A Tourist's Guide To The Canary Islands

Situated in the Atlantic Ocean about 100 miles from the coast of Africa, the Canary Islands enjoy a climate that is reported to be the best in the world. Average temperatures vary little during the 12 months of the year, peaking at around 27 degrees in the summer and falling to a low of 21 degrees in the winter.

The most popular winter holiday destination in Europe, The Canary Islands are Spanish and tourism is the main industry. The islands offer a wide choice of self catering apartments and villas, most with pools. English is widely spoken.

There are many apartment blocks and villa developments along the coastal areas of all the major Canary Islands. Many have been bought with a view to letting as self catering accommodation to holidaymakers, resulting in a wide choice of properties to rent.

Tenerife is triangular in shape with a dormant volcano and mountains splitting the island into two distinct areas. The south is warmer and drier and is the home of most of the tourist areas, whilst the north is greener and cooler. Tenerife is the most popular of the Canary Islands with tourists.

In terms of population, Gran Canaria is the largest of the Canary Islands. Like Tenerife, the island is divided into two distinct halves: the warmer, drier south separated from the greener, cooler north by a mountain range. The capital, Las Palmas, is reputed to be a shopper's paradise.

The most popular beaches (Maspolmas, El Ingles, and Casa de los Coroneles) are in the south of the islands. The fishing villages of Puerto Rico, Puerto de Morgan and Pasito Blanco enjoy picture-postcard scenery and are a 'must' for your holiday itinerary.

The volcanic origins of the Canary Islands are most noticeable in Lanzarote which has a dark, almost black landscape. The beaches are famous for their fine sand. Anyone visiting Lanzarote should visit the National Park of Timanfaya which boasts fantastic scenery.

Fuerteventura hosts the longest beaches in the Canaries. Perhaps the best is a near 4 mile stretch of untouched golden sand which runs between the towns of Jandia and Pajara. The spectacular underwater world along that coast attracts divers from all over the world. The island is also popular with golfers.

Tourism has yet to spread to the other three islands, with the result that there are very few self catering apartments or villas available. The island of La Gomera is reachable by ferry from Tenerife and has several small, sandy bays and large banana plantations. La Palma, or Green Island as it also called has, as the name suggests, lush green forests. The landscape is wild, and there are many huge waterfalls. El Hierro, the smallest of the islands, is very popular with divers.

Not for nothing are the Canary Islands the most popular holiday destination for so many Europeans. The climate is as near perfection as one could ask for, and the scenery is spectacular and varied. Indeed, the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria in particular enjoy completely different climates and scenery in the south and north of each island. Once you visit the Canaries you will want to return many times, as on each visit you can enjoy a very different experience.

Article Source: http://www.where-to-find.net

The Canary Islands are the most popular holiday destination for in Europe. There is a huge range of self catering accommodation in Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The weather is close to perfection and varies little throughout the year.