Some info on the Canary islands

Canary Islands, basically an archipelago, consist of seven islands and many other islets. The islands are truly Spanish and of volcanic origin. Located in North Atlantic Ocean, they form the autonomous community of the Canary Islands.

Lanzarote
is a special experience for the senses, especially in terms of sight and sound, which capture these impossible formations in the landscape and the silence which fills you with peace. A Biosphere Reserve, the island also boasts a Marine Reserve, a National Park and 12 natural protected areas: this is a treasure for those who like to spend their leisure time in natural settings, enjoying the sunshine along with the fresh sea air. In the island of the volcanoes you will see, as in nowhere else, the extent to which the volcanic origin of a land influences the lives of its inhabitants. In agricultural settings of great beauty, you will discover how the peasants of Lanzarote worked with nature, in order to survive, and developed a unique system of cultivation that made it possible for them to grow excellent products in an apparently sterile land, where crops are cultivated below a covering of black volcanic sand.

Fuerteventura 

Think of long, untouched beaches of white sand,set in a coastline bathed by the ocean with calm transparent water that invites you to relax in evocative intimacy. There is no better place to glide out on a surf board or windsurf across a turquoise sea and take advantage of the wind.
But Fuerteventura is not just about sun and beaches. In this island, declared a Biosphere Reserve, you can also appreciate other surprising landscapes, such as the extensive plains, produced by years of erosion, which contrast with volcanoes and lava flows, or the impressive sand dunes through which you can glimpse, a few kilometres away, an uninhabited desert islet, classed as a Special Bird Protection Zone by European regulations. If you are lucky, you might get to see the flight of the guirre or Canarian Egyptian Vulture: the only species of vulture that lives in the Canary Islands. Let your imagination fly to the remote past, and discover the Sacred Mountain, considered by the aboriginal people to have magical significance. In the charming villages of the interior you will also be able to breathe the history of the island, thanks to its well preserved traditional architecture, while the tiny, hidden fishing villages will reveal the secrets of their special flavours. In Fuerteventura you will see the oldest rocks of the archipelago, marine remains belonging to the period before the formation of the Canary Islands.

Gran Canaria
A “miniature continent”: that is how Gran Canaria is described, with its incredible variety of landscapesand microclimates which make it unique. Apart from this, you will also be able to enjoy an exciting city life in the island, especially in its capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This is a city that has one of the best climates in the world, and it is a cosmopolitan and dynamic centre, where you will find everything you can imagine.


Shopping centres and leisure zones; streets to wander along, perfect for shopping and sightseeing; museums, theatres, concert halls, and open air squares where big concerts are held; a pulsating nightlife with numerous nightclubs, bars and restaurants: all in all, a long list of activities typical of modern cities so that each day of your holiday is different, if that is what you want.

Having said that, Gran Canaria offers the visitor other types of activities. The western half of the island is a Biosphere Reserve, which makes it ideal for those visitors who prefer a quieter stay, more in contact with the natural settings to be found in its 33 protected areas. You choose: today you could enjoy one of its marvellous golden sandy beaches, or charming hidden coves of black sand; tomorrow would be perfect spent in the peace and silence of the countryside, surrounded by impressive palm trees, spectacular landscapes that spread out before you, or the verdant forests of the canary pine (a tree which is endemic to the Canary Islands), and which form a contrast with those places where the black volcanic rock stands out from the green vegetation. What’s more, if you like country walks, you can enjoy yourself following one of the signposted “royal paths” that have been restored and which form part of the cultural and historical heritage of the island.

Tenerife
In Tenerife you will find each day brings you a new experience. Going shopping in the capital, visiting a museum or going to one of the many cultural events that take place: these are some of the options you won’t be able to resist. Equally exciting are the various theme parks, designed for the entertainment of both young and old. In fact, you’ll get the impression that the whole island is one big park, with a range of different settings and an infinite number of attractions and things to do. What’s more, all this takes place against a background dominated by a majestic volcano, the highest peak in Spain, which acts as the guardian of this island full of contrasts.

But that’s not all. Prepare yourself to enjoy an incredible variety of landscapes of extraordinary natural wealth in a land scored through with ravines, as well as spectacular cliffs, forests of prehistoric species, extensive wooded areas of the canary pine (an endemic species in the Canaries) remarkable rock formations, hidden bays and lively beaches, volcanic peaks and heathlands, valleys growing tropical fruit... These are places that are home to multifarious species of flora and fauna, many of which are exclusive to the island.

La Gomera

La Gomera is waiting for you to discover its greatest treasure: the National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Garajonay, a dense forest of notable richness in terms of its flora, with a magical appearance. Here you will find many species that are extinct elsewhere, as well as peaceful springs; this is definitely the ideal place for people who love hiking. You will be impressed, too, by the dramatic mountains, with deep ravines that drop into the ocean. This is a landscape that has been sculpted over centuries by erosion, as over two million years have passed since the last volcanic eruption. Another aspect that will surprise you is the sight of the green valleys covered with palm trees, the charming rural villages, the impressive cliffs, and the welcoming bays of black sand bathed by crystalline waters. In La Gomera you will find nature in its purest state, where human intervention has created agricultural areas of great beauty. Wait till you see the cultivated terraces, laid out on steep slopes, and you will appreciate the great effort that was made by the local country folk to build and work them.

You will be pleased to learn that the European Charter for Tourism has been set up in the island, which is an initiative designed to protect natural species and at the same time, offer the highest standards of quality of service for tourists.

La Palma
It is no coincidence that this island is known as “La isla bonita”, or the pretty island. Home to almost intact natural resources, with landscapes of remarkable beauty, La Palma is the green island which reveals a multitude of colours beneath one of the best skies in the world in terms of astronomic observation. For this reason, you won’t be surprised to find that the most important astrophysics observatories in the northern hemisphere are situated here.

El Hiero
It truly is a natural paradise. El Hierro has spectacular cliffs (up to 1,200 metres), lush green vegetation, large forests, protected species, gentle rolling hills, stunning lava formations and coves with natural pools for swimming. More than half of its beautiful landscape is protected by the Natural Spaces Act.