Canary Islands
(Gran Canaria - Tenerife - La Gomera - Lanzarote - Fuerteventura)
However temping those Atlantic beaches may be, the heart of the island is where you will find stunning mountains, hidden caves, lush sub-tropical forests and ruins from ancient times. So just take a relaxing stroll and discover the ancient history of the islands.
The Canary Islands as a holiday destination
The magical Canary Island holidays never fail to seduce. These beautiful islands have so much to offer from smart modern hotels, to first-class water sports and energetic nightlife: Canary Island holidays will definitely suit those of you looking for a great break.
The Canary Islands climate
With a year round climate offering sunny days whenever you travel, the Canary Island are a sure bet if you’re seeking a lively, sizzling time amid family friendly resorts, good value restaurants and dramatic, black sand beaches. In some areas, sand has been shipped in from the Sahara to give the coastline a golden touch. The Canary Islands are blessed with the lowest temperature difference between winter and summer anywhere in the world.
The Canary Island’s coastline
The Canary Islands lie near the northern coast of Africa. The Islands autonomous region is made up of seven large islands. They are characterised by its volcanic scenery. The volcanic activity of the past has created a most peculiar landscape on the islands, with craters, volcanic cones, volcanic rocks etc.
Canary Island culture
On holiday in the Canary Islands it is quite possible you will become engrossed in the history of the archipelago, its importance on three continents and its rich cultural life. On each island you will find historic towns, museums, art centres and archaeological and ethnographic parks which will transport you to different times and settings.
Canarian gastronomy
Canary Islands' cuisine combines traditional Spanish recipes with African and Latin-American influences. A very simple and well-known local dish is Papas Arrugadas, potatoes boiled in salt-water without peeling them and served with Mojo picón, a hot sauce of oil, garlic, chilli-peppers and paprika.
Golf in the Canary Islands
Discover the real golf paradise. Practise your favourite sport twelve months a year and enjoy the unusual golf layouts of curious indigenous plant life, attractive natural obstacles as the Atlantic ocean herself.
Gran Canaria
A continent in miniature, it offers lush forests, exotic fauna and flora, Sahara-like dunes, mountains, volcanic craters, the odd flurry of snow on the highest peaks, the most dynamic capital city in the Canaries (Las Palmas), incredibly beautiful coastlines and spectacular beaches.
Gran Canaria as a Holiday Destination
Picture the scene: You relaxing in a beachfront bar of a luxury hotel sipping a cool refreshing drink listening to the waves as you watch the beautiful sunset. Sounds good doesn’t it? Gran Canaria has it all. Glittering sands that stretch as far as the eye can see. Friendly seaside resorts crammed full of character, and whitewashed villages peeping out from its mountainous interior.
Gran Canaria Climate
The reason this island is called the Miniature Continent are the variety of micro climates that can be found all over. In general however the climate stays between 20º And 30º all year round with no rain in the summer months. The annual rainfall is 228mm and the southern part of the island has the most pleasant temperature.
Gran Canaria Coastline
Cristal clear water with 240 kilometres of coastline and 60 kilometres of beach is what you´ll find here. There are many different types of beaches on the island including the Sahara like dune area of Maspalomas and beautiful smaller little coves and beaches like Puerto de Mogán in the south and the quieter beaches of Agaete in the north. Extremely popular is the Las Canteras beach found in the middle of Las Palmas, the capital of the island.
Gran Canaria Culture
A crossroads for thousands of different cultures for the last 5 centuries. The island was always the last European stop before the ships sailed to America and the first stop on the way back. This was where Christopher Columbus spent time and stocked up before that maiden voyage to America. Can you imagine the different aromas, colours, architecture that you can explore here? Don´t forget “Carnival”. Carnival in Las Palmas is comparable to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Gran Canaria Gastronomy
Papas Arugadas (wrinkled potatoes) are popular here as on all the Canary Islands. These are potatoes boiled in very salty water and served with Mojo. The green version of Mojo is a combination of garlic, parsley, coriander and olive oil and the red, hotter version is made with red chilli peppers. Apart from this traditional dish, you will of course find a bit of everything on the Island. All that was imported or exported between the Americas and Europe went through this important port. Therefore whatever didn´t grow in the lower warmer parts of the island was planted in the cooler interior and northern parts.
Golf on Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria was the 2013 IAGTO Award winner: Golf Destination of the Year for Europe. That sums up golf on Gran Canaria quite well. There are many fantastic golf courses on the island and all year good weather to go along with them.
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest of the seven main Canary Islands and the most populated island of Spain. It has an area of approximately 800 square miles and almost 1 million inhabitants. It is also home to Spain’s highest mountain, El Teide, a volcano, 3,700 metres high. The Island is easily accessible as it has 2 major airports, one in the south and one in the north of the island.
Tenerife as a holiday destination
With its dramatic volcanic landscapes, black and golden beaches, and dazzling azure sea, you’ll have an unforgettable holiday. As the biggest island of the Canary Islands, with abound 5 million tourists a year, Tenerife offers you many things to do and lots of places to visit. There are holiday resorts all over the island and you can choose if you want your holidays to be relaxing or lively depending on where you go. Almost 50% of the island is protected Natural Park and the beach areas in the south are full of bars, restaurants and nightlife.
Tenerife Climate
Tenerife is known as the Island of Eternal Spring. Because of the favourable climate, between 18º and 28º year round, the southern part of the island the most popular among tourists. The northern central part of the island, where you´ll find El Teide, is a bit cooler the higher up you go with the mountain actually being snow capped.
Tenerife Coastline
The lunar like landscape is sprinkled with banana plantations, whitewashed villages and shuttered majestic buildings. The majority of the beaches are black lava sand and pebbles although there are some golden beaches on the south and south west side of the island.
Tenerife Culture
Santa Cruz and Los Cristianos are two examples of cities just waiting to be explored. History can be found here from many different time periods and countries due to the sea traffic between Africa, Europe and the Americas beginning in the 15th century.
Tenerife gastronomy
There is of course something for everyone when you speak about the island cuisine. Being an island you have many delicious fish dishes and a large selection of cheese is also produced here. Papas Arugadas (wrinkled potatoes) are popular here as on all the Canary Islands. These are potatoes boiled in very salty water and served with Mojo. The green version of Mojo is a combination of garlic, parsley, coriander and olive oil and the red hotter version is made with red chilli peppers. The island also has a long history of wines that are talked about in literature written by authors and poets such as Walter Scott and William Shakespeare.
Golf on Tenerife
Tenerife is a favourite golf destination with beautiful golf courses on the north and south side of the island and due to the pleasant climate you can play here all year round.
La Gomera
This dinky dot in the Atlantic was made for rambling, hiking and golf. Whatever your pace, your holiday to La Gomera is all about the joy of being outdoors surrounded by awesome landscapes. Whichever point of the compass you follow when you're on your holidays in La Gomera, no two days will ever be the same on this glittering gem of the Atlantic.
La Gomera as a holiday destination
Actively enjoy the fascinating landscape of La Gomera, discover hidden treasures off the beaten track. Experience typical towns and villages, celebrate exuberant Fiestas- the diverse island invites you to enjoy a relaxing holiday.
The La Gomera climate
La Gomera has got a beautiful climate all year around. The nicest time to come here is between late autumn and spring. The temperatures at the coast are always between 20-25 C° but in the mountains it can get cold from time to time. Rain is possible in the winter months, though the risk of rain is remote in the southern and southwestern parts of the island.
The La Gomera coastline
The island is of volcanic origin and roughly circular; it is about 22km in diameter and rises to 1487m at the island's highest peak, Garajonay. Its shape is like an orange that has been cut in half and then split into segments, which has left deep ravines or barrancos between them. These barrancos, in turn, are covered by the laurisilva - laurel rain forest.
La Gomera culture
The inhabitants of La Gomera have a unique way of communicating across deep ravines by means of an amazing whistled speech called Silbo Gomero. The language is indigenous to the island, and its existence has been documented since Roman times. When this unique means of communication was threatened with extinction at the dawn of the 21st century, the local government required all children to learn it in school.
La Gomera gastronomy
The local wine is distinctive, and is often accompanied with a tapa (snack) of local cheese, roasted pork or goat meat. Other culinary specialties include almogrote, a cheese spread, and miel de palma, a syrup extracted from palm trees.
Golf on La Gomera
With dramatic mountains and deep ravines that drop down into the ocean, it’s easy to imagine just how astounded you will be with the landscape whilst enjoying your game with ocean views from almost every hole.
Lanzarote
Lanzarote is a volcanic island, which was formed more than fifteen million years ago. Due to its location, it has often been the scene of battles in recent centuries.
The name of the island probably comes from the navigator Lanzarotto or Lancelotto Malocello, who visited the island in 1312. Others stick to the Guanches where it means the ocher island in their language.
Lanzarote as a holiday destination
The most famous seaside resorts are Puerto del Carmen (south/east), Playa Blanca (south) and Costa Teguise (east). The naturist holiday village Charco del Palo is located on the northeast coast. Other places are: Ye, Punta Mujeres, Arrieta, Mala, Matagorda, Uga, Playa de Papagayo, El Golfo, Yaiza, La Asomada, La Santa, Caleta de Famara, Orzola and Haria.
Golf in Lanzarote
There are 2 beautiful golf courses, Lanzarote golf and Golf Costa Teguise
History
Between 1730 and 1736 and in 1824 a series of volcanic eruptions took place that engulfed eleven villages.
On October 25, 2007, the Lanzarote Convention was concluded for the protection of children against sexual exploitation.
Geography
The island is 62 km long and 21 km wide. Lanzarote, including the smaller islands of La Graciosa, Alegranza and Montaña Clara, which belong to Lanzarote, are 846 km² in size. The airport is located near the capital Arrecife. Much of the island is covered with lava and has little vegetation. The coastline is rocky in places, but there are also sandy beaches. The interior is dominated by volcanic mountains.
Agriculture
UNESCO declared Lanzarote a Biosphere Reserve in 1993.
Because the soil of Lanzarote retains little water, agriculture on the island is very difficult. The inhabitants of Lanzarote therefore build walls around the crops that both block the wind and absorb the moisture. By sprinkling the landscape with lava sand, the humidity of the environment is absorbed. This layer also ensures that the moisture evaporates less quickly.
Grapes are grown in this way on the island to make a white wine, the Malvasía wine. Tomatoes, sweet potatoes and cacti are also grown with the aim of extracting the red dye carmine from the cochineal aphids that live on the cactus. In addition, the Aloe vera flourishes on the island, which is grown to extract cosmetic products.
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura as a holiday destination
Fuerteventura is one of the islands of the Canary Islands, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean that belongs to Spain and is located about 100 kilometers off the northwest coast of Africa. The island belongs to the province of Las Palmas and has an area of 1,658 km²
Tourism. As in all Canary Islands, the economy in Fuerteventura has changed radically since the development of mass tourism. Tourism is still developing, especially as the construction of accommodation has been restricted on most of the other islands of the archipelago. Fuerteventura is still under construction, especially in the "all inclusive" sector. One of the largest and most famous tourist towns on the island is Corralejo. Jandía and Costa Calma are also seaside resorts.
Sights
Betancuria is the former capital of Fuerteventura and is located in the west of the island. This place is a tourist attraction because of the authentic elements, such as an ancient church from 1691, various handicraft museums and a picturesque center. The church is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Located on the northwest side of the island, El Cotillo is a small fishing village with a small harbour. This place is less touristy and has white sandy beaches, the so-called 'El Cotillo Lagoons'. In addition, the defensive tower in the western part of the village is known for its view over the rough bay.
Between Fuerteventura and Lanzarote lies the uninhabited island and nature reserve of Isla de Lobos. This island has a unique ecosystem and is popular among hikers.
History
Between 1402 and 1405, Jean de Béthencourt conquered the islands of El Hierro, La Gomera, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The village that grew up around this conqueror's camp, Betancuria, eventually became the capital of Fuerteventura, which it would remain until 1834.
Due to frequent droughts in the 18th and 19th centuries, agriculture in Fuerteventura had a hard time. Fuerteventura was once the breadbasket of the Canary Islands, but with the rise of tourism in the late 1960s, it has gradually become the island's largest source of income.
Geography
The elongated island has an area of 1,658 km².[1] This makes it the second largest island of the Canary Islands after Tenerife. The highest point is the Pico de la Zarza (807 m). Fuerteventura Airport is located on the eastern part of the island near Puerto del Rosario.
In May 2009 Fuerteventura was added with the surrounding waters
Features
Capitals: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, San Sebastian de la Gomera, Arrecife de Lanzarote, Puerto del Rosario de Fuerteventura
Language: Spanish
Currency: Euro
Airports: Tenerife North. Tenerife South, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arrecife de Lanzarote, Puerto del Rosario de Fuerteventura
Ferry: Fred Olsen line between Tenerife and la Gomera