Canary Islands Holidays

Just like the bird they share their name with, the Canaries sing to tourists. More than 9 million people take their holidays on these Spanish islands every year. Tenerife takes the lion’s share of visitors, followed closely by Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.

The Canary Islands have a lot going for them that other European destinations don’t. At their closest point, they’re just 100 kilometres from the African coast, and the islands have inherited a healthy chunk of the continent’s natural assets. Some of the beaches on Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria are semi-deserts, where sand dunes spread out for miles.

Thousands of years of volcanic activity have left their legacy on the Canary Islands. On Tenerife, the world’s third-largest volcano, Mount Teide, cuts a 12,400-foot figure in the bull’s eye of the island. Lanzarote, meanwhile, showcases its volcanic heritage in Timanfaya National Park. There are more than 100 volcanoes in this nature reserve on the island’s west coast.

Away from the shock-and-awe mountains and volcanoes, the Canaries has a quieter side. La Gomera and La Palma are sleepy islands, characterised by untouched beaches, pine forests, and fishing villages.