Arrecife (Lanzarote)
Arrecife is the gateway to the island of Lanzarote, whose desolate yet dramatic lunar-like landscapes and coal-black sand beaches were shaped by 18th century volcanic eruptions. You can ride by camel to the still hissing rocks of the great Fire Mountains in Timanfaya National Park - then cool down with a glass (or two) of wine and delicious paella in a local seafront restaurant!
Join our 4-hour 'Fire Mountain excursion to Lanzarote's volcanic interior reminiscent of a lunar landscape. Take a camel ride for part of the way before reverting to the coach for drives through Timanfaya National Park, a bleak but beautiful desert of active volcanoes. Stop for refreshment before a demostration shows the molten lava that lies just inches beneath our feet.
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Fuerteventura
The Spanish author and local resident, Miguel de Unamuno, referred to Fuertaventura as: ‘an oasis in the desert of civilisation’. Little has really changed here and this is definitely one of the least commercial of all the Canary Islands. Like the other islands though you will find some wonderful and unusual scenery including extraordinary sand dunes, fabulous beaches and weird lava fields. Those unable to tear themselves away from the trappings of the modern world will find some excellent duty free bargains.
Gran Canaria
One of the most popular islands in the Canaries, Gran Canaria’s beautiful sandy beaches attract holiday makers from all over Europe. The island presents a variety of contrasts and landscapes and a wide range of temperatures, although, even in winter, the coastal areas are never cold.
La Gomera
The most north-westerly of the seven Canary Islands, has the luxuriant vegetation you would expect of a land with a sub-tropical climate, abundant rainfall and high temperatures throughout the year. Its capital, Santa Cruz, is a lovely, uncrowded small town where a leisurely walk is the best way to appreciate the attractions of this old Spanish colonial port.
La Palma
Made up of volcanic rock and lush green vegetation, there's no wonder why the island of La Palma is also known as "The Pretty Isle." It's one of seven islands in the Canary Islands archipelago off the coast of Africa and is dominated by natural beauty, from bright blue skies to black-sand beaches.
Lanzarote
The Garden of Hesperides, the Elysian Fields, the Fortunate Isles. From the time of Homer and Pliny the Canary Islands have inspired myths about a lost island kingdom where springtime was ever present. Each of the seven main Canary Islands has a different eco-system, based on the island's elevation. Lanzarote, the easternmost island, is dominated by the flame-breathing Montaña de Fuego (Mountain of Fire). In some restaurants in Timanfaya, you can have your steak grilled over a fumarole.
Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)
The thriving capital of Gran Canaria, third largest island of the Canaries, Las Palmas is within easy reach of the famous Playa del Ingles beach and the magnificent palm-fringed and Sahara-like dunes of Maspalomas. In quieter corners of the island attractive old towns like Teror and Arucas (the latter the island's 'banana capital') invite exploration, while inland Gran Canaria's fretted volcanic landscapes of gorges, craters and mountains rising to 6,500ft offer some memorable sightseeing.
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Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura)
Puerto del Rosario welcomes you to Fuerteventura in the Eastern Canaries, just 60 miles from the African mainland. This almost rainless island has the archipelago's best and most extensive beaches - said to total over 150. Most spectacular are those at the northern tip, edged by miles of dunes and fed by winds from the Sahara.
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San Sebastian (La Gomera)
San Sebastian is the little capital of one of the least-known and least-developed Canaries. Just 20 miles from Tenerife but utterly worlds away in pace and mood, La Gomera is an delightful oasis of serenity, with wooded valleys and rugged ravines that fall steeply to the sea, and at its centre the beautiful Garajonay National Park forest.
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Santa Cruz (La Palma)
The harbour for this engagingly unsophisticated Canary island, Santa Cruz is undoubtedly one of the prettiest towns in the entire archipelago. But La Palma's real speciality is its astonishing variety of scenic contrasts. The greenest of the islands, it also boasts the greatest altitude in the world (nearly 8,000ft) in relation to its perimeter - and one of the earth's largest volcanic craters, almost six miles across.
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Tenerife
Lush green banana plantations give way to pine forests, then a jumbled landscape of volcanic rock. Ahead on Tenerife is Spain's highest peak, Mt. Tiede, with a stupendous view from the top. When Columbus stopped by in 1498, Tiede was erupting, but it's now sedately dormant.
