Are you counting the places you want to visit? If so, keep the Canary Islands on your bucket list to make your vacation a fabulous one.
The Canary Islands are an unusual and exotic holiday destination for many people, especially for Europeans. This place boasts of beautiful beaches that have a warm and year-round climate. It is located just 60 miles (100 kilometers) off the southern coast of North-Western Africa.
This is a part of an extremely diverse region that gives pleasure to everyone who visits here.
There are several astonishing natural landmarks as well as breathtaking national parks. You will love to enjoy the delicious local foods here. The lively carnivals and the busy nightlife are something to see on these islands. Read this post to find out what else you can do in islands like Gran Canaria.
The top 11 reasons to visit the Canary Islands are also given below:
Climate
The climate in the Canary Islands is usually considered the most stable and pleasant one in the world. It has 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. The local hot subtropical climate is continuously cooled down using trade winds along with the Gulf Stream which creates just perfect weather.
Mount Teide
The most populous and the largest island of the Canary Islands is Tenerife. It is a place where you will get to see the third highest volcano in the world which is on a volcanic ocean island. It has a height of 12,198 feet (3,718 meters) making it the highest point in Spain. It offers stunning views of the whole island. Thus it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2007.
Marine life
The Canary Islands are a living place for various types of marine life in abundance. So, you will find it the perfect spot for scuba diving as well as snorkeling. Apart from several fish species, it also hosts five marine turtles of different species that you might see periodically on the island. The most common of these are the loggerhead sea turtles.
Surfing
The Canary Islands have some beautiful surfing destinations. Lanzarote, which is situated on the easternmost island, is a well-known one for its consistent year-round waves. You can enjoy surfing as much as you want when you visit there. You will love the astonishing long beaches there that stretch for kilometers.
Beaches
The Canary Islands are popular for their picturesque beaches that you can find on all seven islands. It has 500 beaches of all types, colors and lengths to boast, which offers a wide range of activities. White, golden, and coral beaches, sparkling lagoons, beaches with black sand, and steep rocks where you will see the impetuous waves crash, which will certainly make the islands worth visiting.
Cuisine
The islands are famous for delicious cuisine too. You will enjoy eating particularly the cheese that the Canarians have been producing for hundreds of years. Mojo Picón, Almogrote, Papas arrugadas, Miel de palma, Ropa vieja, etc. are some delightful dishes you might love to taste when you are in the Canary Islands.
Sand Dunes
You will love to see the majestic dunes as well as the nearby natural reserve of Maspalomas. It is a tourist town situated in the south of Gran Canaria island. It is the most populated as well as the largest Spanish island in the Canary archipelago. The extraordinary and suggestive place is characterized by its vast stretch of golden sand and dunes extended up to the Atlantic coast that is sculpted by the wind itself. This incredible oasis spreads over 400 hectares of untouched desert that might remind you of the Saharan landscape.
Botanical Gardens
When you are in the Canary Islands, visiting the botanical gardens is a must thing to do. A unique one is situated in the north of Tenerife throughout the beautiful valley of La Orotava named La Hijuela del Botánico. It features more than 3,000 different tropical as well as subtropical plant species that are mainly of Central and South American, Australian, and African origin.
Carnival
Here you will get to see the second most popular as well as the internationally known carnival that is held in February in the capital of this island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It has been celebrated since the time of the earliest European settlements or possibly earlier. It attracts thousands of people around the world every year. Watching this carnival can be a great experience to enjoy when you are here.
Vine
In Lanzarote, you will find one of the most bizarre vineyards in the world. Here, grapes are grown using local volcanic, ashy soil that is surrounded by stone walls to protect the grapes from strong trade winds of the Atlantic. Though these vineyards look weird, the layer of the nutrient-rich volcanic soil along with the sunny and warm climate creates the best conditions for grape growing.
Other Popular Things
The Canary Islands are a great place to windsurf. You can also enjoy bird watching here. Canarian Egyptian vulture, common swifts, the collared dove, and several finch species are something unique to see when you are in Fuerteventura. You can visit Teide National Park in Tenerife which has 168 plant species, 33 of those are endemic to Tenerife, which includes Echium wildpretii, a 3-meter giant flowering plant. Los Gigantes and Los Órganos are the iconic places of the Canary Islands to visit that make your trip worthwhile.
Sightseeing and recreational activities are well-known in the Canary Islands. It’s a great place to visit on holidays to get rid of your boredom. You will find the beaches are rich in beauty and full of smiles. This place will make your time enjoyable. So, make sure to keep it on your bucket list and enjoy your vacation as much as you can.
Have a peaceful and safe trip!
