Islands in the Sun

The Canary Islands are the perfect year-round holiday destination with beautiful weather, vibrant cultural activities, stunning landscapes and a delectable gastronomy and wine scene

- Shibani Bawa

The Canaries

The Canary Islands are the Southernmost region of Spain but lie off the coast of Northwestern Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. There are eight main Canary Islands and a few smaller uninhabited ones. The largest island of the archipelago is Tenerife, followed by Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, with the smallest being La Graciosa. The best part is that these islands are close enough for you to go island hopping. You can even plan to stay a couple of days on different islands.

Cultural Hot Pot

Since the ocean was the highway for the trade route, these islands were an important stop for ships going from the West to the East, or vice versa. Thus, they have historically been considered a link between the four continents of Africa, North America, South America and Europe. They inevitably became a melting pot of different cultures giving rise to a unique Canarian style. According to legend, the name ‘Canary’ comes from the Latin word for dog, ‘canaria’, and was given by the first Europeans who arrived here. The story goes that when they landed ashore, they were met with large dogs on the island of Gran Canaria.

Volcanoes & National Parks