Most visitors go to the Canary Islands because the weather is reliable, the beaches are good and the tourist facilities are fantastic, but there is a whole lot more to discover on these blessed islands.

Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote form the Canary Islands and they lie in a part of the Atlantic Ocean known as Macaronesia, which includes the archipelagos of Madeira, Salvajes, Azores, Cape Verde and part of Morocco. It’s easy to assume that the Canary Islands are part of Africa with the closest point on the African coast only 210km away from Gran Canaria, but it was in fact Spain who eventually conquered the Canary Islands with a long quest between 1402–1495.

Throughout the years the Canary Islands relied on an economy of sugar cane, wine, cochineal, bananas, tobacco and other agricultural resources before the tourism boom in the fifties, which saw holiday-makers flocking to its shores.

Gran Canaria has the biggest population of the islands and also boasts the most important city in terms of population size and economic activity, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This is also the most cosmopolitan of the islands which is what lends so many special traits to the island. From the dry landscape in the south to the leafy greenness of the north and of course, the mountains in the middle, where you will find the highest point of the island – the peak of Pozo de Las Nieves (1949 metres above sea level). Each of the twenty-one towns and cities of the island are blessed with many different types of scenery, cultural traditions and microclimates. The beautiful old quarter of Vegueta and Triana in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is great for shopping, whilst in the south of the island, the wonderful beaches of San Agustín, El Inglés and Maspalomas are where most holiday-makers spend their time. Whilst, the charming fishing villages of Puerto de Mogán, Puerto Rico and Pasito Blanco offer a picture-postcard scenery in every blink of the eye.

Fuerteventura has the oldest history and the longest beaches of all the Canary Islands and only a narrow channel separates this holiday paradise from Africa. The capital of Fuerteventura, Puerto Rosario is a small picturesque town with just 15,550 inhabitants and it is here that you will get a true feeling for the typical style of the Canary Islands architecture. However, the most representative building of this style is the Casa de los Coroneles, an 18th Century manor house in La Oliva.

The town of Betancuria is named after the French conquerer Bethencourt, and is where the island's original population, the Guanches, founded their first important settlement. The Archaeological Museum has some interesting remains of this original civilization. Between Pajara and Jandia you will find an almost untouched 6km stretch of beach with golden sand, crystalline sea, and a colorful underwater-world which attracts divers from all over. In front of the beach are cruising fishing-boats, as great amounts of fish have to pass this narrow channel between the island and Africa. This beach is one of the less crowded of all the islands and parts of it are not accessible by car.

La Gomera one of the most beautiful of the Canary Islands. It’s capital San Sebastían, is overflowing with historical and artistic monuments and just outside the city is the Valley of Hermigua, a vast banana plantation at the foot of the “El Cedro” mountain. The Garajonay National Park protects luxuriant vegetation and from the lofty peak of Garajonay, a panorama of the whole island opens up, with deep valleys carpeted with the trees of an extraordinary rain forest.

La Gomera has mostly small bays with fine sand, which include the small picturesque fishing-village of Playa de Santiago and at the exit of Valle Gran Rey, a valley with important plantations, is one of the island's best beaches.

The small town of San Sebastian is connected to Tenerife by a ferry-boat and is where Christopher Columbus made halt on his travels to America. Probably the most fascinating facts are the very old and original popular customs that the La Gomera inhabitants possess, like the way that different valleys communicate with each other in a whistling language, similar to the "yodling" in the European Alps.

El Hierro is the smallest and most western of the islands and is a land made for peace and quiet. Green forests, volcanic landscapes and places like El Sabinar, whose trees are strange and twisted having been sculpted by the winds. El Hierro also has some of the best sea beds in the world and plays host to divers all year round. El Hierro’s capital city, Valverde, is a small picturesque settlement with gardens and parks, an interesting church and a nice square from which you have a great view over the sea.

The volcanic action on Lanzarote has been the principle cause for its geological formation and makes it the oldest of the Canary Islands. The eruptions of the 18th and 19th centuries transformed a great part of the landscape of Lanzarote, covering a dozen villages and part of the richest agricultural area of the island.

A cloud of ashes and volcanic rests stood still over an extension of 200km2 forming the “malpaís” (badlands) of the Fire Mountains, today the National Park of Timanfaya. The Timanfaya area is one of the most spectacular places you will ever visit. A completely still and deserted land with a deadly silence that is impossible to imagine or appreciate without experiencing it for yourself.

Wherever you are in Lanzarote, you will never be far from a fine sandy beach and pretty white houses. The thermal spa of Puerto del Carmen and the tropical ambience of Playa Blanca make them two of the most popular resorts on Lanzarote. Whether it’s fishing in the small bays and turquoise sea of Las Coloradas, sunbathing on the golden sand of Punta del Papagayo, visiting the vineyards nestled between volcanic craters in region of Geria, or admiring the works of the great Canarian architect and artist Cesar Manrique, whose work is scattered all over this unique island, Lanzarote will not dissapoint you.

La Palma is also known as the green island because of its exuberant forests and other extraordinary natural beauties and is a nature-lovers paradise. It’s lush vegetation and running streams make La Palma very different from the other islands. La Caldera de Taburiente is a unique part of the countryside and was designated as a National Park in 1954 because of its immense scientific importance and its exceptional wild landscapes, huge pines and waterfalls which attract many visitors every year. The dimensions of this huge crater make it one of the largest in the world and offers spectacular views from any angle. Inside the Caldera, stands the monolith IDAFE, an altar for the original indigenous people to worship their God, ABORA.

Tenerife is the largest of the islands and has a strange triangular shape, with the gigantic Pico del Teide rising up in the centre to 3718 metres, making it the highest point in all of Spain. The growth of the tourism has gradually transformed the landscape, but the charm is still there. In the north of the island, you will find a traditional atmosphere whilst the popular south has a more cosmopolitan feel to it.

Tenerife is an island of many contrasts, from its unique contours and terrain, to its variety of landscapes and peaceful coastline. Tenerife has managed to achieve a balance between its thriving tourism industry and the conservation of its abundant nature and environment.

It doesn’t matter how many times you visit Tenerife, there is always something different to do. From searching for Bottlenose dolphins to deep sea fishing, from playing a round of golf to rock climbing or mountain biking, or for the less active, take in some culture at the UNESCO site of La Laguna or a musical delight at the Auditorium.

The Canary Islands offer accommodation ranging from luxury hotels, villas with pools, beachside apartments or rooms to rent. The only problem you have now is deciding which island to visit – you can of course island-hop by plane or boat so why not visit them all!

Please click here for accommodation in the Canary Islands.