Canaries

Holidays by Destination Europe Spain Canaries What to See and Do 

In addition to the options detailed here there are numerous smaller sights, not meriting a journey but worth a visit. For details ask at the local tourist office. In addition the major resort areas are offering a growing range of facilities like aqua parks (AquaSur near Maspalomas on Gran Canaria for example) plus golf courses. The number on Tenerife is due to double shortly to 12.

Tall ships are reported frequent visitors and it may be possible to organise to sail on one. Try Jubilee Sailing Trust (023) 8044 9138.

Tenerife

Seen by the majority of visitors are the big high rise resorts, notably the four miles of Playa de las Americas with its four miles of manmade sandy beaches and marina and rather undiscerning clientele. Los Gigantes, also with a marina is big but probably better. Suitable for families might be Los Cristianos extending from Playas de las Americas, though also catering to fairly mass tourism, with the remains of a fishing village at its heart and a beach. El Medano has a well regarded white sand beach believed the longest on the island.

On the north coast Puerto de la Cruz, the island's third resort, has unfortunately no beach of its own and only black sand ones nearby but has an attractive and lived in feel.

There are attractive historic areas dating back to the 15th century at the university town of La Laguna and in La Orotava. Garachico is a fishing port with 17th century fortress.

The fertile inland areas in particular see not just bananas and vines but plenty of intriguing local flora and notable is the lush Orotava valley.

Attractions

• The highest Spanish mountain, the Teide volcano, snow-capped year round, dominated by a crater 15 km in diameter and 1,200 feet high, in a national park of volcanic rocks. There is a cable car to the top though with long queues. Note that air is thin so not good eg for children with bad asthma and protection against both sun and cold weather is strongly advised. An audio visual in different languages is offered at different times.


• The intriguing stepped Pyramids of Guimar, apparently aligned for astronomical purposes, first excavated in 1991 and now next to a small museum with video show and replicas of items connected with Thor Heyerdahl who was involved in work on them.


• Bananera El Guanche La Orotava A tropical farm with videos including in English and chance to see plants including pineapples, coffee, avocados, sugar cane, mangoes, peanuts, cotton, cocoa, and more.


• Activity options include diving.


• Wooden sailing ship and glass-bottomed boat trips. In the waters there are short-finned pilot whales, dolphins, sperm whales and seven types of turtles.


• Loro Parque Puerto de la Cruz an impressive non-profit centre with among other attractions a penguin area (with ice), gorillas, sea lions (with show) marmosets, apparently the world's largest parrot collection, a parrot show, aquarium, children's playground, and more.


• Las Aguilas eagle park with adventure play area, animals including meerkats, crocodiles, hippos flying displays, and more.


• Camello Centre at El Tanque where visitors can sit on a camel.


• There are boat cruises to view the cliffs and island from the sea.

Gran Canaria

Here Playa del Ingles is the brashest resort (heavily gay after around midnight we are told), Maspalomas a little smarter and with plenty of dunes plus a lagoon and palm oasis which sees both local and migrating birds. Las Palmas is unusual in being a well sized town in its own right with a decent, sandy beach right in the middle. However, there are parts of the town which are considered best avoided because of the possibility of crime.

Along the coast is gradually being developed with beaches manufactured where missing. The hills are often steep and the road runs between accommodation and the beach (and behind any beachside hotels) so not so convenient with young children.

Inland the island is gearing itself more to more interesting tourism, opening 190 miles of trails for walking, hiking, horse, donkey and camel trekking, mountain biking and cycling and a number of protected areas including eight nature reserves and four sites of scientific interest. This makes up almost 43% of the island's land and as only 1% of the population lives here, the rest tends to be rather densely populated.

Vegetation changes with altitude from bare rock to cacti to oranges, date palms, fruit and almond orchards and pines, the north more fertile, the south a semi desert with desert flora of spring wild flowers. A local emblem is the Dragon Tree, a spiky leaved plant with spongy wood which exudes a red, blood-like sap.

Attractions

• One or more of the 32 designated natural rural areas for example the Nublo Park including the Tejeda Caldera, a gigantic basin-shaped volcanic depression, plus the best of the island's pine forests. For crater enthusiasts there is also the Bandama Caldera Natural Monument, one of the biggest craters of its kind in the world at close to 1,000 metres across.


• Las Palmas somewhere Columbus stopped off and Spain's eighth city in terms of size and surprisingly cosmopolitan. (Some parts are best avoided because of petty crime.)


• Mundo Aborigen An intriguing reconstruction of the life of the island's original inhabitants.


• Palmitos Park a range of exotic birds, plus butterfly house, aquarium and parrot show.


• Europe's largest thalassotherapy centre with five seawater pools, a pool gym and 29 hydro-massage stations at the Gloria Palace Hotel with a mini club 10.30am-5pm.


• There is the option of a mini cruise round the island (one ship includes a children's play area) or a submarine cruise.


• Sioux City Western theme park with shows.

Fuerteventura

Though the second largest of the islands, one of the least populated and only relatively recently developed for tourism so better quality accommodation, bar early errors. Though there is little in the way of sightseeing, the island is popular for its miles of fine beaches and lagoons, the second excellent for snorkelling. Particularly spectacular are the dunes in Las Dunas national park.

A further attraction is the lack of rain plus almost 3,000 hours of sun a year. There are also constant breezes which may be usefully cooling. The island interior is volcanic - spectacular at times but barren - and there is little in the way of sightseeing.

The west coast is sandy and rocky with a reef offshore. Corralejo (a working fishing town) and El Cotillo are good for surfing and windsurfing and because of the wind Caleta da Fusta is probably the best resort for families because quiet and on a bay with shallow waters. There are also options in rural villages inland.

Lanzarote

Not the most immediately attractive of the islands but with good, low rise villa-style development, often traditionally whitewashed with green window frames and doors, and officially due to stop entirely shortly. It has relatively little rainfall and plenty of sunshine year-round though the north coast can be windy and therefore cooler. There are around 100 beaches ranging from tiny coves to long stretches and dunes considered particularly good, and safer options for children. There are preservation orders on some areas.

Puerto del Carmen tends to be noisy. Costa Teguise offers family apartments in a reasonable resort though the beach is known for windsurfing. Playa Blanca on the south of the islands offers a decent, largely artificial white sand beach, harbour and marina, having grown from the original coastal village. There are also the options of sleepier inland villages.

Attractions

• Timanfaya National Park and "fire mountains" where there are camel rides, and views of spontaneous combustion.


• Inland landscape around Montanas del Fuego, almost lunar after 36 years of continuous eruptions two centuries ago. There are still volcanic fires under the landscape. Here you cane at food cooked over a volcanic barbecue.


• Caves at Jameo del Agua a natural underground lake formed by molten lava and now turned into a restaurant with adjoining theatre in further cavern.


• Castle of San Jose.


• The House Museum of traditional crafts and domestic objects.


• Yellow Submarine safaris.


• El Golfo the green lagoon.

La Gomera

Thinly populated, without big beaches (though two in the southwest) and lushly green. Known for walking with well organised and signposted routes. An island with a well established alternative lifestyle (most food is reported organic) and few manufactured entertainment options. The main draw is the idea of getting away from it all. However, the higher land can mean rain and sea currents are strong, ruling out most children's swimming.

Attractions

• The high cliffs, particularly striking in the northwest where wind and waves have created the rippled Los Organos.


• Inland a tertiary-era rain forest (wiped out in mainland Europe by the ice age), now a World Heritage site.

La Palma

Dominated by the giant volcanic Caldera de Taburiente while the southern part of the island features cones from more recent eruptions (last 1971). Though no white sand beaches, there are places to stretch out.

Because steep there is a wide range of landscape from the subtropical up to Alpine.

Though the lack of pollution and city lights means all the islands are good for star gazing, this one has an astrophysics observatory because of the quality of the night sky. In addition the town is judged to the prettiest on the three smaller islands.

El Hierro

Austere and rocky, with no white sand beaches and the least visited of the islands, for a long time considered the end of the known world.

Notable are the trees to the west, bent by the Atlantic winds, and fauna including lizards up to 60cm. Inland areas are generally temperate rather than sub-tropical and there are some well organised walking routes in the national park.

Swimming is possible in manmade pools