Complete guide to the Canaries

Perched off the Sahara yet caressed by the trade winds, the Canaries form a volcanic archipelago of eight inhabited islands where each ridge tells the story of an eruption. From our Tenerife office, we see travellers pass through who thought they knew the destination for its beaches, only to leave marked by Mount Teide at 3,715 metres, the laurel forests of La Gomera, or the black lava flows of Timanfaya on Lanzarote.

Four territories structure most of our itineraries. Tenerife for its diversity, from the humid north of Anaga to the cliffs of Los Gigantes. Gran Canaria, nicknamed the miniature continent, for its Maspalomas dunes and hilltop villages like Tejeda. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura for desert landscapes shaped by César Manrique and the wind. La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro for hikers seeking uncrowded trails beneath Canary pines.

Two particularities structure a trip here. First, the climate: 20 to 25°C in winter on the southern coasts, but 0°C possible at the summit of Teide in February. Second, the inter-island logic: fast ferry between Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma, short flights elsewhere, a car essential on the ground. For a first stay, we recommend combining two islands over 8 to 10 days rather than skimming across four. The Canary pace is better understood this way.