Canary Islands The islands of El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran
Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote, La Palma and Tenerife, together with 6
smaller islands, make up the Canary Islands Archipelago.
Located 1200km south west of mainland
Spain, the Canaries is a true melting pot. The Canaries are
geographically African, culturally European, and spiritually Latin America.
In fact the pronunciation appears more South American, and Salsa is the soul
of the wild Carnival fiestas!
The volcanic origin of the Islands has given some very
peculiar features to each island. There is huge variety with vast beaches,
deep valleys, small deserts and high mountains (The highest in Spain El Pico del Teide, at
3,718 m -11,000 feet - can be found on Tenerife)
The Canary Islands have a sub-tropical climate and all year
round enjoy stable temperatures, reaching a minimum of 15ºC in winter and
approximately 30ºC in summer, with slight variations according to the area
and the island in question.
In the Canary Islands you will find a combination of sun and
sand with a rich culture, magnificent landscapes and a fascinating range of
sports (golf, windsurfing, trekking, hang-gliding, etc.).
Gran Canaria The island of Gran Canaria is third largest
in the archipelago. Its most outstanding features are the ravines which come
down from the central peaks, which are over 2,000m high, to the shore.There
is no other place with such an eloquent variety of little known scenery.
There are desert and sandy areas as well as mountains with lush, tropical
vegetation. Las Palmas, the capital of the province, is the largest city
of the archipelago, a prosperous, beautiful place with 370,000 inhabitants
and the largest port in GRT in Spain. Its airport receives the most
important airlines, with flights from Europe, Africa and America.
The capital has the attractions of a large city, with excellent hotel and
catering facilities, night clubs, international shows, an intense social
life and an ample calendar of festive occasions and celebrations throughout
the year. A must in this modern, active city is the noble, peaceful old area
of Vegueta, where one finds stately old houses with impressive,
private inner courts and with artistically worked balconies facing onto
narrow streets and sheltered squares.
Interesting churches include San Francisco's and the Hermitage of San Telmo,
which has a Mudéjar. Las Canteras is magnificent, 2,600m long
beach with a pleasant temperature throughout the year.
Lanzarote
Lanzarote is different, not only compared to the other
islands, but to everything else on this planet. This extraordinary landscape
seems to be of another world, and the inhabitants of the islands use to say
that God forgot Lanzarote on the Seventh Day of the Creation.
Lanzarote is of volcanic origin, and here the volcanoes had
been active up to the 19th century. Great parts of its surface are covered
with ashes and lava, making you feel that you were on the moon. Lanzarote's
inhabitants made a great effort to cultivate this land, and today you find
large plantations of fruits and vegetables. Most surprising is perhaps the
region of Geria, with vineyards between volcanic craters.
Tenerife The island of Tenerife is the largest of the
Canary archipelago at 2,053 square kilometres. It is often called the island
of eternal spring, because of its peerless climate and its huge contrasts
and great variety of scenery in the different regions. A mountain chain runs
through its centre from Anaga to Teno. On both of its slopes there are
large, exuberantly fertile valleys, among them especially La Orotava and
Gumar. In the heart of the chain there is a gigantic, natural crater, called
Las Cañadas del Teide, which is about 29 km across and has officially been
declared a National Park. It lies over 2,000 m above sea level. North of the
crater stands El Pico del Teide, a 3,718 m high mountain, which is the
highest point in Spain. It is snowcovered in the winter and marks the island
with its unique silhouette. Tenerife has an extremely varied plant life,
large, wooded mountains, extensive areas where banana, tomato, potato and
other agricultural products are grown. Its coast is rocky and lined by
cliffs in some places, while in others there are beaches with soft, clean
sand, which are sometimes black and sometimes golden.