Canary Islands Travel Guide - An Overview
by Robert
October 2007
Introduction
Located off the north-west coast of Africa, the Canary Islands are a great location for a holiday all year round. The islands enjoy a sunny climate and interesting natural areas including forests, volcanic landscapes, sand dunes and mountains.
Activities
There are all kinds of activities to do on the Canary Islands. Water sports are particularly popular -- visitors can sail, windsurf, surf and dive and there are various competitive events held each year including the Trofeo O’Neil de Surf at the El Soccoro beach in Tenerife and the Festival Longboard de Canarias at the Playa de la Calleta in Gran Canaria.
Fuerteventura and Lanzarote have many good windsurfing locations -- many surfers really rate Sotavento which has the strongest winds for wind and kite-surfing. Surfers staying in Lanzarote often find the best waves at Famara beach.
Gran Canaria is also a popular location for sailors and there are plenty of sailing centres to choose from at locations including Las Palmas, Puerto de Mogan Puerto Ricko, Pasito Blanco and Arguineguin. Both Lanzarote and Fuerteventura also offer a range of options for sailors at all levels of experience.
Deep sea fishing is also great here. The waters surrounding the island are rich in marlin, sharks, swordfish and tuna. Enthusiasts rate Fuerteventura as one of the best deep sea fishing locations in the world. Visitors looking to take on shore fishing will need to get a permit from the Consejeria de Pesca at Arrecife.
Tennis is also a popular sport on the islands. There are various schools and courts at Fuerteventura and Lanzarote has a range of outdoor courts. Golfers will also find plenty of options here. There are various courses dotted around Gran Canaria and Lanzarote with more being constructed. The best known course here is probably Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles. The course of choice at Fuerteventura is located at Caleta de Fuste -- the course hosted the Spanish Open in 2004.
Useful information
Getting there -- some visitors arrive on cruise ships and others fly. There are airports on all the islands.
Language -- the official language on the islands is Castilian Spanish although English is widely spoken as well. Climate -- the islands enjoy a warm sunny climate all year round. They are also well-known for their winds!
Passport/Visa -- visitors need a valid passport and may need a visa depending on their country of origin.
Currency -- the Canary Islands use the Euro
Conclusion
Given the year round temperate climate, welcoming locals and wealth of things to do on the Canary Islands, it’s no wonder that so many visitors return on holiday year after year. There really are activities to suit everyone from people looking for a relaxing beach holiday, to history and culture fans through to sports enthusiasts. The islands are so full of charm that many visitors are, indeed, opting to buy in Gran Canaria to use as a base for relocation or as a holiday home.
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