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Canary IslandsThe Canaries are a seething mass of oiled flesh, and offer the worst of mass tourism: concreted shorelines, tacky apartment blocks and bars where you can pretend you've never left home; but they also offer some of the best beaches within easy escape from a snowy European winter. Luckily, it's not all mass tourism. Beyond the mega resorts you can still find tiny fishing villages, whitewashed hamlets perched on hilltops and even a few wild places within earshot of the dull roar of a volcano or with mist dripping through primeval forests. Full country name: Canary Islands GDP: US$219 million Facts for the Traveler Visas: Spain (of which the Canaries are a part) along with Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal, forms part of the border-free travel zone known as the Schengen Area. US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Israeli citizens are among those who may enter the Canary Islands as tourists without a visa and stay up to 90 days. EU passport holders can come and go as they please. When to GoGo whenever - the weather is great year-round. December to March are the islands' busiest months, bringing the thickest crowds and higher prices. Being winter, the weather is also slightly cooler. The best value on airfares is offered from November to mid-December and even better, April to May (with the exception of the Easter rush). back to topEventsLike many of their mainland cousins, Canarios kick back and celebrate at plenty of fiestas and ferias (fairs) throughout the year. Carnaval in February/March is the wildest time, and brings several weeks of parades, fancy dress and general good times across the islands. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the party rivals the Rio Carnaval. From 21 to 30 June, the Bajada de La Virgen de las Nieves is the premier religious festival on Isla de la Palma, but is held only every five years (2005, 2010). The most important religious celebration held on Gran Canaria is the Fiesta de la Virgen del Pino , and festivities last for two weeks, culminating on 6 to 8 September. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria hosts several important arts festivals, including the Festival de Música de Canarias (January); the Festival de Opera (February-March); the Festival de Ballet y Danza (May); and the Festival Internacional de Cine , an international film festival held every two years in October and November. If that's not enough, the Encuentro Teatral Tres Continentes draws theatre companies from Europe, Latin America and Africa to Agüimes (Gran Canaria) in September. Currency: Euro
Lodging Daily living costs are marginally lower than those in Europe, and budget travellers could manage on about US$40 a day. You would have to share rooms at the cheapest pensiones and apartments, eat only one restaurant meal a day (a cheap one), and get around slowly on foot, local bus and ferry. Flying soon burns a hole in your pocket. A more comfortable budget would be US$60-100 a day, which would allow you to move up a little in the accommodation stakes, eat more comfortably and possibly include a few days' car hire. The sky's the limit if you have no budget; you can spend US$30 or more on a halfway decent meal, stay in international hotels, fly everywhere between islands, go on tours and then eat baked beans for the rest of the year. You're best off carrying your money as travellers cheques and plastic, with plastic probably nudging ahead as the best way to spend. There are plenty of exchange offices throughout the islands, and most hard currencies are widely accepted, although the New Zealand dollar could pose problems. It's not a bad idea to get your cheques in large amounts to save on per-cheque commission charges. Major brands of credit cards are widely accepted, and if you can, try to take more than one card, and try to keep them separate in case of theft or loss. Tipping is a matter of personal choice in restaurants. If you're satisfied with the service, leave some small change - 5% is usually plenty. The only places you may be able to bargain are markets, although even there fixed prices are generally the rule. You may be able to bargain in some cheap hotels, where you might be able to negotiate a price for a long stay. AttractionsLas Palmas de Gran CanariaThe largest town in the Canaries, Las Palmas has an unmistakably big-city feel. It sits on the northeastern tip of Gran Canaria and has begun swallowing up the small island of La Isleta. The city hugs the coast up a series of long boulevards to the bustling Santa Catalina and Puerto de la Luz. The Catedral de Santa Ana is the city's main place of worship and took 350 years to complete. Nearby, the Museo Diocesano, set on two levels around the Patio de los Naranjos, contains the standard collection of religious art and memorabilia, including old manuscripts and wooden sculptures. back to top Isla de LanzaroteIt hardly ever rains on Lanzarote, so all the water you drink and wash in is likely to be desalinated sea water. It's an incredibly arid place, and at first glance may not appear to offer much, but UNESCO has declared the entire island a biosphere reserve. The volcanic terrain is bizarre, and it's worth taking your time to move around the island and away from the three main resorts. It's not worth spending much time in the capital, Arrecife, as Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua are probably the main attractions. back to topParque Nacional de GarajonayThe island of La Gomera's outstanding natural attraction is the ancient laurisilva (laurel forest) at the centre of the Parque National de Garajonay. Cool Atlantic trade winds clash with warmer breezes, creating a constant ebb and flow of mist through the forest, made dark by the dense canopy. Forests like this grew over most of the Mediterranean until the last ice age. Most visitors head for the Alto de Garajonay, the island's tallest peak, from where you are rewarded with great views. Another good stop is La Laguna Grande just off the highway. Playa del Inglés & MaspalomasThis is the party part of the Canaries, sun-starved snowbirds fly south for year-round sun, swimming, and such. From lager louts to Swedish sun-worshippers, they're all here within a couple of kilometres of suntan oil-soaked sand and tour operator-infested city blocks. When you tire of the beach scene, try a theme parks or three: Palmitos Park, a subtropical oasis crammed with exotic flora and 1500 species of birds; Mundo Aborigen, with about 100 model Guanches posed to look how the real thing used to; or Sioux City, with good and bad guys shootin' each other up. Santa Cruz de TenerifeSanta Cruz de Tenerife is one of the busiest ports in Spain, and its long harbour sees countless container ships, cruise liners and a host of inter-island ferries and jetfoils. Everything of interest lies within about 1km (0.6mi) of Plaza España. The town has three museums - the Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre is easily the most interesting with its Guanche mummies and skulls, and its natural sciences section. The Museo de Bellas Artes has a lovely fine art collection and the Museo Militar de Almeyda specialises in the elements of war. back to topOff the Beaten TrackBetancuriaIn 1405 Jean de Béthencourt gave his name, mutated to Betancuria, to a tiny settlement consisting of his house and a chapel. The island's proximity to the North African coast meant that pirates overcame the town's natural defences several times and sacked it, and only 600 people live there now. A couple of kilometres north of town is the Mirador Morro Velosa, which offers mesmerising views across the island's weird, barren landscape. South of town is the Vega del Río de Palmas, a dry watercourse that is nevertheless wet enough below the surface to keep a stand of palms going. Isla de El HierroEl Hierro is about as far as you can get from the tourist hordes, bars and oil-streaked, cavorting naked Swedes. It is a rural island largely untouched by tourism, and the green farmland divided by rough stone walls is more reminiscent of the Irish countryside than a subtropical beach resort. The capital is Valverde, the only Canaries capital not on the coast, and it's a lovely, red-roofed town of about 1600. The walking is good on the island, and you can pass through hamlets such as Echedo, in the heart of wine-growing territory, or the cheese-producing village of Isora. Parque Nacional de la Caldera de TaburienteThis was the fourth national park declared in Spain in 1954. Its massive wall of volcanic rock is about 10km (6mi) in diameter, and its only real opening, the aptly named Barranco de las Angustias (Gorge of Fear) lies to the southwest. The walls drop away in some places to as much as 2000m (6560ft). The park's lower levels are covered by dense thickets of Canary Island pine. Landslides are not infrequent as the forces of erosion are hard at work. Although calderas are volcanic craters, Caldera de Taburiente is not a crater but the result of slow excavation by erosion over millions of years. Santa Cruz de la PalmaMost points of interest in compact Santa Cruz are within a few blocks of the waterfront Avenida Marítima. Beautiful, brightly painted old houses, some with wonderful balconies, line the waterfront. The heart of the old town, the prettiest part of it, surrounds Plaza España and Calle de O'Daly. On O'Daly you'll find the 17th-century Palacio de Salazar, now home to the tourist office. Along both sides of the street centuries-old Canarian mansions house a mix of shops, bars and offices. Behind the Plaza Constitución is the modest 16th-century chapel Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Luz. ActivitiesThe most in-your-face activity in the islands is beach-lazing , but you don't have to look hard for more active pastimes. Mountain bikes are readily available, and the islands lend themselves to cycling . Plenty of tracks in the country are fine for hiking , and by the coast conditions for surfing and windsurfing are excellent. For windsurfers, the Bahía de Pozo Izquierdo is the best beach on Gran Canaria, which is the windiest of all the islands. The swimming is generally better in summer, as the Atlantic has powerful swells in winter. Go snorkelling or scuba diving and you might see rays, grouper, barracuda, turtles, tropical fish and the occasional shark. Deep sea fishing and sailing are good for those with a little more money to spend, and the fishing off Gran Canaria is excellent. |
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