerife's famous black sand beaches. Or, enjoy them down below at Los Guios Beach, which sits in the shadow of these hulking rock formations.

For wine and culture: Lanzarote

Few places in the world can boast volcanic vineyards. However, you can enjoy sipping, tasting and exploring in Lanzarote's volcanic wine country while soaking up views of the neighboring national parks: Timanfaya and Los Volcanoes. Besides sampling the wine, you'll learn all about how grapes are grown in the ashy, volcanic soil with small stone circles protecting the vines from wind and other damaging weather conditions.

Beyond Lanzarote's famous vinos and volcanoes and beaches (Papagayo is one of the wildest on the island and Playa Blanca has fine white sand), visitors can take in art, architecture and design.

You'll find original creations by artist César Manrique in various spots around the island. One of the most interesting examples is his former home, where he incorporates the natural landscape of caves, cactus and volcanic rock and tunnels into his eclectic design aesthetic.

For beaches, sand dunes and spa visits: Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria has 37 miles of beaches. Whether you want shallow, family-friendly waters or a quiet, romantic escape, Gran Canaria has enough sand and sea for everyone.

Couples can savor the peace and quiet of a stroll along the cliffside path from Playa de Puerto Rico to Playa de Amadores. Once in Amadores, sample some Spanish cava while sunbathing at the chic Amadores Beach Club. For a relaxing, four-hour spa circuit, the Corallium Spa at the Lopesan Costa Meloneras menu features unique offerings like a saltwater cave, a zodiac room with water beds and a Himalayan salt room, among other installations ($45 per person).

Families should head to Maspalomas, a lengthy run of golden sands with numerous restaurants and amenities nearby. Kids will love playing in the giant sand dunes — it's almost like you're in the Sahara, but with the sparkling sea beyond.

To hang with the locals, wander along the cobblestone streets through the island's capital, Las Palmas. There, you can meander past a number of historic buildings and tan on a lively urban beach, Las Canteras.

For star gazing and tranquility: La Palma

La Palma was the world's first destination certified as a Starlight Reserve. The entire island is committed to protecting the quality of its night sky, making it one of the best places in the world to stargaze. You can admire the twinkling lights from anywhere on the island, but there are 16 special spots — miradores astronomicos — that have been designated as the best places for astrotourism.

There's plenty to do in daylight hours, too. UNESCO declared the entire island a World Biosphere Reserve. Make sure to visit the Caldera de Taburiente, a national park formed by volcanic landslides. There, you'll have a chance to soak in the quiet, peaceful atmosphere near waterfalls, streams and hilly pine tree forests. Or, consider exploring the island's hidden black sand beaches like the Playa de Nogales, reachable only after walking down a long staircase built into a cliff.

The less adventurous can take a stroll through the colorful village of Los Llanos de Aridane, where you can shop at the outdoor Sunday market and admire the street murals.

For water adventures and wind-swept sands: Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is Spanish for 'strong winds.' Unsurprisingly, the island is famous for having some of the world's best kite-surfing and windsurfing.

If you'd prefer to stay on dry land, you can admire the many talented surfers year-round beachside. Avid water sports participants and spectators should plan to go during the Windsurfing & Kiteboarding World Cup. The popular event occurs every summer on Playa Barca, near the island's southern tip.

True beach bums may prefer to relax on mile-long sands like those belonging to Flag Beach near the resort town of Corralejo. For a wild, wind-swept paradise, El Cotillo is a beach on the north end of the island with a cove of crystalline sands surrounded by clear waters, and the exotic golden sands of Cofete, part of the Jandia Natural Park, are near-empty year-round.

Day trips to the tiny volcanic island of Lobos are perfect for those looking to really escape. Snorkelers will spy an abundance of marine life as the whole island is a nature reserve. Also, bird enthusiasts can view many species of sea birds on the island.

For eco-travelers and divers: El Hierro

Sustainable travelers should look no further than the smallest of the seven Canary Islands, El Hierro. You won't find any high-rise beach resorts blocking your sea views. Unlike many of the other Canary Islands, there are regulations that limit construction to just two floors. Besides being a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, El Hierro uses mainly renewable energy (both wind and hydro) for power.

The island's status as a biosphere reserve is designated above and below the water. The sea surrounding El Hierro features almost 50 dive sites. Visibility can be as far as 160 feet on a typical day of Canarian sunshine. You may spot marine life like parrotfish, barracudas, dolphins, manta rays or even whales and sharks.

Photographers – or those simply wanting a unique view – should check out spots like Roques de la Bonanza or Salmor. There you'll find rocks jutting out from the sea formed by underwater landslides and volcanic eruptions.

For hikers and nature buffs: La Gomera

La Gomera is perfect for active travelers who love to be near the ocean and out in nature but get bored just lying on the beach all day.

Whether you prefer intense treks or light walks, the island's 400 miles of trails offer something for every style of hiker. Many of these trails run through the Garajonay National Park, a subtropical forest famous for its laurel trees, that sits at more than 3,200 feet above sea level.

Another impressive outdoor wonder is the Organos Monument. This cliff that resembles a massive pipe organ was formed by columns of basalt dropping down toward the ocean.

Rock climbers should head to the Los Roques area, where giant rock formations jut into the sky. The three most famous are Roque de Agando, Roque de la Zarcita and Roque de Ojila. Although these three are declared national monuments and you can no longer climb them, there are plenty of nearby trails (both climbing and hiking spots) offering magnificent views of the rocks.

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A COMPLETE TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE CANARY ISLANDS

Are you visiting the Canary Islands soon? You need some help to plan your trip? We spent 3 months traveling through the Canary Islands and we prepared this comprehensive travel guide for you!

With its stunning beaches , incredible landscapes, fantastic traditions and delicious food, the Canary Islands is a dream destination in Europe. In this post we will share useful tips for traveling to the Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands are composed of 7 unique islands . The best known and most visited are Lanzarote (our favorite one…) and Tenerife . However each island has something special to offer. To know more about each island you can read this post .

1. Why traveling to the the Canary Islands?

When we started our trip to the Canary Islands , we didn’t know what to expect. However, during our journey we were amazed by the beauty and diversity of landscapes in the Canary Islands.

Just to give you some examples, you can see a desert in Maspalomas in Gran Canaria , you can reach the highest mountain in Spain at Mount Teide , Tenerife . You can also visit amazing beaches which will make you feel at the end of the world such as Cofete in Fuerteventura . And of course Lanzarote will make feel that you landed on the moon . Make sure to visit Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote , one of the most incredible things to see in the Canary Islands!

The Canary Islands is a destination for everyone. So if you are more of a night owl, there is a vibrant nightlife in the Canary Islands! The best places to party are Playa del Inglés in Gran Canaria , or Corralejo in Fuerteventura .

• 10 BEST REASONS TO VISIT LANZAROTE
• 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT FUERTEVENTURA
• TOP 8 REASONS TO VISIT GRAN CANARIA
• WHY VISITING TENERIFE?

2. Which island to visit in the Canary Islands?

Whether you want to enjoy the beach, or need some adventures, or want some great food there is something for everyone in the Canary Islands.

If you like to party , prioritise Gran Canaria . On top of having a great nightlife , Gran Canaria is also one of the most diverse islands in the Canary. Hence, you will be able to combine excursion during the day and partying at night! Here are the 20 best things to visit in Gran Canaria.

If you like hiking , then without a doubt Tenerife will be the best island to visit. Indeed, Tenerife is home to mount Teide the highest mountain in Spain! It is one of the most visited natural park in the whole of Europe! Full guide here to climb to the summit (it’s not as hard as you would imagine…)

If you want a complete change of landscape, then Lanzarote is the one! Lanzarote is a perfect place to feel the volcanic power of the Canary Islands, some places will make you feel on the moon.

For those you like water-sports such as surfing or kitesurfing , then the best island for that would be Fuerteventura! Here we listed the best outdoor activities in Fuerteventura and here the best spots for surfing in the Canary Islands .

If you want something more calm and off the beaten track, head to La Gomera, La Palma or El Hierro. Those 3 islands are the wildest amongst all of the Canary Islands .

READ: WHICH ONE IS THE BEST CANARY ISLAND TO VISIT?

3. When is the best time to visit the Canary Islands?

The Canary Islands benefit from a very unique climate which makes some say that is an eternal spring . Indeed the climate is good all year round and doesn’t change much throughout the year.

However some months are a bit more rainy than others… To visit the Canary Islands in the most optimal conditions, it is generally preferable to travel during the months of May to November . Most likely you will never have to deal with rain…

In the middle of winter, the Canary Islands will be a popular refuge for Europeans escaping cold temperature in the mainland. During this period, some rainfall can be observed, but the temperature rarely drops below 20°C. In terms of crowds, the most popular periods are therefore the months of July and August, but also the winter months and January in particular.

• WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE CANARY ISLANDS?
• BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT LANZAROTE
• BEST MONTHS TO VISIT FUERTEVENTURA
• WHEN VISITING TENERIFE
• BEST TIME TO VISIT GRAN CANARIA

4. What budget should you plan to visit the Canary Islands?

To visit the Canary Islands without too much compromise, it is important to talk about the budget. This essential point of travel guides is always a sensitive aspect due to the volatility of prices and the countless parameters that influence them.

With regard to the Canary Islands, you must first know that the notions of high, low and medium season are essential. If you are traveling during the Christmas holidays or the months of July and August, expect to see prices skyrocket . So book well in advance!

You should also know that at the same time, the islands of El Hierro or La Gomera are much cheaper than Tenerife and Gran Canaria, for example.

In terms of accommodation and in general, you can find everything. From the small youth hostel at 20 euros per night to the most luxury hotels at 200 euros per night. What we found very expensive is eating in restaurants . A paella for 2 with 2 glasses of Sangria, would easily cost us 50 EUR… As we were traveling for 3 months, we decided to eat most of the time in our apartment. This helped our budget considerably!

Also remember to include car rental, which will amount to around 30 or 40 euros per day with decreasing rates if you opt for longer rental periods and of course depending on the type of car you rent. As for us we always rented a Fiat 500, which is generally the cheapest model. We loved it, except in Fuerteventura where the roads can be very bumpy. More on that here .

5. How to get to the Canary Islands from the rest of Europe?

By plane is obviously the fastest and cheapest way to get to the Canary Islands. There are many connections from the major cities in Europe. The best company to get to the Canary Islands , is Easy Jet. Remember that the earlier you book, the better fares you will get, which is absolutely essential if you choose to travel during the busy periods mentioned above.

However, there is a more adventurous way to get to the Canary Islands if you have sufficient time. You can take your car and drive down to the south of Spain. The cities of Cadiz or Huelva allow you to reach the islands of Las Palmas or Gran Canaria by ferry ! The crossing lasts between 30 and 40 hours depending on the weather conditions.

We didn’t know about it, until we saw cars with Swiss plates or German plates driving in the Canary Islands. We fell that this was a fantastic way to travel to the Canary Islands. And all islands are connected by ferry which makes it super easy to travel with your own car. Awesome, isn’t it?

If that’s an option for you, check out Direct Ferries to book your ride.

6. How to get around the Canary Islands?

Once you reach the Canary Islands, it is highly recommended to rent a car . To get the cheaper rate we used Rentalcars.com . Check it out here for the best deals.

Taking a taxi is also possible, however you will have less freedom to travel or take your time to visit certain sights. Especially for those who want to go hiking… There are also bus lines, but they will be relatively limited once you get off the beaten track. Finally, cycling can also be a good way to discover the Canary Islands .

If you want to visit multiple islands while you are in the Canaries, which we recommend, then using the ferry would be the best way . You can book all your ferry rides here .

7. Best traditional dishes in the Canary Islands?

Visiting the Canary Islands without eating a potato dish is practically impossible! Since its introduction by the Spaniards, potato has been integrated into many typical dishes. Try the Ropa Vieja , a kind of stew made with chickpeas and strips of beef and chicken or Pucherio Canario a stew with chorizo, bacon, cabbage, courgettes or pumpkin. Also taste the Papas Arrugadas , a delicacy of potatoes boiled in salted water and always accompanied by their Mojo sauce, often very spicy and extremely tasty.

The Gofio is a flour of wheat, or corn previously roasted, and which is used with all the sauces in the islands. This traditional food can be used to thicken soups, but can also be eaten with milk or even in the form of ice cream.

Meat lovers will appreciate the Canary Islands for the diversity of their dishes, which include pork and rabbit as well as chicken and goat. Seafood lovers will be served with cod, bass, sardines and of course octopus.

As for desserts, we particularly recommend the Leche Asada , a cinnamon cream caramelized with palm honey.

Finally, to drink, you can try delicious local wines and don’t forget the Barraquito, a multi-layered coffee consisting of an  espresso, condensed milk and a touch of Licor 43  which is Spain’s number 1 liqueur. Really delicious!

8. What are the best things to do in the Canary Islands?

If we were to list all the great things to do in the Canary Island, the list would be way too long! We probably have over a 100 recommendations.

So we to make it simple, we prepared some of the highlights on each island such as below.

What to see in Lanzarote ?

• TIMANFAYA NATIONAL PARK , the unmissable thing to see in Lanzarote:  here
• PAPAGAYO BEACH , the most beautiful beach in Lanzarote:  here
• FAMARA , a charming village and surf paradise:  here
• JAMEOS DEL AGUA , our favorite sight in Lanzarote:  here
• CACTUS GARDEN  in Lanzarote:  here

What to see in Tenerife ?

• PUERTO DE LA CRUZ, one of the best town in Tenerife:  here
• MASCA,  the most remote village in Tenerife:  here
• MOUNT TEIDE , the highest peak in Spain:  here
• SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA , the ancient capital of Tenerife:  here
• LOS GIGANTES , most impressive cliffs in Tenerife:  here
• GARACHICO , one of the prettiest towns in Tenerife:  here

What to see in Gran Canaria?

• VISITING LAS PALMAS,  the capital of Gran Canaria: here
• TEROR , one of the most charming towns in Gran Canaria:  here
• MASPALOMAS  a desert in Gran Canaria:  here
• PUERTO DE MOGÁN , our favorite place in Gran Canaria:  here
• AGÜIMES , a fantastic historical town in Gran Canaria:  here
• TEJEDA , visit one of the prettiest village in Gran Canaria:  here

What to see in Fuerteventura?

• CORRALEJO DUNES NATURAL PARK , full guide:  here
• EL COTILLO,  a charming village near Corralejo in Fuerteventura:  here
• COFETE , the best beach in Fuerteventura:  here
• HIKING CALDERON HONDO  in Fuerteventura:  here
• OASIS PARK  in Fuerteventura:  here

9. Useful information

Money : the Canary Islands belong to Spain, so the currency is the euro.

Passport : Spain belongs to the Schengen Convention area, you do not need a passport to go there.

Vaccines : no particular vaccine is necessary.

Language : the official language is Spanish, but all seasonal workers speak English and sometimes even French.

Tipping : It is appreciated if customers leave a tip in taxis, hotels or restaurants to approximately 5 to 10% of the price.

Safety : the Canary Islands are safe but, as with any tourist destination, be careful with your belongings and do not leave anything in sight.

READ: 10 BEST REASONS TO VISIT THE CANARY ISLANDS

10. CONCLUSION

The Canary Islands are a real gems with full of surprise. During our 3 months traveling through the Islands, we realized how beautiful but more importantly how diverse each island is. There are so many things to do and see in the Canary islands. Even during our 3 months we couldn’t see it all. Each island has its own treasures!

READ: 10 BEST BEACHES IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

So what are you waiting for? Did you book your flight yet? Book here for the best prices .

We hope that this post was useful to prepare for your visit to the Canary Islands. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

We are Hammer and Guillaume, a fun couple traveling the world. We will take you to some of the most amazing places on earth. Hammer is a yoga instructor and Guillaume a true water baby, enjoying all kinds of water sports. Follow-us to get the latest update about our travels.

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Taking a Canary Islands holiday is something that I recommend you do at least once in your lifetime. It is a very popular tourist destination in Spain thanks to its good weather throughout the year, its beaches, its landscapes, and its small villages. And as soon as you learn a little more about this place, you will realize that there are many things to do in the Canary Islands.

When planning my Canary Islands vacation , I had many questions, but the most important was “which are the best Canary Islands destinations. ” It was very difficult for me to choose just one, and nobody told me which is the best Canary Island. They all have their charms, their places to visit, and their beauty. So when I saw that it was totally feasible to travel between the Canary Islands , since a short ferry ride can take you to any of the islands, I decided to visit several.

To help you plan your holidays to the Canary Islands , I have created this guide, where you will find all the information you need to know before visiting this paradise. However, don’t expect me to tell you which is the prettiest Canary Island because they are all beautiful, and whichever you visit, you will love it.

In this guide to discovering which Canary Island to visit, you will find:

• Gran Canaria
• Fuerteventura
• La Graciosa
• Best things to do in the Canary Islands

Canary Islands Hopping – Traveling between the Canary Islands

Which is the best canary island to visit.

The Canary Islands archipelago is formed of 8 main islands and many other small islands and islets. It’s very difficult to choose the most beautiful Canary Island , because they all have something unique about them. However, depending on what you are looking for, I can recommend which Canary Island to visit . For example, an all-inclusive Canary Islands holiday isn’t the same as enjoying the solitude of some of the best beaches the Canary Islands have to offer.

Are you planning a family holiday to the Canary Islands ? Do you want to flee from the mass tourism of the Canary Islands? Or hike some of the best trails in Spain? In all these cases, I know the best of the Canary Islands for you , and you’ll know too after reading the following section .

Tenerife, one of the most popular Canary Islands destinations

Tenerife is one of the most popular Canary Islands destinations because it has practically everything. In addition, it is the largest of the Canary Islands , so if you don’t know which Canary Island is best for you, Tenerife is a very good option. There are a ton of things to do in Tenerife .

On this island, you can enjoy fine white sand beaches in the south and volcanic, black sand beaches in the north. You can also visit charming towns and cities with everything you’d ever need. Additionally, you will find a lot of great restaurants in Tenerife where you can taste the most authentic Canarian gastronomy, one of the essential things to do in the Canary Islands.

However, if many mountaineers and hikers think that Tenerife is the best of the Canary Islands , it’s because you’ll find the highest peak in Spain there, the Teide volcano, a unique place to visit in the Canary Islands. Check our guide on how to walk up Mount Teide.

Tenerife, one of the most popular Canary Islands destinations – Efrén Yanes

If you want to enjoy a great variety of landscapes and architecture, Tenerife is possibly one of the best Canary Islands for you. It is also ideal if it’s your first time traveling to the Canary Islands and you don’t have time to visit the other islands or if you are looking for an all-inclusive Canary Islands holiday.

However, its popularity means it’s not the best Canary Island if you’re looking for a quiet atmosphere since everyone wants to travel to Tenerife , and the island is usually quite crowded with tourists all year round.

If Tenerife is the best Canary Island for you...

You’re in luck as it has two airports. We always find the cheapest flights to Tenerife  on this website .

I recommend you spend 4 to 7 days on this beautiful Canary Island.

The  best way to get around the Canary Islands  is by car, and in Tenerife, it will take less than an hour and a half to get from north to south. Here are some tips for renting cheap cars. We usually book ours here with free cancellation.

Find out the best things to do in Tenerife:

• What to do in Tenerife North
• What to do in Tenerife South

Check the best tours to Mount Teide, the highest peak in the Canary Islands.

Book a hotel in one of the best places to stay in Tenerife . Some of the best all-inclusive hotels in the Canary Islands are there:

• Iberostar Selection Sábila – Adults Only
• Iberostar Bouganville Playa
• Adrián Hoteles Roca Nivaria

Download our tourist map of Tenerife.

Gran Canaria, best Canary Island for families

Gran Canaria is a destination you should consider for your Canary Islands holidays if you are looking for a place that isn’t as crowded as Tenerife but still has many tourist attractions.

In Gran Canaria, you can enjoy huge white sand beaches and a city, Las Palmas, which has the best nightlife in the Canary Islands. You can also get lost among some fascinating and hidden natural landscapes, like its world-famous Maspalomas dunes, one of the best things to do in Gran Canaria.

This dune system is surrounded by large resorts and is one of the best destinations in the Canary Islands if you want to enjoy an all-inclusive holiday . Many hotels in Gran Canaria offer entertainment options for kids, making it also the best Canary Island for families.

I advise you to choose Gran Canaria if you want to enjoy the beach, the nightlife, and the hidden but beautiful natural landscapes you will find on this charming island. Also, if you are looking for the best resorts in the Canary Islands, where you can relax surrounded by all the comforts you’d ever need. And above all, if you are looking for a quiet but touristy place at the same time, Gran Canarias is your best bet .

If Gran Canaria is the most beautiful Canary Island for you...

It is quite easy to find cheap flights to this island, since it has the largest airport in the Canary Islands. You can find the best offers here.

I recommend you spend 3 to 6 days in Gran Canaria, one of the most beautiful Canary Islands.

Renting a car  is the best way to get around the Canary Islands.  It only takes an hour to go from the north to the south of Gran Canaria.

Check the best things to do in Gran Canaria:

• Visiting the Maspalomas dunes
• Hiking in Roque Nublo

Taking a whale and dolphin watching tour in Gran Canaria  is the best of  the Canary Islands.

Gran Canaria is popular for having some of the best all-inclusive resorts in the Canary Islands:

• Occidental Margaritas
• H10 Playa Meloneras Palace
• Seaside Sandy Beach

La Palma, the most beautiful Canary Island

Many say that La Palma is the most beautiful Canary Island because it is full of green landscapes, flowers, and volcanoes, and I can confirm that it is. In addition, of the eight islands that make up the Canary archipelago, this is one of the smallest and least touristy destinations in the Canary Islands. Therefore, if you’re looking for a place to relax in nature, La Palma could be your best option.

It is an island with breathtaking landscapes. Here, you won’t find big resorts or luxury hotels, but, if you like hiking, the best thing to do in La Palma, there is no better place. Also, you can experience a spectacular night sky because there is so little light pollution there. If you want to photograph the Milky Way , this is without a doubt the best Canary Island to do so.

Definitely, La Palma, the nicest Canary Island , is the best option if you are wondering which Canary Island is best to visit to disconnect from everything and walk among nature. If you are looking for the best beaches in the Canary Islands, this isn’t the island that I recommend you visit, and the same thing applies if you’re interested in Canary Islands nightlife. For those two aspects, there are other better islands in the Canary Islands .

If La Palma is your best Canary Island destination...

La Palma airport is connected to several large cities in Europe. You can find the best flight deals here .

I recommend you spend 3 to 5 days on La Palma, one of the best Canary Islands destinations.

Rent a car with free cancellation to visit La Palma, as it is the best way to get around the Canary Islands.

Check the best things to do in La Palma:

• Roque de Los Muchachos and Caldera de Taburiente
• Ruta de los Volcanes
• Cueva de Las Palomas

Bring your hiking boots to explore some of the  best hiking trails in the Canary Islands.  You will find out exactly why La Palma is known as  the most beautiful Canary Island.

Taking a whale and dolphin watching tour in La Palma is the best of  the Canary Islands.

Learn how to photograph the Milky Way before visiting La Palma, one of the best things to do in the Canary Islands.

La Palma is an ideal place to get cheap hotels like these ones:

• Apartamentos La Caleta
• Apartamentos Oasis San Antonio
• El Hotelito 27

Lanzarote, the nicest Canary Island for weather

To me, Lanzarote is one of the most beautiful Canary Islands because it is made up of beaches and volcanoes.

Most of its beaches are of volcanic origin, so their sand is black, but you’ll also find golden, sandy beaches in some areas. In any case, some of the best beaches in the Canary Islands are here. In addition, on this island, you will find volcanic landscapes that seem like they’re straight out of another world, such as that of the Timanfaya National Park, plus some charming towns. Lanzarote doesn’t have big hotels chains, nor great nightlife or shopping areas, but it does have a wide cultural and artistic offer thanks to the influence of Cesar Manrique , the most popular artist from Lanzarote.

For me, this is the best island in the Canary Islands, and I recommend it to those looking for fascinating landscapes and art, as well as good wine and gastronomy. Bear in mind that, although there are plenty of things to do in Lanzarote , the island is small, and in high season, it can be crowded with tourists. However, most of the time, it’s quite quiet, and it’s one of the Canary Islands that I recommend you visit .

If Lanzarote is the best of the Canary Island for you...

There are a lot of  flights to the Canary Islands that arrive at Lanzarote. We have a guide on how to find cheap flights to Lanzarote , but this is the best site.

I recommend you spend 5 to 7 days touring this beautiful Canary Island.

Renting a car is the best way to move around the Canary Islands.  It only takes an hour to get from the north to the south of Lanzarote.

Do not miss the best things to do in Lanzarote:

• Volcanoes Route
• Cesar Manrique artistic tour

Taking a whale and dolphin watching tour in Lanzarote  is the best of  the Canary Islands.

Visiting La Graciosa Island is one of the best things to do in Lanzarote and it only takes 30 minutes to get there by ferry from Orzola (north of the island).

Book a hotel in one of the best places to stay in Lanzarote . Some of the best all-inclusive hotels of the Canary Islands are here:

• Barceló Teguise Beach – Adults Only
• Boutique Hotel H10 White Suites – Adults Only
• Occidental Lanzarote Mar

Download our tourist map of Lanzarote.

La Gomera, the best Canary Island for relaxing

La Gomera is a small and quiet island west of Tenerife. But don’t be fooled by its size, as its laurel forest, the Garajonay Natural Park, makes it one of the most beautiful Canary Islands. However, it isn’t the most touristy, since, although the last airport built in the Canary Islands is here, flights to La Gomera are not as frequent. In fact, most tourists come to La Gomera by ferry from Tenerife, one of the easiest ways to travel between the Canary Islands.

Except for its capital city, San Sebastián de La Gomera, most of the locals live in small, charming villages. However, many consider this gem one of the best Canary Islands destinations due to its nature and the trails that run through it, as well as its many viewpoints, one of the best things to do in La Gomera.

If you are wondering which is the nicest Canary Island to visit for hiking through the forest, tranquility, incredible views, and old villages that still preserve the essence of the Canary archipelago, La Gomera is for you. But it isn’t the best Canary Island for people looking for big resorts, lots of leisure activities, and nightlife. There aren’t many hotels in La Gomera, so if you plan to visit this island, book well in advance.

If La Gomera is the best Canary Island for you...

It has a small airport that only flies to Tenerife, and, although you can find some good flight deals here , if you are planning to take a 1-day trip from Tenerife, I recommend this option.

You can visit the most important places in La Gomera  in 1 day, although, if you spend 2 or 3 days in La Gomera, you will also find many things to do.

Unless you take this day trip from Tenerife, you will need to rent a car as public transportation is not as good on this island.

La Gomera is one of the most beautiful Canary Islands, and hiking in the Garajonay Natural Park is a must-do. No doubt, this is one of the best things to do in La Gomera.

If you are looking for a  relaxing holiday,  there is no better Canary Island than La Gomera. These beautiful hotels will be your best ally for disconnecting:

• Parador de La Gomera
• Hotel Jardín Tecina
• Apartamentos Los Telares

Fuerteventura, the best Canary Island for beaches

Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the Canaries, so for that reason alone, it deserves to be considered if you are planning your holidays to the Canary Islands.

However, the reasons why many tourists consider it an essential Canary Islands destination are its wild beaches (some of the most beautiful beaches of Spain ) surrounded by nature and its breathtaking Corralejo Sand Dunes, the best places to visit in Fuerteventura . There is no doubt that here you will find not only some of the best beaches in the Canary Islands but also in Spain.

In addition, it is the best Canary Island for kitesurfing or surfing. On this island, you’ll find the best conditions for these water sports all year round. In addition, there are many schools where you can learn these popular activities in the Canary Islands.

Surprisingly, Fuerteventura is not crowded, with neither a large population nor many tourists, which makes it a fairly quiet island in general, especially during the low season. This means that it doesn’t have great nightlife, except for some very specific areas.

It doesn’t stand out for its cultural offer either. However, if you are looking for stunning landscapes, beaches, and water sports, this is the best of the Canary Islands. Look for another option if you want to enjoy an active nightlife and more cultural tourism.

If Fuerteventura is the most beautiful Canary Island for you...

It has an international airport, which is very well connected to large cities in Europe (especially to Germany, the UK, and Spain). You can find the best flight deals here and also in our guide to finding cheap flights to Fuerteventura.

I recommend you spend 3 to 5 days in Fuerteventura, although if you don’t have that much time, I recommend this day trip from Lanzarote.

Rent a car if you want to discover some of the best beaches in the Canary Islands. At most, it will take you two hours to get from the north to the south of the island.

We have written an article with the best things to do in Fuerteventura. Without a doubt, if you want to enjoy wild beaches and huge golden dunes, this is the best Canary Island for you.

Don’t miss the chance to visit Lobos Island, the best island in the Canary Islands . You can get there with a short ferry ride from Corralejo (Northern Fuerteventura).

Taking a whale and dolphin watching tour in Fuerteventura  is the best of  the Canary Islands.

Although it is the  second-largest island in the Canary Islands, it isn’t the most touristy. However, you can find some incredible hotels if you look for where to stay in Fuerteventura:

• Barceló Corralejo Sands
• H10 Playa Esmeralda – Adults Only
• Barceló Castillo Beach Resort

Download the tourist map of Fuerteventura.

El Hierro, the cheapest island in the Canary Islands

El Hierro is the smallest island in the Canary Islands, or at least it was until a few years ago, when La Graciosa, at only 29 km², was named the eighth Canary Island. Didn’t you know how many islands are part of the Canary Islands ? There is a bit of discrepancy in this regard, since many say that the Canary Islands are made up of 8 islands, and many others say that they consist of 9 islands (including Lobos Island, Fuerteventura , another island that I also recommend visiting).

Anyway, El Hierro is a tiny island that has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO . Its pure, untouched nature is fascinating, and it is the best Canary Island for relaxing. The island’s rudimentary roads cover less distance than its numerous trails that invite you to explore the island on foot, one of the best things to do in El Hierro.

If you are looking for shopping malls, large resorts, or hotels, there are undoubtedly other Canary Islands that I recommend you visit, but if you fancy a Canary Islands holidays full of relaxation, El Hierro is one of the most beautiful Canary Islands.

As you can see, it isn’t the best Canary Island for everyone, since, unlike the rest, the only thing you can do here is walk among natural landscapes, go scuba diving, and rest. You will probably end up talking with the locals, who will speak to you as if they’ve known you for a long time, so if you want to experience true Canarian culture, this is your best option.

Are you looking for a place to visit in the Canary Islands that’s unlike anything else? Then you will feel at home in El Hierro. But don’t go there if you are looking for many tourist activities. It is also the cheapest Canary Island to travel to , so taking a long-term trip to El Hierro won’t hurt your wallet.

If El Hierro is your best Canary Islands destination...

The easiest way to get there is by taking a day trip from Tenerife. The airport, like the island, is quite small, so although there are flights to El Hierro , they are not very frequent.

I recommend you  spend 1 to 3 days  in El Hierro. It’s an island that at first seems like it has few tourist places to visit, but it is one of the Canary Islands that it’s most worthwhile to visit simply for its culture, landscapes, and cuisine.

If you don’t visit El Hierro with a guided day tour from Tenerife, you will need to rent a car to visit this beautiful Canary Island.

The best things to do in El Hierro are underwater:

• Snorkeling tour
• Scuba diving tour

In addition, El Hierro is the cheapest Canary Island to travel to, and you will find great hotel deals there:

• Balneario Pozo de la Salud
• Parador de El Hierro
• Apartamentos Villa Marina

La Graciosa, the best Canary Island for couples

La Graciosa is the best Canary Island for those seeking paradise and fleeing from crowded tourist attractions. It is the only Canary Island without an airport, so you can only get there by ferry from Lanzarote.

La Graciosa is in the Chinijo archipelago , one of the best places to dive in the world. At a total of 70,700 hectares, the waters surrounding these small islands make up the largest marine protected area in Europe, which is because there are some sea creatures that can only be found here.

However, if I consider La Graciosa the best Canary island for couples it is because of its dreamy sunsets. The island is of volcanic origin, so you will find unique landscapes, remote beaches, breathtaking views and bike trails.

I recommend you include it on your holidays to the Canary Islands if you are looking for relaxation and to quickly capture the essence of the Canary Islands, since you only need a day or two to visit it. It isn’t surprising that, for many, it is the most beautiful Canary Island.

If La Graciosa is the best of the Canary Island for you...

The only way to get there is by ferry from Lanzarote. The ride only takes 30 minutes.

One day is enough to visit the most important places in La Graciosa, although if you are planning a romantic getaway, I recommend spending 2 days on the island.

There is nothing like renting a bicycle to discover all the magical places to visit in La Graciosa.

La Graciosa is in the Chinijo Archipelago, one of the best places to dive in the Canary Islands and in the world. If you want to dive, you can request information here.

There are not many accommodation options on the island, so if you plan to spend one night there, book in advance:

• Evita Beach
• Cuesta del Salado

Download the tourist map of La Graciosa.

Best Things to do in the Canary Islands, Spain

If you still don’t know which is the most beautiful Canary Island, below you will find the main things to do and attractions to visit in the Canary Islands to help you decide where to spend your next vacation.

I will tell you where you can find the best beaches, the best volcanic landscapes, the best hiking trails, etc. to make it a little easier for you to choose which Canary is best for you.

Best beach in the Canary Islands

Spending at least one day sunbathing on a paradisiacal beach is an essential thing to do in the Canary Islands for me. However, you may still be wondering which Canary Island to visit to enjoy the sun and sand, so now I’ll reveal the best beaches in the Canary Islands .

Corralejo, with its turquoise water and gigantic golden sand dunes, is one of my favorite beaches and a great thing to do in Fuerteventura . However, it is just another of the innumerable paradisiacal beaches that you will find on this island. Cofete Beach , wilder and more remote; Sotavento , with its sandbank and its blue lagoons; or El Matorral are some of the other many beaches that make Fuerteventura the best Canary Island for beaches .

La Graciosa is another Canary island to visit if you’re looking for dream beaches. Las Conchas Beach is incredibly beautiful, although if you travel with kids, I recommend La Francesa Beach because its waters are calmer.

Lanzarote also has incredible beaches, especially in the Los Ajaches Natural Reserve, where Papagayo beach stands out. On the north of the island, you will find Famara beach , at the foot of the spectacular Risco de Famara, which is, for me, one of the most beautiful ones. If you want to enjoy beautiful and varied beaches, Lanzarote is definitely one of the best Canary Islands.

Hike up Mt. Teide, the best thing to do in the Canary Islands

Visiting the Teide summit is one of the best things to do in the Canary Islands. This incredible volcano is in Tenerife and is the highest peak in Spain, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 and one of the places included in the Natura 2000 Network. Although Tenerife has other places of interest, I already consider it one of the best Canary Islands destinations for Teide alone.

The volcano and the park extend to a total of about 19,000 hectares, with very unique volcanic rock landscapes and species that can only be found here. To get to the summit, you can go up by cable car or choose between several trails. We hiked up the Montaña Blanca trail (also called Sendero 7), which is 8 km long and takes around 4 hours. In any case, you must hike the last 200 meters to the peak and will need a special permit to do so .

Enjoying the impressive views from the top of Mount Teide is not only the best thing to do in Tenerife but also one of the most beautiful things to see in the Canary Islands .

Surfing in the Canary Islands, Spain

Fuerteventura is the best Canary Island for surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. The El Hierro wave, in the north, next to Majanicho beach, is one of the best waves in the Canary Islands, as it forms excellent tubes and is very well connected. However, to find the best place to surf in the Canary Islands , you must take the ferry to Isla de Lobos . At El Marrajo , there is a world-class wave, the longest wave in the Canary Islands.

Lanzarote is also a frequent answer to the question “ which Canary Island is best for surfing. ” Famara beach is one of the most popular for surfers. However, if you want next-level waves and you already have experience, El Quemao , next to the town of La Santa, offers a greater challenge. From Lanzarote, you can also take a ferry to La Graciosa to surf at some of its beaches.

Other islands with a surfing tradition and good waves are Tenerife and Gran Canaria , although as the most touristy islands in the Canary Islands, they are usually more crowded.

Diving, one of the most popular activities in the Canary Islands

Diving is the best thing to do in the Canary Islands , since the archipelago has incredible seabeds.

If you want to explore them, El Hierro is the best Canary Island to visit . You can find the Mar de Las Calmas Marine Reserve there, which has waters with a lot of visibility, perfect for enjoying underwater beauty. With a little luck, you can see sea turtles, dolphins, groupers, barracudas, and more. In addition, in El Hierro, there are many other great places for this activity, so there is no doubt that it’s the best Canary Islands for diving.

La Graciosa is in the Chinijo Archipelago Marine Reserve, which is the largest protected marine area in Europe. The most spectacular thing is its rocky bottom, with caves, crevices, and tunnels. Also, since the water here has a lower temperature, there are species that cannot be seen on other islands. For this reason, diving is undoubtedly the most popular thing to do in La Graciosa .

Gran Canaria is also one of the best islands for scuba diving, since, on its extensive coast, there is everything from dive sites for beginners to some for more experienced divers. Plus, you can explore sunken ships and snorkel among volcanic landscapes. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Canary Islands below the waves.

Best volcanic landscapes in the Canary Islands

If I must choose the best Canary Island to visit to enjoy a spectacular volcanic landscape, there is no doubt that it would have to be Tenerife. As I have said before, Teide, in addition to being the highest peak in Spain and a place where you get spectacular views, has landscapes of volcanic cones with shapes and colors that will leave you speechless. Walking through the Roques de García, at the bottom of the volcano, is like discovering a new planet.

However, for me, Lanzarote is the nicest Canary Islands to visit if you want to learn more about volcanoes. On this Canary island is Timanfaya National Park , the most important attraction of Lanzarote , which covers around 5,000 hectares. The volcanic eruptions that took place until 1824 created a spectacular natural and virgin volcanic landscape. Here, you won’t find vegetation, but you will find an incredible array of colors. Also, you can take guided tours with park rangers to learn more about the formation of the island.

La Palma , in addition to being the most beautiful Canary Island, has a fascinating volcanic landscape. It may not be as popular as Teide or Timanfaya National Park because its creation is much more recent. However, the volcanoes of Fuencaliente are a great place to visit in the Canary Islands . In 1971, the last eruption of Teneguía volcano took place, and, since then, the Fuencaliente volcano route has become one of the best hikes in La Palma. On this island, you’ll also find Caldera Taburiente National Park, which was declared a World Biosphere Reserve in 2002. Although its landscape is very different from the rest, since it is full of vegetation, several volcanic eruptions took place here, creating a hilly landscape with up to 2,000 meters of unevenness.

Whale watching tours in the Canary Island

Whale watching is one of the most popular activities in the Canary Islands . Although you can take a tour to watch whales and dolphins from practically any island, one of the best is in Tenerife .

In fact, one of the most popular things to do in Tenerife South is to take a boat that sails Costa Adeje, Guía de Isora, and Santiago del Teide in search of whales and dolphins. The waters of this area are perfect for cetacean watching. In addition, they usually get quite close to the coast, and up to 21 different species have been counted. If you want to enjoy the best of the Canary Islands on your trip, I recommend the tour we did or you can check other options in our guide on whale watching tours in Tenerife.

This activity can also be done on La Palma through a tour like this one . Most of the excursions depart from the Tazacorte port, on the west coast, and, according to the islanders, the percentage of success for sightings is around 90%. Remember that they are wild animals that live freely and that their movements and behaviors can be unpredictable. But if the success rate is true, this makes it the best Canary Island for whale watching , especially if you are looking for a place that is not as crowded with tourists as Tenerife. Here is an article with everything you need to know about dolphin and whale-watching in La Palma.

In Gran Canaria, there are also good conditions for whale watching tours, although whales are not as frequent there; what is normally seen are wild dolphins. These small and cute cetaceans usually swim in the southern waters of the island of Gran Canaria, especially in the Puerto Rico area. If, during your holidays in the Canary Islands, you want to enjoy this activity, I recommend this tour or check our guide on the best whale watching tours in Gran Canaria.

Lobos Island is another ideal Canary Islands destination for dolphin watching. You can take a tour to explores its waters in search of these mammals from Lanzarote or from Fuerteventura. For more information, check our guides on dolphin-watching in Lanzarote and dolphin-watching in Fuerteventura.

Laurel forests, which is the best Canary Island

The laurel forest is a type of humid subtropical forest that I highly recommend visiting in the Canary Islands.

To enjoy these beautiful forests, La Gomera is undoubtedly the best island in the Canary Islands. In fact, many of us think that it’s the most beautiful Canary Island, thanks to the laurel forest it has in Garajonay National Park . If you can travel to La Gomera, visiting this park is like entering a magical world where nature has created a space everyone wants to get lost in. Winding trails, incredible views, fairytale landscapes and a beautiful volcanic landscape. This is the Laurisilva forest of La Gomera.

But there is another laurel forest that fascinated me: Anaga Rural Park, in Tenerife. In this park, you will find numerous trails that will take you through a laurel forest that many call the “Enchanted Forest.” Personally, I recommend you hike the Sendero de los Sentidos trail. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in Tenerife North . Here, in addition to this beautiful forest, you will enjoy paradisiacal beaches, cliffs, and incredible landscapes. And if you have time, I advise you to spend a night in this hostel to be able to enjoy this place even more.

In short, if you want to get to know laurel forests on your trip to the Canary Islands, I recommend those of La Gomera and Tenerife.

Beautiful villages to visit in the Canary Islands

If you are looking for the best island in the Canary Islands to discover the most traditional culture, the most authentic gastronomy, and stroll through the streets of charming little villages and their surroundings, I know which Canary Island is best for you.

In Gran Canaria, you will find some of the most beautiful villages in the Canary Islands. Like Tejeda , also considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain . If you are a nature enthusiast, it’s one of the towns to visit in the Canary Islands that you cannot miss. Also, different hiking trails start from here. Teror is also in Gran Canaria, where you can get to know the most traditional side of the island, as well as Mogán, where, in addition to enjoying the friendliness of the locals, you can also spend a good day at the beach.

Lanzarote is another place to visit in the Canary Islands if you want to find beautiful villages. For example, one of the most beautiful towns in Spain is there, Yaiza , and you can also visit the charming village of Teguise. Yaiza is great if you’re looking for tradition, architecture, and tranquility. On the other hand, Teguise is considered one of the oldest and most historic villages in the Canary Islands, which is why it has become, over the years, one of the main cultural and tourist centers of Lanzarote.

And finally, I highlight Betancuria, Fuerteventura . It is the oldest town in the Canary Islands and the most picturesque of all. In addition, it is also one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. It is more than 600 years old, and, despite its small size, it has many places of interest to discover. So, if you are looking for the best Canary Island to learn about tradition and culture, keep Fuerteventura in mind.

Best Canary Island for Nightlife

If you are looking for the best Canary Islands for nightlife, I recommend Gran Canaria. Nightlife is concentrated, above all, in the capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where there are bars and clubs that are open until 6 am; and in the tourist areas of Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas, and Puerto Rico. The offer of nightclub venues is so vast that you can find absolutely everything you are looking for. You can even find boats where you can spend a whole day doing activities and, at night, you can party.

Although Gran Canaria is the best island for nightlife, you can also find many things to do at night in Tenerife. Of course, if you are looking for a place to stay in Tenerife to enjoy its nightlife, I recommend the south, specifically Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas, and Los Cristianos , which is where the best clubs, most exclusive venues, and pubs are concentrated.

If you are looking for a Canary Islands holiday that is full of partying, I totally recommend Gran Canaria or Tenerife , with the former being the best option.

Carnival in the Canary Islands

If you are lucky enough to travel to the Canary Islands during Carnival , you will experience one of the most spectacular, colorful, festive, and musical events in the world. But what is the best Canary Island’s Carnival ?

The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the most important carnivals in the world, behind those of Rio de Janeiro and Venice. It is a party that is already part of the culture and tradition of Tenerife. In fact, it was declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest in 1980, and it’s the only festival in the Canary Islands that has such a distinction. During the days that the Carnival takes place, parades, costumes, comparsas, and musical groups are held. And, most importantly, the election of the Carnival Queen.

In the capital of Gran Canaria , Las Palmas de Gran Canaria , Carnival is also a big thing. There, they have a very special figure, the Drag Queen , which is what sets this Carnival apart from the rest. This figure, which has been part of the celebration for decades, celebrates the LGBTQ community. Although I haven’t visited Gran Canarias during Carnival yet, I know that everything that is done to choose the “Reinona” is spectacular, full of color and music.

And if you still don’t know which Canary island to visit during Carnival, I assure you that whatever island you choose, you will have a great time .

I know that it’s difficult to decide what Canary island is best for tourists, since each one has something that makes it special. It was impossible for me to choose just one, so when I saw that it was easy to travel between the Canary Islands , I decided to visit several of them, and it was the best decision I made.

If you don’t know which island to visit during your trip to the Canary Islands either, no worries. Canary Islands hopping is easy and doesn’t take much time. There are very good connections by ferry or boat, even by plane, and you can visit several island on the same trip. In fact, it takes less than one hour to get from one Canary Island to another. Below, you’ll find ways to get around the Canary Islands so that you can make the most of your trip.

Ferries Canary Islands

There are many ferries between the Canary Islands every day. Fred. Olsen Express and Naviera Armas are the main companies operating these routes, but there are many other smaller companies too.

These are the connections you will find to travel between the Canary Islands by ferry:

• Ferry from Tenerife to: El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Graciosa, La Gomera, Lanzarote and La Palma.
• Boat from La Palma to: Gran Canaria, La Gomera and Tenerife.
• Ferry from Lanzarote to: Fuerteventura, La Graciosa, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
• Boat from La Graciosa to: Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife.
• Ferry from La Gomera to: El Hierro, Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife.
• Boat from Gran Canaria to: Fuerteventura, La Gomera, La Graciosa, Lanzarote, La Palma and Tenerife.
• Ferry from Fuerteventura to: Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
• Boat from El Hierro to: La Gomera and Tenerife.
• Ferry to Isla de Lobos from Fuerteventura.

As you can see, the Canary Islands are very well connected, so you don’t have to worry if you can’t decide which Canary Island to visit. Just go Canary Island Hopping! Also, many boats accept cars, so you can get a cheap rental car and move it between the islands.

Find cheap rental cars in the Canary Islands

Flights between the Canary Islands

There are 8 airports in the Canary Islands that connect the different islands to each other. These airports are in Tenerife South, Tenerife North, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, Gran Canaria, El Hierro, Lanzarote, and La Palma.

In addition, traveling between the Canary Islands by plane is very convenient, since it always take less than an hour and there are flights between the islands every day. So, if you can find cheap flights , don’t hesitate to enjoy visiting several Canary Islands. The main airlines operating in the Canary Islands are Binter and Canaryfly.

Personally, I advise you to always try to take a ferry or boat as your first option because you save on waiting time and airport security. But if you have no other choice, Canary Islands hopping by plane is also a great option.

As you can see, it’s difficult to choose which is the most beautiful Canary Island, but luckily, there are many options for you to move between them during your holiday. If you don’t know which Canary Island to visit, choose the two or three that you like the most and plan your itinerary. And if you have any questions and want us to help you decide which Canary Island is best for you, leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help.

Have a good trip to the Canary Islands!

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Canary Islands

• 2.1 Demographics
• 2.2 History
• 2.3 Climate
• 3.1 By plane
• 3.2 By boat
• 4.1 By public transport
• 4.2 By rental car
• 4.3 By taxi
• 4.4 By boat
• 4.5 By plane
• 5 See and do
• 9.1 Pickpocketing
• 9.2 Natural hazards

The Canary Islands (Spanish: Islas Canarias ) are an Atlantic territory of Spain off the coast of Morocco and Western Sahara .

The Canary archipelago consists of 8 inhabited islands, and a few smaller uninhabited ones.

• 28.268611 -16.605556 1 Tenerife – The largest and most populous island with an area of 2,034 km² and also the most popular tourist destination of the archipelago, with about 6 million tourists per year. It has many museums and monuments that serve as portrayals of its rich history, but suffers under low cost mass tourism from the European mainland . Its oldest mountain ranges are young compared to its neighbouring islands, and volcanic activity did not begin to occur here until 8-12 million years ago, while other islands had it well over 20 million years ago. The highest mountain of Spain and 3rd largest volcano in the world (3,715 m), El Teide , dominates the landscape of the island. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is home to the Canary Island Parliament, while San Cristóbal de La Laguna is home to the oldest university on the Canary Islands. The main resorts are Puerto de la Cruz and Playa de las Américas .
• 28.4 -14 2 Fuerteventura – Second largest island, with an area of 1,660 km², but compared to Tenerife relatively thinly populated with only 117,000 (2019) inhabitants. There are fewer attractions, but in turn the island has not yet fallen prey to mass tourism. Its capital, Puerto del Rosario , is fairly laid back and has a few architectural gems to offer. Fuerteventura is a paradise for windsurfing and the only Canary Island with natural golden sandy beaches rather than naturally black volcanic sand. The main resorts of Fuerteventura are Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste and Morro Jable.
• 27.958611 -15.5925 3 Gran Canaria – The third largest island and second most popular (after Tenerife ) receiving over 4 million tourists every year–green and steep in the north, dry and flat in the south. It has the highest population density of the Canary Islands, with 540 inhabitants per km², and with tourists added to that number it gets a bit crowded at times. The main resorts on the Island are Las Palmas, Maspalomas, Puerto Rico and Playa del Ingles. Its capital city Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has the shared title of capital of the Canaries.
• 29.035 -13.635 4 Lanzarote – About half the size of Gran Canaria , but low lying and arid, with a spectacular volcanic landscape in the west of the island preserved as Timanfaya National Park . The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730–1736. The capital is Arrecife and has its own airport, and draws most of the 2.9 million tourists visiting Lanzarote annually. There is a bustling nightlife in four main resorts—Arrecife, Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca.
• 29.231389 -13.501944 5 La Graciosa – The smallest inhabited island of the Canaries, being only 29 km² in size and having a population of approx. 735 (2018). Its capital is Caleta de Sebo, and it's a few kilometres to the north of Lanzarote .
• 28.666667 -17.866667 6 La Palma – The population is about 83,000 (2019), of which about half live in the capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma and in Los Llanos de Aridane . La Palma's geographic layout is a result of the volcanic formation of the island. The southern part of La Palma is dominated by the Cumbre Vieja, a volcanic ridge formed by numerous volcanic cones built of lava and scoria. The Cumbre Vieja is active but mostly dormant, with the last eruption occurring in 2021.
• 28.115 -17.225 7 La Gomera – The Magic Isle, with San Sebastián as capital, is a paradise for hikers. It is shaped like an orange that has been cut in half and split into segments. The terrain is rough, which has left deep ravines or barrancos between them. These barrancos, in turn, are covered by the laurisilva (laurel rain forest). The local wine has a distinct taste, and is often accompanied with a tapa (snack) of local cheese, roasted pork or goat meat. Other cultural dishes include almogrote , a cheese spread, and a syrup extracted from palm trees called miel de palma . The local people have a unique way of communicating across deep ravines by using a whistled speech called Silbo Gomero. This whistled language is indigenous to the island, and its existence has been documented since Roman times.
• 27.75 -18 8 El Hierro – "The edge of the world". It is also known as the Meridian Island, and Valverde is its capital.

All islands use the same time zone: Western European Time ( WET ). This means the time is the same as Portugal and United Kingdom .

Pico del Teide (on Tenerife) at 3,715 metres above sea level is the highest point in both the Canary Islands and Spanish territory.

Demographics

The islands have a population of 2.2 million (2019). Since the Canary Islands are a major European tourist destination, all the major islands have well-developed communication systems, airports, and ports.

Ethnically the population is mostly a mix of Spanish, European (German and British), South American, especially Cuban and Venezuelan as well as Northern and Sub-Sahara African. There are also historical minorities such as Indians, Koreans and lately Russians.

Each island speaks with a slightly different accent and there is a strong rivalry between the main islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Most of the accents in the Canary Islands are closer to Latin American Spanish than to Castilian Spanish spoken in continental Spain.

The Canary Islands are very modern, very European, and extremely liberal.

Ancient legend claims the Canary Islands are the ‘lost islands’ of Atlantis. They have also been referred to as the lands without sorrow, holding on to the edge of the world. The first settlers were known as Guanches, thought to have arrived in the 10th century BC. The main economic system was built around agriculture and animal farming. During the 14th century, the islands were continuously invaded by different European countries. Sugar cane became the dominant crop, and since the early 20th century, bananas have been widely farmed.

During the Age of Sail, the islands were an important waypoint on the Cape Route .

In contrast to Spanish North Africa and other Spanish overseas territories, the Canary Islands have been an integrated part of Spain for centuries.

Often referred to as the islands of eternal spring , the Canary Islands are known for their mild climate. On average, they feature mild winters, although there is a lot of wind virtually every day, which makes temperatures feel cooler. Summers are dry and temperatures are generally comfortable but can feel chilly with the wind. The average temperature is 13°C in January and 19°C in July. Sunshine is somewhat abundant in summer and relatively scarce in winter.

Just like mainland Spain , the Canary Islands are part of the European Union and the Schengen area . Arrivals from other Schengen territories usually don't need to clear immigration.

There are regular flights from mainland Spain and elsewhere in Europe to the larger islands of Gran Canaria ( LPA  IATA ), La Palma ( SPC  IATA ), Fuerteventura ( FUE  IATA ), Lanzarote ( ACE  IATA ), and Tenerife which has two airports: the north ( TFN  IATA ) near Santa Cruz and the south ( TFS  IATA ) near Golf del Sur.

El Hierro and Gomera are reached by inter-island flights. La Graciosa has no airport.

The Spanish company Naviera Armas has weekly connections between Huelva and Cadiz in Spain and Arrecife (Lanzarote), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) and Tenerife . Fred Olsen also has weekly connections from Huelva to Tenerife and Gran Canaria . A detailed map of these three routes can be found on Ferrygogo .

Cruise ships will often plan a stop at the Canary Islands when crossing the Atlantic Ocean or navigating along the eastern coast of Africa . Longer cruises around the Western Mediterranean will also often include a stop at the Canaries, and a few operators like Marella will even offer Canaries-only trips.

Travel between the islands is overly expensive for tourists, and it is generally not worth it since most islands have enough to offer to keep you busy. Transport for locals is subsidised, but the normal price for tourists is widely overdrawn compared to the rest of Europe for such services. Ferry and plane monopolies play into the situation.

By public transport

Public transport is available on most islands, varying widely in price and efficiency though—see the specific islands for more information. Do not expect bus drivers to know more than a couple of sentences in English or German, though they will try to be helpful.

By rental car

Renting a car is often the best option for discovering the remote and wildness regions— Tenerife might be an exception with its very efficient bus system. There are several well-established local rental companies that are well worth considering, already starting at €100/week or less, especially in off-season starting from April. On smaller islands like La Palma, the variety of companies is reduced though.

Local rental companies (always compare!):

• AutoReisen – Cheap, reliable and no deposit—from €9/day. Not very well known nor listed on the common price comparison websites. Pickup and drop-off is only possible at airports and on the same island. You must be at least 23 years old, and the rental price can only be paid by a credit or debit card in the driver's name. Ask around and you will see that people are very happy with them.
• PlusCar Rent a Car – Conditions are similar to AutoReisen—sometimes cheaper, sometimes more expensive. Likewise no deposit.
• CICAR a.k.a. Cabrera Medina – Reliable and well-known. A bit more expensive than AutoReisen and PlusCar, but with a wider range of models and a much denser network of rental branches all across the islands. No deposit for the car (but for the fuel).
• PaylessCar – Affordable and good.
• TopCar – From €12/day, but many people complain about consecutively being charged for fuel or cleaning. Deposit: €500.
• CarzRent (Tenerife only) – Always open, large deposits and avarage prices.

International rental companies:

• Goldcar, Dollar, Interrent – Not worth the stress—they are well known for ripping off their customers. If you still decide to use them, make sure you understand their terms & conditions, since there may be hidden fees or other tricks.
• Avis, Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz, Enterprice – Probably not worth the extra money, unless you have a membership thing or get a good discount.

The rental conditions of the local companies typically include unlimited mileage, a free second driver and free booster seats for your kids. As a general rule, the driver must be at least 21 years old. Fuel is not included, so make sure to fuel up before returning your vehicle to avoid additional costs.

As roads can often be narrow and unpaved, there is a real risk of damaging cars by ricocheting stones and pebbles. That's why most of the local companies include full insurance by default. When your rental car is fully insured, returning the vehicle is as simple as dropping off the key. Otherwise, inspect your rental car carefully before signing the contract, and consider adding insurance to the contract conditions for a surcharge.

Choose a car that is just large enough to fit all passengers and luggage, but try to keep it as small as possible. A small car is much easier to find a parking spot for in the historic centres of towns and cities, and passing another vehicle coming from the opposite direction becomes less of an adventure on narrow mountain roads. If you intend to do a lot of hiking, some extra ground clearance can occasionally come in handy, as paved parking lots can be a rare good in the mountains. Something like a Jeep Wrangler would be overkill for this, but if you've got money to burn, some of the local rental companies offer those too.

Taxis can be expensive, and inside a city they are not worth the money unless you are in a real hurry or cannot balance yourself after a shopping day.

If you want to travel between the islands, a good option might be to take a ferry . Most ferries are modern, but they are pricey unless you have a residency status. Ferrygogo has a good overview of the different routes that are served by the two main companies:

• Naviera Armas / Transmediterránea – Has many connections all across the region with a large mixed fleet of regular and high-speed ferries.
• Fred Olsen – Focuses on high speed connections.

There are also a couple of scheduled water bus and on-demand water taxi connections available for shorter trips:

• Lineas Romero – Short distance passenger ferries connecting Lanzarote with Fuerteventura, and La Graciosa with Lanzarote.
• Fuertecharter – Offers daily trips from Fuerteventura to Isla de Lobos and Lanzarote.

Check their website for the best prices. There is of course also a number of companies offering whale watching tours and the like.

Renting a yacht (or bringing your own) is also a great way to get around if you know what you're doing. The islands offer numerous harbors and more than 30 marinas to moor in. Sailing the waters can be challenging, though, so plan your trip carefully. Some nautical information and useful links are available at the official website .

If you are afraid of the sea, or get sick just by staring at a ferry, then a plane is what you need to travel between the islands. With the exception of Graciosa (which only has a helipad for medical emergencies) all of the larger islands are served by regional airlines:

That usually means a turboprop ATR-72 or ATR-42, especially when going to the regional airport of La Gomera or El Hierro that are too small for regular airliners to land on. They are perfectly safe and adequately fast, as you are likely to spend more time at the airport than in the plane. Especially between Tenerife and Gran Canaria there are also sometimes airlines that fly from further afield and stop in both islands—whether they sell tickets for that last leg alone is rather hit and miss, however.

• Teide National Park on Tenerife , with at its centre Mount Teide, the tallest mountain of Spain and one of the world's tallest volcanoes.
• The historic centre of San Cristóbal de La Laguna on Tenerife , dotted with colonial architectural gems.
• The subtropical rainforest of La Garajonay National Park on La Gomera .
• The archaeological site of Risco Caído on Gran Canaria .
• Isla de El Hierro
• Gran Canaria
• Fuerteventura
• Macizo de Anaga

Otherwise the islands impress with:

• Numerous beaches
• Volcanoes and volcanic landscapes great for hiking
• Historical architecture in the old town of Las Palmas

The euro (€) is the currency of the Canaries. The islands are outside the EU VAT area and have a separate sales tax from the VAT levied in mainland Spain.

Withdrawing money from Spanish ATM s will often result in an extra charge by the machine of €1–8. Cash can therefore be an alternative, but bears certain risks. However, since COVID credit cards are widely accepted as payment option, even for the tiniest amounts—cash-only is likely a source of tax evasion concerns. So, you are probably best off bringing a few €50–100 in cash and paying the rest with credit card, in case you want to avoid ATM fees.

Bizum is very popular with locals, and even some bars and restaurants—as an alternative to PayPal or Venmo. However, you need a Spanish bank account to use it.

• Goat – If any kind of meat is popular in the Canary Islands, it's goat. Locals and tourists equally will rave about good places they had goat in. If meat is your thing, you should definitely find such a place.
• Fish – You will find a wide variety of fish and seafood with restaurants that allow you to choose a fish from their selection (often hand caught), which they will cook for you. Two popular fish dishes from Tenerife are Caldereta, a meal with tomatoes, goat meat and potatoes and the Sancocho Canario, a salted fish, usually white, in a “mojo” sauce.
• Morcilla Dulce Canaria – A sweet blood sausage, almost a cake or a pudding, very popular on the islands. The taste feels delicious and disgusting at the same time.
• Plantain bananas – The Canary Islands are Europe's only exporter of these famously delicious, and usually fried bananas.
• Mousse de gofio or gofío amasado – A dessert made from gofio , miel de palma , and plantains.
• Barraquito – Also called barraco, is a coffee speciality from the Canary Islands and particularly popular on Tenerife but also on La Palma.
• Beer – There are three local breweries (Dorada, Tropical and Reina).
• Coffee – Cafe solo (espresso) and Cortado (espresso with milk) are the most ordered coffee variations on the islands.
• Rum – There are also well known rum distilleries, especially in Gran Canaria (Artemi and Arehucas). The ron miel is a sweet liquor made from rum and honey.
• Wines – There are several brands of wines in the islands. North of Tenerife, La Geria in Lanzarote or La Palma have excellent vineyards.

112 is the common emergency number.

Pickpocketing

While being a safe place, beware of pickpockets in major tourist and resort areas. Do not take electrical devices, credit cards or large amounts of cash to the beach, if you plan to leave your goods unattended while swimming, or when going out for clubbing. Already many mobile phones have been snatched around the islands from drunken lads, especially at night.

Natural hazards

The islands are of volcanic origin, and the latest outbreak on La Palma in 2021 is proof that they are indeed still active. Outbreaks are rare, though, and any seismic activities are closely monitored to provide early warnings to the population. Moderate earthquakes can occur, but they typically do not exceed magnitudes of 5.5. Tropical storms sometimes reach the archipelago and can cause flooding and destruction in the coastal areas. All of the above mean that the terrain can be steep and unstable, making falling rocks and landslides a very real danger. If a mountain road or hiking trail is closed, that is usually because of this.

Episodes of heavy Calima (see Climate ) may lead to respiratory problems, coughing, nasal obstruction and itchy eyes. Consider wearing a N95 type respirator outside, hydrate enough, and stay indoors if it gets too dusty.

Heat strokes and sunburn are an underestimated risk, as solar radiation so close to the equator is much stronger than many European tourists expect. The latter is maybe even more of a concern in the high mountains, where the air is thinner and feels more breezy.

There are no poisonous or otherwise dangerous wild animals around, and while mosquitoes may bite you on occasion, they do not carry infectious diseases .

• Spain – Regular ferry connections exist between the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
• Morocco – There used to exist a ferry connection, but nowadays using the plane is the only option.
• Madeira and Azores – Regular flights are available.

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Where To Stay in Gran Canaria - 9 Best Areas & Resorts in 2024/2025

Where To Stay in Fuerteventura - 7 Best Areas & Hotels 2024/2025

Where To Stay in Tenerife - 10 Best Areas & Hotels 2024/2025

Where To Stay in Lanzarote - 5 Best Areas & Hotels in 2024/2025

easyJet launches new routes from Belfast, Liverpool, Glasgow and Southend to the Canary Islands

easyJet has just announced several new routes connecting the Canary Islands with Belfast, Liverpool, Glasgow and Southend.

Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival: 19 - 21 July 2024

Maspalomas Costa Canaria Soul Festival is a unique type of event in all the Canary Islands, which is celebrated with a lot of "soul" on the beach in San Agustin, close to Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles.

Are there dangerous mosquitoes in Tenerife and the Canary Islands?

Many visitors to the Canary Islands, especially those heading over to the archipelago for the first time, have this dilemma of whether they'll have to face a lot of mosquitoes in the Canary Islands or not.

Electric scooters will be required to have insurance in Spain

The Council of Ministers in Spain approved the automobile insurance bill, which for the first time mandates that electric scooter owners must have liability insurance.

Tourist injured after falling from first floor in Tenerife

In the early hours of June 10, 2024, a 21-year-old man was moderately injured after falling from the first floor of an accommodation on Avenida de los Pueblos in Adeje, Tenerife. The incident occurred at approximately 01:32 AM, and the cause of the fall remains unknown.

Papaya in the Canary Islands: Try papaya from Tenerife or Gran Canaria

Papaya, a delectable tropical fruit, has been cultivated in the Canary Islands for over 200 years.

Man arrested at Lanzarote Airport with hashish in his luggage

A 24-year-old man was arrested on May 14, 2024, at Lanzarote’s César Manrique Airport by the Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the Customs and Special Taxes Administration Agency on the island.

Rescued turtle released on beach in Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura, through the Department of Environment and Hunting under the leadership of Carlos Rodríguez, organized the release of a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) on Playa Blanca in Puerto del Rosario.

Canary Islands, fourth place in Spain with most holiday rental homes

The Canary Islands had 46,784 registered tourist accommodation properties at the end of last February, according to the latest figures published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This places the Canary Islands as the fourth region with the highest number of holiday homes.

Fuerteventura en Musica 2024 - Dates & Line-up

The Cabildo de Fuerteventura has announced that in 2023 the festival Fuerteventura in Musica will be celebrated once again on La Concha beach (Cotillo).

Challenging helicopter rescue of two hikers in Tenerife

The Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) of the Canary Islands Government rescued two hikers in distress in Tenerife on Monday, June 5th.

German operator FTI filed for bankruptcy, dozens of hotels in the Canary Islands affected

The German tour operator FTI Group declared bankruptcy yesterday in a local court in Munich, burdened with a substantial debt of almost 1 billion euros and unable to meet its payment obligations.

Diver dies following accident off Fuerteventura coast

A 54-year-old diver died this Monday following an accident near the Corralejo Pier in the municipality of La Oliva in Fuerteventura.

24 drownings registered in the Canary Islands until May 2024

'Canarias, 1500 km de Costa', the Association for the Prevention of Water Accidents in Aquatic Environment, reported that 24 people lost their lives due to drowning in the islands between January and May, five fewer compared to the same period last year.

UK authorities investigate a serious incident regarding a Bristol flight to Gran Canaria

A report from Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB), dated yesterday, details a serious incident that happened on March 4th, on a flight that departed from Bristol to the Canary Islands.

183 cruise stops scheduled in Fuerteventura during the 2024-2025 season

In May 2024, the cruise season in Puerto del Rosario ended. A total of 125 stops were made by the different cruise ships at the capital's port.

Woman and her son suffer serious burns at Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote

According to authorities, two people sustained steam-related burns on Thursday at Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote. The incident occurred around 12:58 p.m., according to the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center (CECOES).

Lanzarote on alert after huge fire erupts at Zonzamas landfill

The Government of the Canary Islands has activated the Civil Protection Territorial Emergency Plan (Plateca) in Lanzarote on Monday tonight, declaring an alert situation due to the fire at the Zonzamas environmental complex. All available firefighting resources on the island have been mobilized.

Woman falls to her death at Roque Nublo in Gran Canaria

A woman has died after falling from a high altitude in the Roque Nublo area, Tejeda municipality, on the island of Gran Canaria, as reported by the Emergency and Security Coordination Center of 112 of the Canary Islands.

Caleta de Fuste will host a Summer Market every Friday this season

Antigua City Council announced they will organize a Summer Market in Caleta de Fuste.

Do you need a minimum of 113 Euros per day to travel to Spain? What is the legal requirement?

Does the six drinks rule apply to Tenerife or the Canary Islands in general?

Tenerife or Gran Canaria? Which Canary Island is better?

Winter sun in Spain: 10 warmest places to visit in Spain in winter

12 Best things to do in Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria - 2024 Guide

20 Best things to do in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote (2024 Guide)

16 Best Things To Do in Corralejo, Fuerteventura - 2024 Guide

17 Things To Do in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote - Best Places to Visit

10 Best Things To Do in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife

13 Best Things To Do in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria

18 Best things to do in Caleta de Fuste, Fuerteventura

17 Best things to do in Costa Adeje 2024 - Top Attractions

15 Best things to do in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

18 Best Things To Do in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

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Tenerife (Island)

An island for getting away from it all

Puerto de la Cruz

Los Realejos

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Icod de los Vinos

San Cristóbal de La Laguna

Places not to be missed

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Beach: Medano

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Beach: Los Cristianos

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Unique places in Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and is full of contrasts. Discovering its volcanic nature means getting closer to unbelievable and very different…

Three cultural getaways in Tenerife

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Into the volcanic heart of Tenerife

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The wines of Tenerife

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Tenerife: a night at the foot of the Teide volcano

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Choose between thousands of activities to live your best life on holiday.

Canary Islands cruises

Explore the canaries.

A string of beautiful islands and an array of vibrant ports: there's so much to discover in the Canary Islands.

From the historic architecture of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to the towering 12,000ft peak of Mount Teide, you'll find an astonishing array of sights, sounds and experiences in Tenerife.

Gran Canaria

With sandy beaches, inviting taverns, and picturesque villages, set against a dramatic volcanic backdrop, Gran Canaria is a destination filled with unique sights and experiences.

Lanzarote is a geological wonder. A land of mesmerising landscapes, sun-drenched villages, volcanic beaches, and decadent cuisine.

Be inspired

If you seek sun, sea and adventure, then a Cunard cruise to the Canary Islands is the perfect getaway, but the pleasure isn’t all in the destination. Treasure your voyage sea days by filling them with exciting on-board activities, delicious meals, or simply space and time to relax at your leisure. Explore our articles to get some inspiration, and imagine yourself sailing on a Cunard Queen.

Fantastic fizz

We pop the cork on the world of sparkling wines, and discover why a glass of bubbly on board Cunard is always special.

A Canary Christmas

Christmas on board a Cunard Queen in the Canary Islands is nothing short of magical. Join us as we explore local traditions and customs for the festive season.

Waves of well-being

Taking our cue from Cunard’s sea-inspired Mareel® Wellness & Beauty holistic spa, we explore how the ocean can bring health benefits to mind, body and soul.

An island paradise

Worth knowing

Southern gems

The Canary Islands are an archipelago of Spanish-owned islands found west of Morocco. Though technically in Africa, the islands remain part of the EU and include Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa.

Volcanic beauty

Formed from volcanic eruptions, the islands enjoy fertile soils and rugged terrain. The third highest volcano in the world, Mount Teide, is found in Tenerife, and stands at 3,718 meters (12,198 feet) high. Visitors to Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote, can even enjoy a volcano-cooked meal.

Party in the park

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival is the world’s second most popular carnival, and is held every February with a different theme each year. The islands are also known for their beautiful national parks—four out of Spain’s twelve can be found on La Palma, La Gomera, Lanzarote and Tenerife.

More destinations to explore

Mediterranean

Western Europe

Frequently asked questions about the Canary Islands

When on a Canary Islands cruise it is important to check your itinerary to see which islands you will visit. That said, each has a wealth of highlights.

Tenerife, the biggest island, is dominated by Mt. Teide and the Teide National Park. This sometimes snow-capped volcano can be reached by cable car, allowing you to experience the amazing views without the arduous trek. Gran Canaria offers the chance to snorkel off Las Canteras Beach, or visit the protected dunes of Maspalomas. In Fuerteventura you can enjoy many beaches to rest and relax, or a boat trip to Lobos Island to see the rare birds that live there. Finally, in Lanzarote, don’t miss the opportunity to see the geysers of Timanfaya National Park.

Cruising the Canary Islands offers dry days and pleasant temperatures year-round, but March–May or September–November are the best months to cruise if you hope to avoid the main summer and winter vacation crowds.

Whenever you cruise to the Canary Islands you should pack light layers, beachwear and sun protection. Evenings can be cool, so be sure to take a light jacket or pashmina to keep you warm. The terrain can be rocky and uneven in places, so closed robust shoes will help you to explore comfortably.

Year-round sunshine is a key feature of the Canary Islands. The weather stays fairly consistent with daytime highs of 19–24 degrees Celsius (66–75 degrees Fahrenheit) and around ten hours of sunshine every day.

The Canaries are formed of seven main islands. These include: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera.

As part of Spain, the currency throughout the Canary Islands is the euro (EUR).

The native language of the Canary Islands is Canarian Spanish, however English is also widely spoken in the Canaries and many islanders understand German too.

You won’t need a visa to visit the Canary Islands if you’re a resident of the EU, Schengen member country, Israel, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the United States of America (providing you’re remaining in the country less than 90 days).

Residents of other countries should check their visa requirements with the Spanish consulate prior to travel.

Protect Your Trip »

8 Reasons to Visit the Canary Islands

Isolated beaches, balmy weather and misty forests are just a few allures for adventure-seekers.

Getty Images).

Soak in striking and surreal volcanic landscapes, discover natural wonders in diverse parks and enjoy hiking, sunbathing, scuba diving and windsurfing on a vacation to remember.

While you may have never heard of Spain's seven Canary Islands , if you like exploring nature reserves, lazing along the beach and taking in dramatic volcanic landscapes, this lovely cluster of isles should be on your radar. The Spanish-governed volcanic archipelago is located about 60 miles west of Morocco and offers plenty of pursuits of active types (think: watersports, stargazing and hiking) and a variety of often-overlooked sights. And with more flights than ever taking off to the Canaries from Europe and the U.S., now is an excellent time to book your vacation and island-hop around these picturesque isles.

[See: 9 Secluded Beaches to Visit This Summer .]

The Islands Are Accessible and Affordable

The Canary Islands are closer to the U.S. than mainland Europe. In fact, they were Christopher Columbus' last stop before he reached the Americas. While there are no direct flights (yet) from the U.S., discount airline Wow Air flies to Tenerife for as little as $200 each way from several major cities in the U.S. From Newark, the flight travel time is six hours to Reykjavik, Iceland. And after a free stopover in Iceland, it's just another five-hour flight to Tenerife. If you're already in Europe, the Canary Islands are only a four-hour direct flight from London. What's more, between the islands, ferry service is easy to navigate and cost-effective.

You Can't Beat the Climate

With 365 days of sun a year, it's hard to top Tenerife's weather. But it's not just the aptly nicknamed “Island of Eternal Spring” that averages temperatures in the pleasant 70s year-round. All of the islands are blessed with cooling trade winds that constantly blow from the northeast. Plus, the wind mixes with the high temperatures of the Western Sahara to create a comfortable climate for hitting the beach and enjoying active outdoor adventures throughout the year.

Staying in the Canary Islands Is Less Expensive Than You Might Think

Most goods and services on the Canary Islands are at least 40 percent cheaper than what you'd find in mainland Western Europe. Compared to Los Angeles, the Canary Islands' restaurant prices are more than 40 percent lower and compared to Des Moines, its rental prices are nearly 50 percent lower. A car hire for weeklong vacations can cost as low as $100 and a pint of beer will only set you back about $1.25. Buy why savor a beer when you can enjoy local Spanish wines? Grocery stores in the Canary Islands have red wine for less than a dollar per bottle.

You Can Enjoy Plenty of Outdoor Pursuits

The Canary Islands are most associated with sunbathing thanks to their natural volcanic black-sand and white-sand beaches featuring sand imported from the Sahara. But they also cater to adrenaline junkies longing to explore aquatic canyons with outfitter Canyon Tenerife, kayak beneath Los Gigantes' 1,000-foot cliffs with tour operator Teno Activo and climb the same mountain roads Tour de France winners train on. And on more windswept islands such as Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, kitesurfers nearly outnumber locals.

[See: 10 Lesser-Known Destinations to Visit This Summer .]

There's Jaw-Dropping Scenery

It's hard to describe the Canary Islands' backdrops without using the word ethereal. From the lava fields of Tenerife to the ancient laurel forests of La Gomera to the submerged mountain of El Heirro, a world-class diving destination, the Canary Islands offer Instagram-worthy settings at every turn. In fact, when the Spanish first landed on the islands, they thought they were the remnants of Atlantis. Four of the islands are UNESCO Biosphere reserves in their entirety, and 43 percent of the island of Gran Canaria is a Biosphere Reserve. The most dangerous part of driving the islands' narrow, winding roads is the risk of getting distracted by the sublime landscapes.

You Can Experience a Cultural Crossroads

Though the Canary Islands are governed by Spain, they have their own distinct culture created after hundreds of years of serving as a stopping point for trans-Atlantic traders. Residents often associate the isles more with Latin America than Spain. Still, centuries-old traditions have survived, including quirky festivities like the annual goat bathing festival on Tenerife and fire-jumping competitions on La Gomera. What's more, La Gomera's ancient language of whistling – used to communicate across canyons – is honored by UNESCO as part of our Intangible World Heritage. It's the world's only whistling language still used.

You'll Find Fascinating Fauna From Sea to Sky

Because of the Canary Islands' long list of endemic species, including dozens of rare birds, the isles are revered by wildlife biologists. Though birds and reptiles are abundant on all of the islands, there is a notable absence of large mammals. Still, the sea more than makes up for this deficit. Tenerife is home to one of the most highly trafficked channels for more than 20 species of whales and dolphins. On a four-hour sea-life safari cruise with outfitter Picarus Sailing Club, you can catch sight of curious dolphins swimming and diving alongside the catamaran.

[See: 8 Great International Getaways You Can Afford This Summer .]

You Can Attend Colorful Parades, Pageants and Parties

Outside of Rio de Janeiro, no place in the world celebrates Carnival as passionately as the Canary Islands. And unlike Rio, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife caters to families. The over-the-top festival includes a public pageant to crown the Carnival Queen, a parade rivaling anything experienced at Disney World and finally, the symbolical burial of the sardine which closes out the 15 days of dancing, parades, street parties – some featuring crowds of more than 200,000 – and performances that artists practice for year-round. Their full-time job is to prepare for this spectacular annual event.

9 Tours for Solo Travelers

Tags: Travel , Vacations

About En Route

Practical advice on the art of traveling smarter with tips, tricks and intel from En Route's panel of experts.

Contributors have experience in areas ranging from family travel, adventure travel, experiential travel and budget travel to hotels, cruises and travel rewards and include Amy Whitley , Claire Volkman , Holly Johnson , Marsha Dubrow , Lyn Mettler , Sery Kim , Kyle McCarthy , Erica Lamberg , Jess Moss , Sheryl Nance-Nash , Sherry Laskin , Katie Jackson , Erin Gifford , Roger Sands , Steve Larese , Gwen Pratesi , Erin Block , Dave Parfitt , Kacey Mya , Kimberly Wilson , Susan Portnoy , Donna Tabbert Long and Kitty Bean Yancey .

Edited by Liz Weiss .

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

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Canary Islands facing new crisis as Brits could see holidays ruined by huge beach strike

New Canary Islands beach strikes could ruin four tourist hotspots as staff protest their working conditions this weekend.

Thousands of Brits could be left without sunbeds and umbrellas from Saturday in the San Bartolomé de Tirajana region of Gran Canaria , the third-largest island of the Canary Islands.

The beach staff aim to protest about their precarious working conditions, risking there being no staff on the popular beaches of Playa del Inglés, El Cochino, Maspalomas, and Meloneras, according to the Canarian Weekly .

The indefinite strike will begin on Saturday, June 8, aimed at Perfaler SL, a company that employs the workers but saw their service contract expire in 2011. The Federation of Canary Islands Trade Unions (FSC) and the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) have expressed their frustration over more than a year and a half of failed talks with the company.

They issued a statement explaining the strike had been called as a result of prolonged negotiations failing to reach an agreement. The unions have demanded updates to their working conditions to meet current legal requirements, but have seen little progress.

Their demands include enhancing health and safety measures, additional training to prepare for organisation and technological changes anticipated with the new service tender and improvements to social conditions such as work hours and wage adjustments.

Local authorities remain hopeful of finding a solution to the problem, with Yilenia Vega, the municipal councillor overseeing the area, confirming that the local government is considering increasing payments to Perfaler SL to help support better wages for the workers.

However, it is expected that the increase would be gradual and might not be enough to prevent further conflict. There is now real concern over how the precarious start to the summer season could impact the area.

Every year, the so-called "sunbed wars" ensues, with not enough to go around. This year's protests could cause carnage on a new scale. Tourists in Zante have already been slammed for reserving sunbeds with towels before 7am, while tourists in Spain were criticised for selfishly stacking sunbeds.

Last Saturday, the Majorca Plaja Tour social media group held a small protest on Sa Rapita beach on the Spanish island, with the next protest planned for June 16 at Caló des Moro in Santanyi, as a "symbol of overcrowding" . Pictures showed families and locals gathering under umbrellas, reminiscent of how the beaches look during the summer season, with the slogan "Ocupem Les Nostres Platges" - or "We occupy our beaches".

EasyJet launches dozens of new routes from UK airports including to the Canary Islands

EasyJet is launching a new flight route from a UK airport to the Canary Islands, alongside 32 other new routes from 11 different UK airports — here's a run down of all the new UK routes

• 16:47, 11 Jun 2024

EasyJet is launching a new flight route to the Canary Islands from a UK airport, as well as introducing new package holidays and dozens of other routes.

The new route from London Southend to Tenerife comes after the airline announced that it will open a new three aircraft base at the UK airport next year. Package holidays from Southend to Tenerife are also now available departing seven days a week from May 2025 — with flights on sale in the coming months.

Tenerife is one of the largest of the Canary Islands and boasts a wealth of family-orientated hotels alongside an array of exclusive adults-only hotels. Flights to Tenerife from London Southend will now be available to book in the coming months.

The new route adds to easyJets' summer 2025 programme, with holidays to destinations such as Alicante, Majorca, and Malaga already part of the offering for next summer.

Paul Bixby, easyJet holidays’ chief commercial officer, said: “With Tenerife being such a popular holiday destination amongst easyJet holidays customers, we’re delighted to be offering package holidays to the largest of the Canary Islands to holidaymakers in the London Southend area for Summer 2025.

“Known for its incredible family-friendly hotel offering, alongside its wealth of luxury hotels for couples to escape to, there’s something for all in Tenerife with easyJet holidays.”

Marc Taylor, acting CEO for London Southend Airport, added: “Tenerife has been in very high demand across our 8.2 million catchment, so we’re particularly thrilled with today’s news and the continued positive momentum for our airport. With six trains every hour from central London to Southend Airport Station (less than 60 minutes from Liverpool Street and only 43 minutes from Stratford), we’re helping people in the city - and throughout Essex - get access to convenient, budget-friendly holidays to more than fifteen sought-after locations in Europe.”

Overall EasyJet is introducing 60 new routes, including 33 from 11 UK airports.

Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport will gain five new routes to serve demand from customers in the Midlands. Year-round routes from Birmingham to Prague (Czech republic) and Marrakech (Morocco) will start on November 13 and December 1, respectively. Flights from Birmingham to Krakow (Poland) start on November 15, to Reykjavik (Iceland) from December 3 and to Innsbruck (Austria) starting from December 15.

Bristol Airport

Bristol Airport will gain a new route to Agadir (Morocco) launching October 27 and another route to Istanbul (Turkey) will launch on November 4.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport

From Liverpool, easyJet has announced five new year-round routes — Prague (Czech republic) from October 28, Marrakech (Morocco) from November 13, Malta from December 10, Berlin (Germany) from February 14 and Fuerteventura (Canary Islands) from February 19.

Glasgow Airport

The airlines' Glasgow network will also be expanded, with three new winter sun destinations. New flights from Glasgow to Lanzarote (Spain) will begin October 27, to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands) from October 30 and to Marrakech (Morocco) from November 11. A year round city route to Prague (Czech Republic) will also launch from November 7.

Edinburgh Airport

For more year-round sun from Scotland, customers will also now also be able to fly from Edinburgh to Agadir (Morocco) starting from November 6 2024.

Belfast Airport

Northern Ireland will also benefit from a winter route to Fuerteventura (Canary Islands) starting on October 28 and a new year-round route from Belfast International to Prague (Czech Republic) will launch on November 2. Flights to Marrakech (Morocco) from Belfast International will return on November 3.

Leeds Airport

During January and February 2025, the airline will fly routes from Leeds to Geneva (Switzerland) starting on January 18 and from Newcastle to Lyon (France) starting on January 4. Also from Newcastle, a new year round route to Paris (France) from October 27, will operate six days a week.

London Gatwick

There will also be a new winter service to Tromso in Norway for the very first time with departures from London Gatwick, as well as a year-round service to Strasbourg - a brand new French destination for the airline.

London Luton

The airline has also launched three routes from London Luton to Athens (Greece) and Basel (Switzerland) which both start on November and Djerba ( Tunisia ) which will start on November 11.

Manchester Airport

An additional route to Djerba (Tunisia) will also launch from Manchester on November 11, as well as a year round route from Manchester to Zurich (Switzerland) from November 4. Manchester will also gain a second route to Akureyri (Northern Iceland) starting November 12. EasyJet is currently the only airline that offers direct routes from the UK to Northern Iceland.

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• The best Atlantic islands to visit
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Travel inspiration

By Hana Leakey May 7, 2023

By Hana Leakey | May 7, 2023

Last update: May 19, 2023

Looking to take an island break in 2023? These are Kiwi.com’s seven best islands to visit in the North and South Atlantic, including some sunny favorites, some icy idyll, and one of the hardest islands in the world to travel to

Okay — summer’s just around the corner, and you need some inspiration for your next island vacation. Done the Mediterranean? Done the Caribbean? The Atlantic Ocean might seem comparatively vast, storm-tossed and daunting, but the adventures to be had on its islands have the potential to be all the more epic. These are our seven picks for the best Atlantic islands and archipelagos to visit — in the North, in the South, warm and tropical, cool and spectacular, popular with tourists, and one which is… well, almost unreachable. (But we know you like a challenge!)

Let’s start with the Azores, situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Politically, this archipelago is a Portuguese autonomous region, but it certainly has a character of its own that allures hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The Azores is a relaxing destination and wellness is at the core of the way of life here; hot springs and natural spas are in abundance, people saunter along peaceful walking trails, and much of the food and drink on offer is fresh, locally sourced, and of excellent quality.

Above all, the Azores can offer you something that won’t cost you a penny extra: some of the best sunny scenery of any Atlantic island or archipelago. Lush, rolling hills, volcanoes, and crystal-clear lakes are just some of the natural features that’ll surround you, and beyond this, down by the ocean, things aren’t half bad, either. The Azores isn’t a noisy, overcrowded, tropical beach destination, which is a big part of why it’s so idyllic. But even if the water is on the cooler side, the beaches are clean, and you’ll have the chance to go dolphin or whale watching — an experience that’ll stay with you forever.

Fly to Ponta Delgada , the administrative center of the archipelago and a kind-of miniature Lisbon , and soak up some culture in the form of churches, museums, and local markets. From there, venture into the wonderful wilderness of São Miguel Island, and to explore further, make use of the regular flights to the other islands.

Canary Islands

The Canaries — particularly Tenerife , Lanzarote and Gran Canaria — have long been a popular choice with year-round sunseekers. Located around 1,000 kilometers southeast of the Azores and just several tens of kilometers off the Moroccan coast, this Spanish archipelago is warm, picturesque and affordable. It’s also pretty easy to get to, with lots of regular flights operating from and to a huge selection of cities in mainland Europe. Could this be the Atlantic island group with the full package?…

If you like a dazzling white-sand beach, the Canary Islands are definitely for you. (Okay, some of them are more golden, but we’re guessing you’d settle.) Opportunities to surf, windsurf and dive are aplenty, for those who’re looking for a bit more dynamic an activity, there are also several national parks on the islands, offering rocky and forested landscapes for you to roam to your heart’s content. It’s especially breathtaking when the sun sets over these parks, so it’s worth timing your hike for the late afternoon.

One more thing that this part of the world is known for is its enthusiastic celebration of traditional festivals. Head to the Canaries around Shrove Tuesday (for Carnival) or in early May (for Cinco de Mayo) to witness the liveliest song and dance, the most joyous crowds, and the most elaborate costumes descend on the streets of the islands.

Tristan da Cunha

From the most-visited group of islands on this list to the least-visited, this is definitely the wild card, but stay with us — especially if you’re the more off-grid type of traveler. Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited archipelago on the planet, inconspicuously located bang in the center of the South Atlantic. It was first discovered by a Portuguese explorer in the 16th century — hence the name — but today, it’s part of a British Overseas Territory.

After the 2016 census, Tristan da Cunha’s population came to a grand total of 293, and there’s only one settlement (officially called Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, but imaginatively nicknamed “The Settlement”) on the main island. Because it’s so small and remote, coming to stay here will mean lodging with the locals and learning about their ways of life. You might be taken on a hike up a (well, the ) volcano, on a walk along the rocky coastline to spot endemic wildlife, on a fishing trip with the reward of a very fresh meal, or to the island’s only pub: Albatross Bar.

You need to be pretty dedicated to visit this curious place, as the only way to get there is on a boat from South Africa … which takes six days and goes eight times a year. The technology that many of us enjoy on a daily basis — read: mobile phone signal and WiFi — also isn’t really a thing on Tristan da Cunha (though there is an internet café). If this place isn’t off-grid enough for you, we don’t know what will be.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Iceland (@iceland)

Iceland has become really popular with tourists over the last decade or so — nowadays, there are lots of low-cost flight options to Reykjavík . And although it’s cold, it’s easy to see why people keep coming.

This island nation between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans is full of breathtaking mountains and volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers, and black-sand beaches. Keen cyclists bike the Ring Road right around the island to take it all in, but if you’d rather just kick back and relax, head to the Blue Lagoon — the spa with the bright cyan geothermal pool that everyone shouts about on Instagram. And of course, if you visit Iceland in the winter, you can’t pass up the opportunity to hunt for the northern lights . Thingvellir National Park is the place to be for this, just a little way outside of the capital, where dedicated night buses run at the aurora-hunting time of year.

Once you’ve booked your flight to Reykjavík, be sure to check out our article on what to do in the surrounding area .

Like Iceland, Greenland lies between the far North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. Unlike Iceland, it’s part of North America. But like Iceland (again), it’s politically Europen, being a constituent country of the Danish Realm. And it’s the biggest island not just in the Atlantic, but in the whole world. How can you not be intrigued by Greenland?

It’s an unusual destination, for sure, but it’s the perfect place for a proper adventure. Around 75% of the island is covered by a permanent ice sheet, meaning that it’s home to some of the largest and most impressive glaciers and icebergs on the planet. Greenland’s third-largest “city”, Ilulissat, is a translation of the Greenlandic word for ‘icebergs’, and its spectacular namesake has earned it Unesco World Heritage status, as well as the title of most popular tourist destination on the island. It’s certainly worth bearing in mind, though, that these special landscapes may not be around forever, with climate change causing the ice to melt. Basically, if you’ve ever even just thought about going to Greenland, this is your sign to do it sooner rather than later.

Once you make it here, you can take a boat tour to see the incredible frosty features up close, and you might even have a shot of hiking on a glacier. Get a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of some polar wildlife, too: polar bears, Arctic foxes, musk oxen, and whales are just some of the creatures that call this corner of the world home. And as for the people, you’ll get ample opportunity to learn about Greenland’s rich Inuit cultural heritage — unique traditions and customs that date back thousands of years, and some practices that are still usual today, like dog sledding and kayaking.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Bermuda (@bermuda)

Another British Overseas Territory and longtime popular tourist destination, Bermuda is a small island in the North Atlantic, situated around 1,000 kilometers from the east coast of the US . People visit Bermuda mostly for its pink-sand beaches — the subtle color coming from crushed coral and shells — and its clear, invitingly temperate waters. There are loads of good coastal spots in Bermuda, but the most famous (and probably the best) is Horseshoe Bay Beach. It’s a lively place that holds volleyball matches, has a great little café and bar, and there’s a cute cove on its western end where sea stacks create a calm, more secluded pool.

With it boasting such clear waters and diverse marine life, snorkeling is the outdoor activity that you must do in Bermuda, if you could only choose one. But you’ll find that opportunities to hike, bike, dive, kayak and fish are also abundant, if you really want to make the best of such a warm climate. For culture, check out the town of St. George’s on the northernmost tip of the island — the first permanent British settlement in Bermuda and a Unesco World Heritage Site today. Other highlights include the Royal Naval Dockyard and the National Museum of Bermuda (annoyingly, on the opposite end of the island from St. George’s, but you could have these spots bookend your itinerary).

If you’re thinking of booking a beach vacation this year, Bermuda’s somewhere a little different, with a unique and interesting history. But it’s still got what you’ll be looking for primarily: fantastic weather, friendly locals, and all-around good vibes.

Newfoundland

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Newfoundland Labrador Tourism (@newfoundlandlabrador)

Last but by no means least on our list of the best Atlantic islands to visit, Newfoundland is a stunning Canadian island off the east coast of the mainland. Canada is a vast, safe country that welcomes millions of tourists every year. Each part of it has something different to offer, and this little patch has a certain Nordic charm to it, with rugged coastlines, towering cliffs, pristine fjords, and colorful paneled houses. Indeed, Norse explorers were the first settlers in Newfoundland, arriving in the 11th century, and Newfoundlanders (or endearingly, “Newfies”) are pretty proud of their European heritage.

For a serene escape, Newfoundland has two national parks on offer: pick Gros Morne National Park for the fjords and tablelands, Terra Nova National Park for boreal forests, or both, of course, if you have the time. Coming back into civilization, St. John’s is the largest town on the island and a surprisingly vibrant one at that, with a population of around 200,000. St John’s is where you can learn more about Newfie heritage at museums and information centers, walk up Signal Hill to get to Cabot Tower , and feast on the incredible seafood dishes that Newfoundland is famous for. Also, be sure to check out Quidi Vidi, a picture-perfect little fishing village separated from the city center by Quidi Vidi Lake.

Overall, Newfoundland is a great Atlantic island to visit for its captivating landscapes, fascinating history, and really friendly locals. If you’re planning a trip to Canada, especially for the summer months, stick it on your itinerary.

Did you like this article? For more travel inspiration, visit   Kiwi.com Stories .

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