Canary Islands<\/strong>\u00a0The Canary archipelago consists of 8 inhabited islands, and a few smaller uninhabited ones.
\nTenerife<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The largest island with an area of 2 034 km\u00b2 and also the most popular tourist destination of the archipelago, with 5.77 million tourists in 2016. It has many museums and monuments that serve as portrayals of its rich history, but suffers under low cost mass tourism from the\u00a0European mainland. Its oldest mountain ranges are young compared to its neighboring 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\u00a0Spain\u00a0and 3rd largest volcano in the world (3718 m),\u00a0El Teide, dominates the landscape of the island. The Capital city is\u00a0Santa Cruz de Tenerife, home to the Canary Island Parliament. The title of capital city is shared with\u00a0San Crist\u00f3bal de La Laguna, home to the oldest university on the Canary Islands. With a population of 900k people, it is the most populous island.
\nFuerteventura<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Second largest island, with an area of 1 660 km\u00b2, but compared to\u00a0Tenerife\u00a0relatively thinly populated with only 100k inhabitants. There are fewer attractions, but in turn the island has not yet fallen prey to mass tourism. Its capital,\u00a0Puerto 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.
\nGran Canaria<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The third largest island and second most popular (after\u00a0Tenerife) receiving 4.22 million tourists in 2016. It has the highest population density of the Canary Islands, with 540 inhabitants per km\u00b2, and with tourists added to that number it gets a bit crowded at times. Its capital city\u00a0Las Palmas de Gran Canaria\u00a0has the shared title of capital of the Canaries. Green and steep in the north, dry and flat in the south.
\nLanzarote<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 About half the size of\u00a0Gran Canaria\u00a0and also of volcanic origin, but low lying and arid, with a spectacular volcanic landscape in the west of the island preserved as\u00a0Timanfaya National Park. The island, along with others, emerged after the breakup of the African and the American continental plates. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736. The capital is\u00a0Arrecife\u00a0and has its own airport, and draws most of the 2.9 million tourists visiting Lanzarote annually.
\nLa Palma<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The total population is about 86k, of which 18k live in the capital,\u00a0Santa Cruz de la Palma\u00a0and about 20k in\u00a0Los 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 dormant, with the last eruption occurring in 1971 at the Teneguia vent, located at the southern end of the Cumbre Vieja.
\nLa Gomera<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The Magic Isle, with\u00a0San Sebasti\u00e1n\u00a0as 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.
\nEl Hierro<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 “The edge of the world”. It is also known as the Meridian Island, and\u00a0Valverde\u00a0is its capital.
\nGraciosa<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 The smallest inhabited island of the Canaries in terms of area and population, being only 29 km\u00b2 in size and having a population of approx. 650. Its capital is Caleta de Sebo, and located a few km to the north of\u00a0Lanzarote.
\nAll islands use the same time zone – Western European Time (WET). This means the time is synchronized e.g. with\u00a0Portugal\u00a0and\u00a0United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

CITIES
\n<\/strong>Las Palmas<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 the largest city, situated on Gran Canaria and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands
\nSanta Cruz de Tenerife<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 another capital of the Canary Islands, situated on Tenerife
\nSan Crist\u00f3bal de La Laguna<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 third most populous city of the Canary Islands with a well preserved historic centre, a\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage site<\/p>\n

UNDERSTAND
\n<\/strong>Pico del Teide\u00a0(on Tenerife) at 3718 metres above sea level is the highest point in both the Canary Islands and Spanish territory.
\nDemographics
\n<\/strong>The islands have a population of 2 million. Since the Canary Islands are a major European tourist destination, all the major islands have well-developed communication systems, airports, and ports.
\nEthnically the population is mostly a mix of Spanish, European (German and British), South American, and especially Cuban and Venezuelan as well as Northern and Sub-Sahara African. There are also historical minorities such as Indians, Koreans and lately Russians.
\nEach 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.
\nThe Canary Islands are very modern, very European, and extremely liberal.<\/p>\n

HISTORY
\n<\/strong>Ancient legend claims the Canary Islands are the \u2018lost islands\u2019 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 B.C. 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.
\nDuring the Age of Sail, the islands were an important waypoint on the\u00a0Cape Route.
\nIn contrast to\u00a0Spanish North Africa\u00a0and other Spanish overseas territories, the Canary Islands have been an integrated part of Spain for centuries.<\/p>\n

GET IN
\n<\/strong>Just like mainland\u00a0Spain, the Canary Islands are part of the\u00a0European Union\u00a0and the\u00a0Schengen area. Arrivals from other Schengen territories usually don’t need to clear immigration.
\nBy plane. <\/strong>The Canaries is a popular destination with Europeans, and swarms of charter and discount flights descend on the island year round. The North & South airports on Tenerife and the Gran Canaria Airport are the busiest, but it’s also possible to fly to many of the other islands, although it’s often more expensive.
\nTenerife\u2013South Airport\u00a0(TFS).
\nTenerife-North Airport\u00a0(TFN).
\nGran Canaria Airport\u00a0(LPA).
\nLanzarote Airport\u00a0(ACE).
\nSanta Cruz de La Palma Airport (SPC)
\nBy ferry
\n<\/strong>The Spanish company\u00a0Naviera Armas\u00a0has weekly connections between\u00a0Huelva\u00a0in Spain and\u00a0Arrecife\u00a0(Lanzarote),\u00a0Las Palmas\u00a0(Gran Canaria) and\u00a0Tenerife.
\nPortuguese\u00a0ferry company\u00a0Empresa de Navega\u00e7\u00e3o Madeirense\u00a0also operates a service between\u00a0Madeira\u00a0and the Canary Islands, connecting the two archipelagos with the\u00a0Algarve\u00a0in Portugal. A single journey from\u00a0Tenerife\u00a0to\u00a0Funchal\u00a0takes 24 hours. There is also a return service from Funchal to\u00a0Gran Canaria. A one way ticket from the Canary Islands to Funchal costs\u00a0\u20ac85. If you’re travelling by car, you can take it along for an additional\u00a0\u20ac125. It costs\u00a0\u20ac185\u00a0to transport a car between the Canary Islands and Portugal.<\/p>\n

GET AROUND
\nBy car. <\/strong>To rent a car is the best option for discovering the remote wilderness regions.
\nBy train. <\/strong>A tram on Tenerife linking Santa Cruz bus station and La Laguna opened in 2007 costing\u00a0\u20ac2.35\u00a0return in about 40 minutes.
\nThere are also tentative plans for a train linking Santa Cruz and Los Cristianos.
\nBy bus. <\/strong>Buses are the most common method of public transportation around the islands. Mile per mile they are expensive when compared to mainland Spain, but you are not going to travel really far anyway. Most buses in touristic routes are adequate. Do not expect the drivers to know more than a couple of sentences in English or German, though they would try to be helpful.
\nBy taxi. <\/strong>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.
\nBy ship. <\/strong>If you want to travel between the islands a good option might be to take a ship if you are in any particular hurry, specially between close by islands. Most ferries are now quite modern and cheap. The most important companies are\u00a0Fred Olsen,\u00a0Transmediterr\u00e1nea\u00a0and\u00a0Armas.
\nBy plane. <\/strong>If you are afraid of the sea, or get sick just by staring at a ship, then a plane is what you need, and that usually means a turboprop ATR-72 or ATR-42 by one of the airlines like Binter or Canaryfly. They are perfectly safe and adequately fast as you are likely to spend more time at the airport than in the plane itself.<\/p>\n

SEE
\n<\/strong>The Canary Islands are home to 4\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage sites:
\nTeide National Park<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0Tenerife, with at its centre Mount Teide, the tallest mountain of\u00a0Spain\u00a0and one of the world’s tallest volcanoes.
\nThe historic centre of\u00a0<\/strong>San Crist\u00f3bal de La Laguna<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0Tenerife, dotted with colonial architectural gems.
\nThe subtropical rainforest of\u00a0La Garajonay National Park<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0La Gomera.
\nThe archaeological site of\u00a0Risco Ca\u00eddo<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0Gran Canaria.
\nVolcanoes and volcanic landscapes.
\n<\/strong>Cueva de los Verdes, a volcanic cave on\u00a0Lanzarote
\nHistorical architecture in the old town of\u00a0Las Palmas<\/p>\n

DO
\n<\/strong>Lanzarote: There is a bustling nightlife in four main resorts… Arrecife, Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca.
\nGran Canaria: The main resorts on the Island are Las Palmas, Maspalomas,Puerto Rico and Playa del Ingles.
\nFuerteventura: The main resorts of Fuerteventura are Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste and Morro Jable.
\nTenerife:
\nThe\u00a0Tenerife Auditorium\u00a0is an incredible building designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It is highly recommended to tourists to visit this incredible structure and even to enjoy any of the concerts and events held in it.
\nThe amazing\u00a0Loro Parque\u00a0<\/em>(Parrot Park) will surely fascinate you no matter your age. A visit to the park can take you nearly a whole day, so reserve some time for it. The park which was originally devoted to parrots shows has now grown into Tenerife’s second biggest attraction after mount Teide. The Loro parque is home to the world\u2019s most important Parrot collection with over 300 species, an amazing seal show, Dolphin Show, Parrot Show, Aquarium with Shark tunnel, Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Tigers, Jaguars, Flamingos, Alligators, Tortoises, Orchid House, Gambian Market, a ‘NaturaVision’ Cinema and the worlds largest Penguinarium with a reproduction Antarctic climate within which 12 tons of snow falls a day.
\nPuerto de la Cruz\u00a0<\/em>is one of the top resorts in the Canary Islands. It is also the longest established most complete of all resorts on Tenerife. The old part of the town keeps beautiful spots, one of the few places where the locals still work, eat and drink. Much of the area around the old fishing port is full of narrow cobbled streets packed with colonial architecture. Further resorts are for example\u00a0Santa Cruz, and\u00a0Playa de las Americas.
\nBritish tourism arrived here over a century ago and today ‘el Puerto’ has a wide span of magnificent hotels to suit all tastes and budgets. In addition to its old world charms it offers some of the best visitor attractions in the islands.
\nBeaches.<\/strong> The volcanic nature of the island of Tenerife meant that the land has few\u00a0natural beaches. Those that exist are characterised by black sand created from the island’s volcanic rocks. The demand for tourist sun-bathing space, however, has led to the creation of resorts and man-made beaches, with golden sand having been imported in some cases.
\nSome of the best beaches of Tenerife are Los Gigantes and San Juan in the west and Fa\u00f1abe, in the South with its golden sand, showers and excellent facilities. Also popular are Torviscas with its marina, Playa las Americas for its grey sandy stretches and los Cristianos’ beach. Candelaria in the east has a small black shingle beach. Up north Puerto de la Cruz has a beach with fine black sand, and at Santa Cruz golden sand has been imported for its Terasitas beach.
\nBoat Trips.<\/strong> A large number of companies offer\u00a0boat trips\u00a0for tourists, varying from a ‘booze cruise’ on a cruiser offering lunch, drinks and watersports to a trip around the island on a sailing boat or catamaran. One of the main attractions is the chance to see whales and dolphins in the wild. Visitors on most trips spot whales; dolphins are not so much of a certainty but can be seen generally – often very close to the boat. Trips go from either Puerto Colon in Playa de las Americas, or from the port at Los Cristianos and most operators offer a free bus service from the larger hotels in the main resorts.
\nDiving<\/strong>:\u00a0the islands are diveable year round, Lanzarote and Tenerife being the best developed.
\nFishing.<\/strong> The Canary Islands are one of the best spots in the world for\u00a0big game fishing\u00a0and a number of companies offer fishing trips in Tenerife. While blue marlin are the most highly prized trophy fish there are plenty of other species including white marlin, wahoo, dorado, yellowfin tuna, and mako and hammerhead sharks. Regular catches of blue marlin range from 331 to 496 pounds (150 to 225\u00a0kg) with last year’s record standing at 794\u00a0lb (360\u00a0kg). Trips cost around\u00a0\u20ac45\u00a0including all equipment, but excluding lunch.<\/p>\n

CURRENCY <\/strong>The\u00a0euro (\u20ac)\u00a0is 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.<\/p>\n

CUISINE
\n<\/strong>Canarian cuisine is a mix between Spanish, Latin and African cultures. Most of Canarian cuisine is a variety of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish, generally light meals, more easy to digest in a warm climate. Meat is usually consumed as a part of stews or as steaks.
\nThe local\u00a0fish\u00a0is quite good. You will find a wide variety of international recipes of fish and seafood, too. 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 \u201cmojo\u201d sauce.
\nThe\u00a0Tapas concept\u00a0is one of the most delicious Spanish contributions to international gastronomy. A Tapa is a light and small piece of food that Spaniards have either before lunch or dinner, usually with a glass of wine or beer. The Tapa can be presented in several ways. It can be made as a pincho (with a stick), as a mini-dish of a traditional recipe, as a canap\u00e9, etc…
\nThe Canary Islands are Europe’s only exporter of\u00a0plantain bananas. They are famously delicious here. These bananas are usually fried and are also commonly found in the West Indies.
\nPapas Arrugadas\u00a0or\u00a0papa sancochada\u00a0– Potatoes boiled in very salty water until they are “wrinkly” — hence the name — and served with\u00a0mojo pic\u00f3n, a spicy cold red sauce made with chili and garlic. These are often served as a tapa.
\nGofio\u00a0– Grain flour used especially at breakfast or to accompany\u00a0potaje, a local stew.
\nConejo en salmorejo
\nMiel de Palma\u00a0– Palm honey.
\nArepas\u00a0– tortas made from fine corn flour filled with minced meat, cheese, or sweet mango.
\nMousse de gofio\u00a0or\u00a0gof\u00edo amasado\u00a0– a dessert made from\u00a0gofio,\u00a0miel de palma, and plantains.
\nDrink
\n<\/strong>Wines. There are several brands of wines in the islands. North of Tenerife, La Geria in Lanzarote or La Palma have very appreciated vineyards.
\nRum. There are also well known rum factories, specially in Gran Canaria (Artemi and Arehucas). The ‘ron miel’ is a sweet liquor made from rum and honey.
\nBarraquito, also called barraco, is a coffee speciality from the Canary Islands and particularly popular on Tenerife but also on La Palma.
\nBeer. There are three locals beer factories (Dorada, Tropical and Reina).<\/p>\n

Go Next.\u00a0<\/strong>There are no regular ferries to the surroundings (Madeira,\u00a0Morocco,\u00a0Azores), but flights are available.<\/p>\n

NOMAD MANIA Spain \u2013 Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote)<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Borders: <\/em><\/strong>Canary islands (sea border\/port)
\nFestivals: <\/em><\/strong>Canary Islands: Bajada<\/p>\n

Islands
\n<\/em>GRAND CANARIA<\/span>
\nWorld Heritage Sites: <\/em><\/strong>Risco Caido and the sacred mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape
\nLighthouses: <\/em><\/strong>Maspalomas Lighthouse
\nLAS PALMAS <\/strong>European Cities World Cities and Popular Towns
\nAirports: <\/em><\/strong>Las Palmas (LPA)
\nMuseums
\n<\/em><\/strong>Atlantic Center of Modern Art
\nCasa de Colon
\nMuseo del Queso Majorero
\nMuseo Elder
\nMuseo Nestor
\nHouse Museums\/Plantations:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Casa de Col\u00f3n
\nCastles, Palaces, Forts: <\/em><\/strong>Castillo de la Luz
\nBotanical Gardens: <\/em><\/strong>Jard\u00edn Bot\u00e1nico Canario Viera y Clavijo
\nAquariums: <\/em><\/strong>Poema del Mar
\nMaritime\/Ship Museums: <\/em><\/strong>Museo Naval<\/p>\n

LANZAROTE<\/span>
\nAirports: <\/em><\/strong>Lanzarote (ACE)
\nWorld of Nature: <\/em><\/strong>Timanfaya
\nAquariums: <\/em><\/strong>Aquarium
\nAviation Museums: <\/em><\/strong>Museo Aeron\u00e1utico de Lanzarote
\nBizzarium: <\/em><\/strong>Museo Atlantico (Underwater Museum)
\nCaves: <\/em><\/strong>Cueva de los Verdes<\/p>\n

FUERTEVENTURA<\/span>
\nAirports: <\/em><\/strong>Fuerteventura (FUE)
\nLighthouses: <\/em><\/strong>Jandia Lighthouse
\nWindmills: <\/em><\/strong>Tefia Windmill
\nBeaches: <\/em><\/strong>Playa de Cofete<\/p>\n

TENERIFE<\/span>
\nWorld Heritage Sites:<\/em><\/strong> Teide National Park
\nAirports<\/em><\/strong>
\nTenerife North (TFN)
\nTenerife South – Reina Sofia (TFS)
\nRailway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Telef\u00e9rico Teide, Tenerife, Tenerife Tram
\nWorld of Nature: <\/em><\/strong>Teide
\nEntertainment\/Things to do: <\/em><\/strong>Loro Parque
\nZoos: <\/em><\/strong>Tenerife: Loro Parque
\nBotanical Gardens: <\/em><\/strong>Puerto de la Cruz: Tenerife Botanical Garden
\nCaves: <\/em><\/strong>La Cueva del Viento
\nBeaches: <\/em><\/strong>Tenerife: Playa de las Americas
\nMaritime\/Ship Museums: <\/em><\/strong>Tenerife: Correillo La Palma
\nEuropean City:
\n<\/em>SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE
\n<\/strong>Museums
\n<\/em><\/strong>Museum of Nature and Man
\nTEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes
\nCastles, Palaces, Forts: <\/em><\/strong>Castillo de San Cristobal
\nModern Architecture Buildings: <\/em><\/strong>Auditorio de Tenerife
\nSAN CRISTOBAL de LA LAGUNA
\n<\/strong>World Heritage Sites: <\/em><\/strong>San Crist\u00f3bal de La Laguna
\nCastles, Palaces, Forts: <\/em><\/strong>La Laguna: Casa Salazar
\nReligious Temples: <\/em><\/strong>Tenerife: San Cristobal de la Laguna Cathedral
\nLighthouses: <\/em><\/strong>Punta del Hidalgo Lighthouse
\nMonuments: <\/em><\/strong>International Tenerife Memorial<\/p>\n

LA GOMERA<\/span>
\nWorld Heritage Sites: <\/em><\/strong>Garajonay National Park
\nWorld of Nature: <\/em><\/strong>Garajonay<\/p>\n

LA PALMA<\/span>
\nAirports<\/em><\/strong>: La Palma (SPC)
\nWorld of Nature: <\/em><\/strong>Caldera de Taburiante<\/p>\n

EL HIERRO<\/span>
\nAirports: <\/em><\/strong>El Hierro (VDE)
\nLighthouses: <\/em><\/strong>El Hierro: Orchilla<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canary Islands\u00a0The Canary archipelago consists of 8 inhabited islands, and a few smaller uninhabited ones. Tenerife\u00a0\u2014 The largest island with an area of 2 034 km\u00b2 and also the most popular tourist destination of the archipelago, with 5.77 million tourists … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Ncip-3fO","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12512"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13921,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12512\/revisions\/13921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronperrier.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}