CANARY ISLANDS: The Happy Islands
This paradisiac group of islands, enjoying a wonderful climate, with a constant mild temperature through all the year, and splendid beaches of fine sand, consists of 7 larger islands (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro) and a few smaller ones (Alegranza, Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste and Lobos). Surprisingly, the landscape of each island is radically different to the others. Already Greeks and Romans reported on this archipelago of volcanic origins, and called it the Happy Islands, Garden of the Hesperides, Atlantida, ...
TENERIFE: Island of Eternal Springtime
Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, of volcanic origins and dominated by Mount Teide with a height of 3.718 meters. At the sides of the montain range which crosses the island there are extremely fertile valleys with important plantations of bananas and tomatoes. Tenerife's coastline is typically rugged and steep, however there are as well almost 70 kilometers of fine sand beaches, in particular in the islands' south, with Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos among the best known.
GRAN CANARIA: The Small Continent
... that is how this island is called because of its extremely varied landscapes with European, African and even American vegetation. The mountain range in the island's center, of a height of about 2000 meters, is cut by some bizarre canyons. Hardly anywhere else you can find such different landscapes and even climatical zones being geographically that close one to each other: mountain massives, desert land, tropical forrests, ... Along the seaside there are wide beaches of sand, and while elsewhere people are shuddering of cold, here the tourists are lying in the sun and looking at those mountainpeaks being covered with snow ...
FUERTEVENTURA: The Old Land
Fuerteventura, the island with the oldest history, has the longest beaches of all the archipelago, of wonderful fine sand. Only a narrow channel separates Fuerteventura from the African continent. It is a paradise equally for spending holidays at the beach as for fishing. Fuerteventura is an ideal destination for surfers (the island has an important place on the windsurfing World Cup circuit) and for diving fans, thanks to the caves, tunnels, overhangs and rock formations to be found on its ocean beds.
LANZAROTE: Landing on the Moon
This extraordinary landscape seems to be of another world. Lanzarote is of volcanic origin, as the other islands of the archipelago as well, great parts of its surface are covered with ashes and lava, making you feel that you were on the moon. Most surprising is perhaps the region of Geria, with vineyards between volcanic craters.
LA PALMA: The Beautiful Island
La Palma, also called the "green island" because of its exuberant countryside was declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO. It's major sight is the National Park Caldera de Taburiente with its huge volcanic crater, 9 kilometres wide and 770 meters deep the view-point Mirador de la Cumbrecita this terrific natural monument can be overlooked best.
LA GOMERA: Island of Mountains
This island is characterised by its central massif of a height of 1487 meters, dropping steeply to the sea. The region of Alto de Garajonay was declared a National Park. Particularly interesting are the population's very old and original popular customs. The inhabitants of the different valleys use to communicate with each other in a whistling language, comparable to the "yodling" in Central European Alps.
EL HIERRO: Small Unknown Island
El Hierro is the most westerly and the smallest island of the archipelago. The island has the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation, and is home to natural swimming pools and crystal clear waters, ideal for swimming and scuba diving, as well as huge areas of protected woodland in the inland area. All those reasons made el Hierro an ideal place to make relaxing holidays in direct contact with nature. Its steep rocky coast is very different from the wide beaches which are dominating on the Canary Islands, though we find here as well a beach of 14 kilometers length, at Golfo.