Travel journal · 28.30°N · 16.50°W
Seven volcanic islands off the coast of Africa, each with its own personality. Tenerife raises Spain's highest peak, Teide, above a caldera of Martian rock. Gran Canaria packs eleven microclimates into 1,560 km² and one dune reserve. Lanzarote is César Manrique's open-air canvas. Fuerteventura is 340 km of sand and trade wind. La Palma is Europe's third-best sky for stargazing. La Gomera keeps a UNESCO laurel forest and a whistled language. El Hierro closes the archipelago with a Biosphere Reserve underwater. This is the guide to volcanoes, black-sand beaches, laurel forests, wine grown on lava and 22 °C in December.
The most-booked experiences on the island · book with free cancellation
Tours & excursions · Best-sellers on Viator
Hand-picked from Viator's top-rated experiences on Canary Islands, sorted by review volume and average rating. Free cancellation up to 24 h before, reserve now and pay later.
Nature4 hReserved cable-car slot to the upper station of Mount Teide (3,555 m). Guided nature walk on the Roques de García loop before or after the ride, with optional transfer from the south and north resorts.
Boat & beach3 hSmall-group catamaran trip along the south-west coast of Tenerife with a marine biologist on board. Swim stop at Masca cliffs, drinks and a paella lunch included on the longer option.
Nature7 hFull-day guided tour of Lanzarote's south: Timanfaya's Route of the Volcanoes, the geothermal demonstrations at Islote de Hilario, El Golfo's green crater lagoon and the salt flats at Janubio.
Adventure1 hSunset camel ride from La Baraka Camel Park across the Maspalomas dunes. Family-friendly, two riders per camel, with a certificate for the kids at the end.
Nature10 hFull-day tour to La Gomera: Fred. Olsen ferry from Los Cristianos, guided coach across the Garajonay laurel forest, silbo gomero demonstration and lunch in a mountain village.
Adventure6 hHalf-day 4x4 tour across the Corralejo dune-field followed by a boat crossing to the Isla de Lobos natural park. Swim in the lagoons, walk to the lighthouse and eat fresh fish in the tiny fishermen's shack.
Nature4 hEvening tour of the Teide caldera at sunset, followed by a private star-gazing session with a professional astronomer and telescope pointing. Includes tapas dinner at 2,000 m.
Nature6 hGuided hike into the Anaga UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — 6 km through the laurisilva laurel forest of Cruz del Carmen, ending on a hidden black-sand cove for a swim. Hotel transfer from the south.
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The essential villages and what to do in each
The largest island, crowned by the 3,715 m Teide volcano. Black-sand beaches on the north coast, Michelin-starred resorts on the south and the laurel forest of Anaga in between.
Explore: Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Puerto de la Cruz · Costa Adeje · La Laguna · La Orotava
A miniature continent — eleven microclimates in 1,560 km². Colonial old town in Las Palmas, Sahara-blown dunes in Maspalomas and ravines carved into the pine forest of Tamadaba.
Explore: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Maspalomas · Playa del Inglés · Puerto de Mogán · Agaete
César Manrique's open-air canvas — Timanfaya's volcanic route, La Geria vineyards on lava and whitewashed villages ordered by law never to rise above two floors.
Explore: Arrecife · Playa Blanca · Costa Teguise · Puerto del Carmen · Yaiza
340 km of sand and steady trade winds. Kite-surf capital in Corralejo, the wild Cofete beach behind the Jandía massif and boat trips across to Isla de Lobos.
Explore: Puerto del Rosario · Corralejo · Costa Calma · Morro Jable · Betancuria
La Isla Bonita — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, black-sand coves and the Roque de los Muchachos observatory, one of Europe's three best skies for stargazing.
Explore: Santa Cruz de La Palma · Los Llanos de Aridane · Tazacorte · Fuencaliente
A 40-minute ferry from Tenerife into another world — the UNESCO Garajonay laurel forest, terraced palm ravines and the whistled Silbo Gomero language, still taught in schools.
Explore: San Sebastián de La Gomera · Valle Gran Rey · Vallehermoso · Hermigua
The wildest and smallest of the seven — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the world-class diving of La Restinga marine reserve and the old zero meridian that once split the world map.
Explore: Valverde · La Restinga · Frontera · El Pinar
Tenerife · Calatrava auditorium, Anaga rural park and Teide 45 min inland — Spain's highest peak at 3,715 m.
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Tenerife · César Manrique's black-sand town on the north coast — Playa Jardín, Loro Parque and La Orotava.
Read the guide →
Tenerife · Michelin resorts, whale-watching harbour and La Gomera ferry 40 min away.
Read the guide →Gran Canaria · Colonial Vegueta, reef-protected Las Canteras beach and free-tapas bars in Triana.
Read the guide →Gran Canaria · Sahara-blown dunes protected as a Special Natural Reserve, six kilometres of golden beach.
Read the guide →Lanzarote · Manrique's home port on a lagoon — gate to Timanfaya volcanoes and the La Geria wine valley.
Read the guide →Lanzarote · Southern tip and gate to the Papagayo coves and the ferry across to Fuerteventura.
Read the guide →Fuerteventura · Corralejo dune park, kite-surf capital and boat trips to Isla de Lobos.
Read the guide →Fuerteventura · Sculpture-lined capital and springboard for Betancuria, Ajuy caves and Cofete beach.
Read the guide →La Palma · Renaissance colonial town and the Roque de los Muchachos observatory above the clouds — Starlight Reserve.
Read the guide →La Gomera · Columbus's last stop before America and gate to the UNESCO Garajonay laurel forest.
Read the guide →El Hierro · Capital of the wildest island — UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, La Restinga diving and the old zero meridian.
Read the guide →Filter by category and see what to do in each town
Beach-by-beach guide with parking, best time and facilities
8 handpicked beaches
Each beach has its own guide: where to park, the best time to arrive, what's actually on site, the beach bars worth recommending and what to avoid.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Europe's finest urban beach, protected by a natural reef
San Bartolomé de Tirajana
A protected Sahara dune-field opening onto the ocean
San Andrés · Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife's palm-lined golden-sand exception
Costa Adeje · Tenerife
Costa Adeje's dress-code beach
Jandía · Fuerteventura
21 kilometres of empty sand and a windsurf world-championship lagoon
Playa Blanca · Lanzarote
Five golden coves inside the Los Ajaches natural park
Jandía · Fuerteventura
12 km of empty sand on the far side of the Jandía massif
Puerto de la Cruz · Tenerife
César Manrique's tropical-garden black-sand beach
Beds worth the trip
Costa Adeje · Tenerife
Leonardo Omar's sculptural five-star adults-only. Rooftop pools with Atlantic views and the two-Michelin-star El Rincón de Juan Carlos.
Puerto de la Cruz · Tenerife
Leading Hotels of the World in 25,000 m² of subtropical gardens with Teide behind. Thai-inspired spa and five restaurants.
Las Palmas · Gran Canaria
1890 canary-colonial palace in Parque Doramas, refurbished as a five-star grand hotel. Rooftop pool over the city and Playa de las Canteras 10 min away.
Playa del Inglés · Gran Canaria
Design hotel on the edge of the Maspalomas dunes. 69 suites, rooftop 360° restaurant and spa with hydrothermal circuit.
Playa Blanca · Lanzarote
All-suite five-star on Playa Dorada. Kabuki (Michelin) restaurant and easy access to the Papagayo coves.
Corralejo · Fuerteventura
Neo-colonial five-star opposite Isla de Lobos. Six pools, Cyclos spa and unbeatable base for the Corralejo dunes.
Popular areas in Canary Islands
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Tables jotted on a napkin
Padrón brothers · seasonal Canarian tasting · Costa Adeje · Tenerife
Andrea Bernardi & Fernanda Fuentes · Italo-Chilean · Costa Adeje · Tenerife
Japanese kaiseki with local fish · Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Borja Marrero · zero-km Canarian · Las Palmas · Gran Canaria
Modern Lanzarote cuisine on lava terroir · Playa Blanca · Lanzarote
Vegetarian home-cooking and almogrote · Las Hayas · La Gomera
A journal entry
Entry 06 · Wednesday
Left Puerto de la Cruz at 05:00 to catch the cable-car first slot. The caldera silver under moonlight, then pink. Roques de García loop before the tour buses. Down to Vilaflor for a mojo-picón lunch. In the afternoon a slow drive across the Anaga rural park — laurel forest, mist in the crowns, no phone signal. Dinner at Kazan back in Santa Cruz.
Ready-to-copy routes
Teide, Anaga, Puerto de la Cruz and two nights on Costa Adeje with whale-watching.
Leer itinerario →Las Palmas old town, Maspalomas dunes and a ferry crossing to Corralejo for the dunes and Lobos.
Leer itinerario →Tenerife, La Gomera by ferry, Lanzarote's volcanoes and Fuerteventura's sand.
Leer itinerario →What we've noted for next time
Direct flights from most European hubs to Tenerife South (TFS), Tenerife North (TFN), Gran Canaria (LPA), Lanzarote (ACE) and Fuerteventura (FUE). Flight time from Madrid: 2h30.
Rent a car on each island. Fred. Olsen and Naviera Armas ferries link Tenerife–La Gomera–La Palma–El Hierro and Lanzarote–Fuerteventura. Inter-island flights from Binter connect the smaller islands.
Any time — the archipelago averages 22 °C year-round. Trade winds cool the summer (26 °C), and January–March is warm enough to swim. Avoid August on Tenerife's south for crowds.
112 · Servicio Canario de Salud hospitals on every major island · look for the green cross for farmacias.