Canary Islands General Information Area: 7242 sq km (2796 sq miles). Population: 1,672,689 (1999). Population Density: 231.0 per sq km. Capital: Provincial capitals are Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Population: 354,757 (1999); and Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Population: 213,050 (1999). GEOGRAPHY: The Canary Islands are situated off the northwest coast of Africa and consist of seven islands which are divided into two provinces. Las Palmas comprises the islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is made up of Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera and Hierro. All the islands are of volcanic origin and the climate is subtropical. The landscape is varied, and includes mountain ranges, valleys, deserts, cliffs, craters and forests. Time: GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Travel - International AIR: Local flights run by Iberia (IB) link all the islands. Approximate flight times: From Las Palmas to London is 6 hours 10 minutes (including stopover in Madrid) and from Tenerife is 6 hours 10 minutes (including stopover in Madrid). Direct flights from London to either destination take 4 hours 15 minutes. International airports: Gran Canaria (LPA) is 22km (14 miles) south of Las Palmas. Hotel coaches to the city leave every 30 minutes (0630-0200; travel time – 20 minutes). Return journey is from Iberia terminal (Hotel Iberia), Avenida Maritima. Public bus service to the city leaves every 30 minutes, operating a 24-hour service. Return is from the bus station, Parque de San Telmo. Taxis to the city are available. Airport facilities include banks/bureaux de change (0800-1415), post office (0900-1400), chemists (0600-2300), 24-hour medical service and car hire. Tenerife-Norte Los Rodeos (TFN), in the north of the island, is 13km (8 miles) from Santa Cruz. Bus service runs every 30 minutes from 0600-2300. Tenerife-Sur Reina Sofia (TFS), in the south of the island, is used for resorts such as Playa de las Americas. Bus service is scheduled according to flight arrivals. Taxis are available. There is also a recently opened airport in Gomera which offers regular connections with Gran Canaria and North Tenerife. For further information, contact La Gomera Airport (tel: (34) 9228 73000; website: www.aena.es). SEA: The majority of cruise ships stop in the Canaries. Further details are available from the Spanish National Tourist Office. Trasmediterránea operates a weekly (Saturday) car ferry departing at 1800 from Cadiz-Tenerife-Las Palmas. Contact their UK agent, Southern Ferries, Fifth Floor, 179 Piccadilly, London W1V 9DB, UK (tel: (020) 7491 4968; fax: (020) 7491 3502; website: www.trasmediterranea.es). All the islands are linked by regular car and passenger ferries. Day trips to the smaller islands are quickly and easily arranged. ROAD: There are bus services available. Cars may be hired. Accommodation HOTELS: There is a large selection of hotels of all categories. There are also four paradores (tourist inns) as well as pensiones (guesthouses), which are run by the family on the premises and provide bed and board. CAMPING: There are four campsites, of which three are in Las Palmas and one in Santa Cruz. For further information, contact the Dirección General de Promoción Turistica (see Contact Addresses section). YOUTH HOSTEL: The Spanish Youth Hostel Network (REAJ) (website: www.reaj.com) has a youth hostel in Las Palmas, Avenida de la Juventad, 35450 Santa Maria de Guia, Gran Canaria (tel: (928) 550 685; fax: (928) 882 728). Introduction The Canary Islands (Islas Canarias) are much closer to the coast of Africa than to mainland Spain and it is the mid-Atlantic location that accounts for the remarkably mild climate. While best known for their white, pristine beaches, the seven islands, all of volcanic origin, offer strikingly diverse landscapes: sub-tropical rainforests, arid plains, pine woods, sand dunes, mountain peaks and remarkable flora. The main tourist resorts are excellent for watersports, windsurfing, sailing, fishing, tennis, golf and so on. The local people take great pride in their folklore traditions and the carnival festivities are famous throughout Spain. This section follows the administrative division of the archipelago into two provinces: Santa Cruz (Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera and Hierro) and Las Palmas (Grand Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote). Santa Cruz TENERIFE: The largest of the islands, Tenerife is dominated by a central mountain range and several spectacular valleys. It has a national park, a gigantic natural crater some 19km (12 miles) in diameter and, to the north, the Pico del Teide, the highest mountain in Spain. The capital, Santa Cruz, is a cosmopolitan city, rich in architecture, notably the Church of San Francisco, and has good art and history museums. In the village of Güímar, 25km (16 miles) southeast of Santa Cruz, is Pyramid Park, where the archaeological digs are worth a visit. Puerto de la Cruz is the most important resort and has several buildings dating back to the 17th century. Other places to visit include the second city of La Laguna, La Orotava (centre of a lush valley), Garachico (the ‘Pearl by the Sea’) and Los Cristianos. LA PALMA: La Palma boasts one of the largest craters in the world, the Caldera de Taburiente, best viewed from the La Cumbrecita look-out point. The capital of Santa Cruz (not to be confused with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) is also worth exploring for its 16th-century architecture and the Natural History Museum. Also worth visiting are the woods of Tilos near Los Sauces (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), Cueva Bonita, a beautiful natural grotto and the beaches of Los Llanos de Aridane, Los Cancajos and Nogales. GOMERA: Gomera is rich in vegetation and is blessed with white sand beaches, particularly Vallehermoso. Though not as mountainous as other islands in the group, the terrain is rugged and the most practical method of getting around is often by sea. The capital, San Sebastián, is interesting for its connections with the explorer Christopher Columbus, who is commemorated by the Torre del Conde, an old fortress, now a national monument. Other noteworthy places on the island are the fishing ports of Playa de Santiago and La Rajita and the primeval laurel forest of the Garajonay National Park. Gomera is famous for its ‘whistling’ language, used by the islanders to call from mountain to mountain. HIERRO: The smallest and least-visited island with hardly any beaches, Hierro’s coastline mostly comprises sheer cliffs. Valverde is the attractive capital. La Peña is a look-out point with commanding views and a restaurant. The tiny fishing village of La Restinga is the most southern point of the Canaries, and hence Spain, and hence – politically if not strictly geographically – of Europe as well. Surfers head for Timijiraque, one of the few sand beaches on the island. Las Palmas GRAN CANARIA: Gran Canaria is often referred to as a ‘miniature continent’, as plants usually associated with Europe, Africa and the Americas all flourish here. The splendid beaches include Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas, nearly 6km (4 miles) long. The capital, Las Palmas (not to be confused with the smaller island of La Palma), is a lively city with a magnificent location between two bays. The sights include the Old Town, the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Ana and several museums. Columbus lived in Las Palmas for a time before setting out on his voyage of discovery. The city has a lively cultural life with opera, dance and music festivals. Ingenio is famous for its crafts. San Bartolomé de Tirajana is dramatically situated in the crater of a volcano. The fishing ports of Mogan and Sardina del Norte are worth a visit. FUERTEVENTURA: The second largest of the Canary Islands has excellent beaches, particularly around Jandía in the south. The island’s capital, Puerto del Rosario, is home to about one third of the population and was built in the late-18th century. Other attractions on the island include Corralejo in the far north (where straw hats are woven in the traditional manner), and the Norman castle of Rico Roque, near Cotillo. Betancuria, the ancient capital of the island, houses its most important monument, the Church of Santa María, noted for its painted ceiling and murals. Camels are a common method of transport on this sandy island. LANZAROTE: The most easterly of the Canaries is dry and relatively flat. It owes its eerie landscape to the activity of more than 300 volcanoes long since dormant. The ash and craters have been turned to the islanders’ advantage for vine cultivation. The capital is the port of Arrecife. Places of interest include Teguise, the picturesque old capital, with aristocratic palaces, historic convents and churches and a castle built on a volcanic cone. The National Park of Timanfaya is a spectacular lava flow, awe-inspiring in its barren majesty and covering nearly one third of the island. Malpaís de la Corona has an immense volcanic cave called Los Verdes, 6km (3.5 miles) long; nearby is the Jameo del Agua lagoon. Camel rides to the volcanoes are a popular tourist attraction. Sport & Activities Watersports: The warm, clear sea is excellent for underwater fishing, diving, snorkelling and swimming. Facilities for water-skiing and windsurfing are also available from beaches or from hotels. Other: There are numerous tennis courts (often owned by the hotel or attached to apartments), golf courses and riding stables. Spectator sports include jai-alai, the stick game (a sort of fencing with long poles), Canaries wrestling and the garrocha which is especially practised on the island of La Palma. Social Profile Food & Drink: The cuisine of the Canaries offers many dishes based on fish, which are usually served with potatoes and a special sauce called mojo picón. The traditional dishes are watercress soup and the popular sancocho canario, a fish salad with a hot sauce. Locally grown bananas, tomatoes, avocados and papayas also play an important part in the Canaries’ cuisine. Corn meal, wheat flour, pre-roasted corn or barley are eaten instead of bread with certain local dishes. Local pastries include the excellent tirijalas, bienmesabes, frangollo, bizcochos lustrados, quesadillas, rapaduras y marquesotes, meat pies and ‘nougats’ of corn meal and molasses. In the main resorts, restaurants offer the full range of international cuisine, as well as local delicacies. Often restaurants cater for the tastes of particular nationalities. A full range of wines, spirits and liqueurs from throughout the world is available. Spanish wines and spirits are particularly good value and spirits are slightly cheaper than in the UK. Local beers are pilsner-type lagers and, on the whole, rather weak. Local wines are also produced. Other drinks originating from the islands are rum, honey-rum and Malmsey wine. Shopping: Besides the excellent duty-free shopping there are numerous local items to tempt the visitor. Craftsmanship is represented mainly by skilled open-work and embroidery. Pottery, basket-work based on palm leaves, cane and reed and delicate woodcarvings are also popular. Tobacco produced here is excellent and world famous. Cigars from the Canary Islands are outstanding in quality. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1300 and 1630-1930. Climate The climate in the northern islands of the Canaries is subtropical; the south of the islands tends to be hotter and drier, although rainfall is generally low throughout the islands. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.