The 5 Canary Islands You Need To Visit ASAP
The Canary Islands belonging to Spain off the West African coast are undoubtedly becoming tourist hotspots all year round. From families to couples and solo adventures, all types of tourists and holidaymakers flock to the iconic islands filled with adventures ready to be unlocked. With soaring temperatures and beautiful weather all year round, the Canary Islands makes a beautiful getaway with plenty to see and experience. What’s more is that every international UK airport has flights from leading travel providers with some offering package holiday deals to make that holiday extra special and unforgettable! If you love nature, beaches, swimming, beautiful weather, Spanish culture and beautiful cuisine then the Canary Islands will make the perfect escape any time of the year! Below are the 5 Canary Islands you need to visit!
1) Lanzarote
If you are looking for a Canary Island filled with the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure, Lanzarote is just for you! With volcanic sandy beaches that extend across much of the island’s coastline, there’s plenty of opportunities to bask in the sun and top your tan and also enjoy a range of international cuisine at the surrounding restaurants and bars. Many places to dine are bundled together and scattered along the island meaning that fussy eaters will not have much opportunity to complain as there is a vast selection of food and drink to choose from.
Starting from the capital Arrecife, a stretch of beach extends a great seven miles inviting you to have a day out walking or even bike riding (with bike rental points distributed every three miles or so), allowing you to enjoy the scenery whilst being active. Situated in the centre of the island is Timanfaya National Park, the islands dormant volcano where you can go on a guided tour and learn the history of the six-year volcanic eruption between 1730 and 1736. You can also have breakfast cooked on the bubbling waters that surface and watch the geysers shoot into the air from underground. You can even go on a camel ride!
The island of Lanzarote is a photographer’s paradise with stunning views from the top of Timanfaya National Park and crystal blue waters surrounded by palm trees, it would be a disappointment to leave this island off your bucket list!
2) Gran Canaria
Holding 82 beaches, Gran Canaria is one the most popular islands of the Canary’s that tourists flock to, especially during the summer months. Puerto Rico located south of the island is famous for its fantastic nightlife and there are plenty of bars and restaurants along the coastline.
The island is also famous for its annual pride festival held in Maspalomas every May to celebrate equality and is much fun for locals and international tourists as Maspalomas is a great place to party! Gold sandy beaches.
Puerto de Mogan has boat trips in and out of Maspalomas and Puerto Rico ensuring you easily travel to the weekly markets in its beautiful old town with a marina and fantastic architecture. There’s so much to do no matter what kind of holiday you plan on having at any time during the year!
3) Tenerife
Tenerife is considered to be the most notorious of the Canary Islands that travellers visit with its volcanic black sand beaches, surrounded by crystal blue waters and beautiful hot weather all year round.
The island’s nightlife is incredible with an array of nightclubs to choose from seated on the edge of Playa de las Americas, which also has beautiful white sand beach south of the island. Though the regions of Tenerife are scattered along the island’s coastline, there is a bus service that is regular and lets you explore the hidden areas filled with restaurants and beaches where you can go to relax, away from the more populated areas.
Tenerife holds the highest volcanic peak out of all of the islands of Mount Tiede which can be seen for miles all over the island. Some company’s offer excursions to tour the volcano and the island’s observatory! This island is suitable for any type of tourist from families to couples or even solo travellers. If you enjoy stunning landscapes and beaches that welcome you to relax then this is an island you must visit as soon as possible!
4) La Palma
One of the smaller islands, La Palma holds a key to see and experience so much more than you think. Though this is one of the Canary Islands that is less popular with tourists and not talked about as much as the other’s, the island is quite a spectacular place and should really be on your radar when it comes to choosing which island to visit.
La Palma is dedicated to being environmentally friendly by producing clean energy naturally. Additionally, there are laws in place across the island which to limit light pollution, meaning it is the perfect island to go if you are a lover of the universe and love to stargaze, as no other canary island does this. You can visit the large observatory located in Garafía which is open every day apart from Thursday.
You can enjoy the stunning views of the hills and the ocean with plenty of photo opportunities. La Palma is considered to be more of a relaxing holiday with beaches nearby on the coastline and a selection of restaurants to dine, as this is one of the smaller islands that is a little less touristy than the others, making it a hidden gem!
5) Fuerteventura
Lanzarote’s sister island Fuerteventura sits south of the island and is as just as much fun as Lanzarote. With a selection of beaches (some nudist, some not), there’s even more to discover.
What’s more is that the island is accessible via boat from Lanzarote and the other way around via excursions meaning you can get the best of both worlds! The second largest Canary Island is home to the land of beaches with the region of Corralejo being voted in the top 25 beaches across Europe!
If you have a love of exploring and love admiring the stunning beauty of nature then you will love this island, as this island is to home to many beautiful parks. Out of all of the Canary Islands, this one is the most suitable for those that like to be active and venture out to view to local sights!
Ferry trips are available to Lobos island that sits on the ocean just outside the north of the island, making it a fantastic trip away if you enjoy learning about geology or just admire the beautiful scenery of volcanic coastline and the azure oceans that surround!
Which Canary Islands you need to visit are you heading to first?! Let us know down below in the comments!
A soon to be 3rd year journalism student at the University of Salford who loves music, design, photography and a good party!