Canary Islands –
Eternal Spring.

Why the Canaries?

Seven Islands. Twelve Months of Sun.

The Canary Islands guarantee what most European beach destinations can't: reliable sunshine in December and January. While northern Europe deals with wind and rain, daytime temperatures on the Canaries stay around 20–22°C even in winter. This makes them one of the most popular destinations for winter breaks – and ideal for families who can only travel during school holidays.

The seven main islands each have a distinct personality. Tenerife, the largest, combines mass tourism in the south with dense laurel forests in the north and the Teide volcano – at 3,718 metres, the highest peak in Spain. Gran Canaria offers a mix of dunes, carnival culture and a cosmopolitan capital. Lanzarote is a UNESCO biosphere reserve – volcanic, black and utterly distinctive.

Fuerteventura is the windiest island – paradise for kitesurfers and windsurfers, and home to some of the archipelago's most beautiful beaches. La Palma and El Hierro are the quietest: green, hiking-friendly and far from the resort crowds. La Gomera is for those who want to experience what the Canaries looked like before mass tourism arrived.

Canarian cuisine is considerably more interesting than resort menus suggest. Try papas arrugadas – small wrinkled potatoes served with mojo sauces – fresh tuna at the harbour, or gofio, a toasted grain flour that appears in everything from soup to ice cream. The local white wines, especially from Lanzarote's black lava fields, are excellent and rarely exported.

Tips for the Canary Islands

• 01Winter travel: November to February is peak season for European visitors, but prices remain reasonable compared to summer peaks elsewhere.
• 02Island selection: First visit? Tenerife for variety. Beach focus? Fuerteventura. Volcanic landscapes? Lanzarote.
• 03Mega-resorts: Areas like Playa de las Américas are convenient but give little sense of the real island character. Explore further.
• 04La Gomera: A 40-minute ferry from Tenerife. Laurel forests, gorges and near-total silence – completely different world.