The Canary Islands – home to award-winning wines, otherworldly landscapes, towering volcanoes and miles of Sahara-like dunes… and that’s just a morsel of the islands’ delights. These 7 islands set adrift off the coast of Africa boast superb beaches, prehistoric sites and near-perfect temperatures year-round. The real knack will be deciding which one to pick for your sun-soaked getaway.
To steer you in the right direction, take our quiz to find out your perfect island match.
If you still need your arm twisted, check out our lowdown on the Canary Islands below.
Beguiling and oh-so-intriguing, Lanzarote ticks all the right good-time boxes. The stark difference in Lanzarote is its distinctive volcanic and mountain landscapes. Overspread in yellow, brown and red hues, you’ll never see the same view twice.
Attracting over 10 million visitors a year, it’s definitely no surprise that the largest Canary Island is also the most popular. Tenerife is renowned for its all-inclusive resorts, beaches and lively clubbing scene. But beyond the tourist enclave is a world you’d never know existed.
A few stand-out experiences include lush tropical forest walks, dark forays into volcanic lava, visiting colonial towns and villages and a shopping scene that is to die for! And that’s before we’ve even touched on the island’s Carnival (which is second only to Rio by the way). The open-air bonanza takes place every February in Santa Cruz and promises to be epic. For 15 days, the streets come alive with colour, beauty and freedom.
And of course, we can’t talk about Tenerife without mentioning the Pico del Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain – the peak reaches 3,718 metres! You’ll find this beauty in the Teide National Park which is also home to some of the best hikes in all of the Canaries.
At first, you might mistake Fuerteventura for a gigantic meteor crater, but we promise that if you give it a chance, you’ll absolutely adore this island. Especially great for beach buffs and aquaphiles, you can spend days baking under the sun or mastering the waves with locals, surfers and windsurfers! If you’re serious about perfecting your surf, we recommend the Wave Rider Surf School – where the team will help you achieve your goals in no time.
It may be the oldest Canary Island but it has so much to offer. In fact, what makes Fuerteventura so special is that the island isn’t overly populated. It’s a terrific choice for families with young children, and couples looking for the right balance of zen and adventure.
There are volcanoes to climb, pretty whitewashed villages to visit and delicious Majorero cheese to devour. Believe us when we say that it tastes as good as it looks.
Often referred to as the Beautiful Island, La Palma is ram-packed with enchanting forests, imposing volcanoes, crazy-coloured waterfalls and star-lit skies. And don’t just take our word for it – the island won a Starlight award after minimalising light pollution!
Though the island is open to all, its romanticism lends itself perfectly to couples in pursuit of some winter sun. In the morning you can take a dip in the cobalt-hued ocean and in the afternoons you can visit some of La Palma’s best sights.
You might decide to visit the island’s capital Santa Cruz de la Palma, or even more impressive the Caldera de Taburiente National Park where you’ll find the most spectacular views of the island. Photos really don’t do it justice. But come prepared with walking boots and a bathing suit – because there’s nothing better than bathing under a waterfall!
And…breathe! We know that was a lot of information to take in. But hopefully you’re one step further to knowing which Canary Island is the one for you. If you need a lending hand, our concierge team are always an email away.
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