The Canary Islands are Europe's nearest dependable winter sun: volcanic landscapes, dark skies and no time difference.
The Canaries sit off the coast of Africa but keep UK time, and they are warm when the Mediterranean is not. Most people know only the resort towns of southern Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The islands themselves are volcanic and varied: the high crater of Teide, the laurel forest of La Gomera, the lava fields and white villages of Lanzarote.
We choose the island by what you want from the week. Tenerife has the widest choice of hotels and the national park. Lanzarote has the art and architecture of César Manrique and vineyards growing in black ash. La Gomera and La Palma are quieter, greener and better for walking, and are easy to combine with Tenerife by ferry.
The honest caveats are the sea and the wind. It is the Atlantic, so the water is cooler than many expect even in summer, and winter days are warm rather than hot, typically low to mid twenties. North-facing coasts are greener but cloudier, and the trade winds can be strong on Fuerteventura.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Teide is Spain's highest mountain, rising from a vast volcanic caldera in the middle of Tenerife. A cable car climbs most of the way, and a separate permit is needed to walk to the very summit. Walk among the lava formations at Roques de García, and stay late for sunset above the clouds. Take warm layers: it can be cold at altitude even in summer.
A short ferry from southern Tenerife, La Gomera is steep, green and quiet. Garajonay National Park protects an ancient laurel forest, often wrapped in mist, and paths drop from the ridges into terraced valleys such as Hermigua and the Valle Gran Rey. Listen for silbo, the whistled language once used to talk across the ravines.
The artist César Manrique shaped modern Lanzarote, persuading the island to keep buildings low and white. See his house built into lava bubbles at Tahíche, the Jameos del Agua cave auditorium and the Mirador del Río clifftop viewpoint. Drive through the La Geria vineyards, where vines grow in hollows in the black ash, and taste the dry malvasía.
Timanfaya National Park covers the lava fields left by eruptions in the eighteenth century. The ground is still hot enough near the surface that rangers pour water into a hole and it erupts as steam, and the restaurant grills over a volcanic vent. Access is by guided coach route to protect the landscape. Combine it with a camel ride on the edge of the park.
La Palma protects its night sky by law, and there is a major observatory on the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente. Stargazing with a local astronomer is best on moonless nights. By day, walk into the caldera or along the volcanic ridge of the Ruta de los Volcanes.
Canarian food is simple and good. Papas arrugadas are small wrinkled potatoes boiled in salted water, served with red and green mojo sauces. Look for grilled fish such as vieja, goat's cheese from Fuerteventura and gofio, a toasted grain flour. In the north of Tenerife, guachinches are family-run places serving their own wine with homely food.
On Tenerife, the west coast around Guía de Isora is sunnier, with the larger resort hotels, while the north around La Orotava has more character. On Lanzarote, the south around Playa Blanca is calm and sunny. La Gomera and La Palma suit small rural hotels and villas.
We match each trip in Canary Islands to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsThe Canaries are a year-round destination, with the main season running from October to April, when they are among the warmest places within a short flight of the UK. Winter days are warm and bright in the south, cooler and greener in the north.
Summer is hotter and busier, with Spanish families on holiday in July and August. September and October are our favourite months: the sea is at its warmest and the islands are quieter.
A week that pairs the sun and the national park on Tenerife with three quiet nights on La Gomera, joined by a short ferry crossing. 7 nights.
Fly into Tenerife South and transfer to a hotel on the west coast. A boat trip along the Los Gigantes cliffs and a long lunch by the sea.
Drive up into the crater. The cable car, the Roques de García walk and a night inside the park for stargazing.
Ferry from Los Cristianos to La Gomera. Walks in the Garajonay laurel forest, lunch in Hermigua and a boat trip to Los Órganos cliffs.
Ferry back to Tenerife and a short transfer to Tenerife South airport for the direct flight home.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Canary Islands (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Tenerife South is about 4 hours 30 minutes direct from Gatwick, and the larger islands all have direct flights from London airports. Ferries and short inter-island flights connect the islands.
The Canary Islands are part of Spain, and the FCDO covers them on its Spain pages. UK passport holders can visit without a visa for short stays, and new Schengen border checks are being introduced. Read the FCDO entry requirements for Spain (opens in a new tab) before travel.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Canary Islands (opens in a new tab)
TravelHealthPro covers the Canary Islands on its Spain page (opens in a new tab); see also the FCDO health page. The sun is strong even in winter at this latitude, and Teide's summit area is high enough to feel the altitude.
TravelHealthPro advice for Canary Islands (opens in a new tab)
The Canaries use the euro. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, though small places may set a minimum spend for cards, so carry some cash for markets and rural bars.
Surcharge-free roaming in the EU, including the Canaries, is no longer guaranteed for UK customers, so check your provider's charges before you go. Hotels have Wi-Fi as standard.
As in the rest of Spain, tipping is not obligatory because service is included, but leaving five to ten per cent for good service in restaurants and bars is common.
The south and west coasts of Tenerife and Gran Canaria are the most reliably sunny, along with the south of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Expect warm rather than hot days in December and January, with cooler evenings. The north coasts and high ground are greener and cloudier.
Many people swim all year, but the Atlantic is cool in winter and most visitors find it refreshing rather than warm. It is at its warmest in September and October. Hotels with heated pools make a real difference in the winter months.
Easily. Tenerife and La Gomera are linked by a short ferry, and Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are close neighbours. Inter-island flights connect the rest. Two islands in a week works well, pairing a sunnier base with a quieter, greener island for walking.
Very. The flight is manageable, there is no time difference, and there are plenty of family hotels, sandy beaches and simple adventures such as whale watching, volcanoes and camel rides. School holidays in February, Easter and October half term are popular, so book early.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: January to March and September to November.
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