Overview of The Canary Islands - These islands are becoming very
popular for persons wishing to buy a holiday home and offer (for
lovers of all things Spanish) an alternative to buying on mainland
Spain. The Canary Islands are part of Spain but cast adrift off the
coast of North West Africa, these volcanic islands emerged some 20,
million years ago and today all display evidence of their volcanic
history either in the form of classic dome shaped landscapes or
ancient pock marked surfaces. The beaches vary from spectacular golden
sand with desert like dunes through to long stretches of black
volcanic ash.
The Islas Bonita's have a “
fortunate “ climate and are blessed with almost all year round warmth, beautiful
blue sky's and a refreshing air that it is hard to match anywhere else in the
world. Since the early 1950s it has been the place to go if you want to enjoy
the winter sun and although these islands do not possess the same depth of
history, architecture and culture as parts of mainland Spain, they have a charm
and character all of their own, the landscape is diverse and enchanting and for
many this is reason enough to visit this far outpost of Spain.
On these wonderful Islands you
can experience many beautiful verdant valleys, a snow clad mountain, and
hundreds of secluded beaches. Each Island has its own micro climate and they do
often vary quite considerably, on some days it is possible to be bathed in
sunshine on Lanzerote whilst over on
Tenerife it will be pouring with rain. Many
of the Canary Island are dramatically different from one end to the other, most
to a certain degree possess good rich soils in which an abundance of crops can
grow easily with little or no extra effort and these Islands now boast 4 out of
the 10 National Spanish parks
The Canary archipelago consists
of seven islands and a few minor islands which are not dealt with in this
article. Tenerife,
Gran Canaria,
Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma, El hierro &
La Gomera. They are located between 90km and 300km of the coast of North West
Africa. Although historically part of Spain, in 1982 they gained the right to
self government and they now have two capitals. Las Palmas on
Gran Canaria has
half of the government departments and the islands supreme court and Santa Cruz
de
Tenerife which has the other half and houses the islands parliament. The
islands themselves are all of volcanic origin, luckily most are now long extinct
although on La Palma and Lanzerote they still simmer away gently.
The largest and most popular
island in the archipelago is Tenerife, here you will find the pulsating beach
resorts watched over by the snow clad Mount Teide which rises some 3700meters
above sea level. This is an island of contrast, the north is green and fertile
whilst the south remains barren and dry. Fuerteventura is the second largest
island and is famous for its stark lunar like landscape, here the warm golden
sand is blown across the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara desert and the island is
stunning although opinion seems to be very polarized in this respect, If you
like sand dunes and beaches then this is the island for you, it is very popular
with windsurfers and still today has large undeveloped areas although recently,
the southern tip “ Jandia” is beginning to see a bit of development. Gran
Canaria is of a similar size to Fuerteventura and is the most densely populated
of the Islands, of the 750,000 inhabitants, nearly two thirds live in the
Capital, Las Palmas. This island is very popular for holidays and there are many
fine resorts. Lanzarote and La Palma are of a similar size, again as with Gran
Canaria Lanzerote is a particular a favourite with Uk tourists. The two final
islands, La Gomera & El Hierro are small in comparison with tiny populations, El
-Hierro has only 8000 inhabitants. They are not built up in anyway and offer
peace and solitude to any visitors that manage to venture to them.
Culturally the islands are quite
diverse, the usual Spanish fiestas and religious festivals are much in abundance
and anyone that has witnessed one will tell you that they are an unforgettable
event. . There is a loose bond which holds these islands together and the
Canarian population are friendly and inviting, they all protect their status as
being independent from the mainland but there is much inter island competition
with each other to offer he best range of services, hotels, restaurants etc.
Tourism has played a major part
in the development of these islands and in the last 40 years, they have become
associated with the package holiday and winter sun, although there are a number
of well known concrete resorts, it must be stressed that away from these areas,
there are still plenty of wildernesses to experience and enjoy. Alas this growth
is tourism has come at a cost and a number of the local communities have been be
devastated as locals move to the more lucratively paid tourist industry jobs.
Choosing a Canary Island to
visit ( island hopping is not as developed here as it is on the Greek Islands)
is very much a matter of personal choice, the holiday resorts offer an abundance
of cheap meals and plenty of the staple home foods whilst at the other extreme,
El Hierro is a world away and is truly an island where you can get a way from it
all
It is with out doubt the climate
that has attracted Northern Europeans to purchase holiday homes on these
Islands, Whilst prices have risen quite considerably in the last few years
(especially in the more fashionable areas of Tenerife) property is generally
cheaper than on mainland Spain. During the winters months when we are all
suffering from the cold weather, these islands are still bathed in sunshine and
although not scorching, you will find it warm enough with a minimum of 15C,in
fact Tenerife boasts the lowest temperature variation between the summer and
winter months for virtually anywhere in the world.
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Guide to The Canary Islands, Spain
