Which canary island should i go to

Diving is the best thing to do in the Canary Islands , since the archipelago has incredible seabeds. If you want to explore them, El Hierro is the best Canary Island to visit.

You can find the Mar de Las Calmas Marine Reserve there, which has waters with a lot of visibility, perfect for enjoying underwater beauty. With a little luck, you can see sea turtles, dolphins, groupers, barracudas, and more. Diving, one of the most popular activities in the Canary Islands.

The most spectacular thing is its rocky bottom, with caves, crevices, and tunnels. Also, since the water here has a lower temperature, there are species that cannot be seen on other islands. For this reason, diving is undoubtedly the most popular thing to do in La Graciosa. Gran Canaria is also one of the best islands for scuba diving, since, on its extensive coast, there is everything from dive sites for beginners to some for more experienced divers.

Plus, you can explore sunken ships and snorkel among volcanic landscapes. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Canary Islands below the waves. If I must choose the best Canary Island to visit to enjoy a spectacular volcanic landscape, there is no doubt that it would have to be Tenerife.

As I have said before, Teide, in addition to being the highest peak in Spain and a place where you get spectacular views, has landscapes of volcanic cones with shapes and colors that will leave you speechless. However, for me, Lanzarote is the nicest Canary Islands to visit if you want to learn more about volcanoes. On this Canary island is Timanfaya National Park , the most important attraction of Lanzarote , which covers around 5, hectares.

The volcanic eruptions that took place until created a spectacular natural and virgin volcanic landscape. Also, you can take guided tours with park rangers to learn more about the formation of the island. Best volcanic landscapes in the Canary Islands. La Palma , in addition to being the most beautiful Canary Island, has a fascinating volcanic landscape. It may not be as popular as Teide or Timanfaya National Park because its creation is much more recent.

However, the volcanoes of Fuencaliente are a great place to visit in the Canary Islands. Although its landscape is very different from the rest, since it is full of vegetation, several volcanic eruptions took place here, creating a hilly landscape with up to 2, meters of unevenness.

Whale watching is one of the most popular activities in the Canary Islands. Although you can take a tour to watch whales and dolphins from practically any island, one of the best is in Tenerife. The waters of this area are perfect for cetacean watching.

In addition, they usually get quite close to the coast, and up to 21 different species have been counted. If you want to enjoy the best of the Canary Islands on your trip, I recommend the tour we did or you can check other options in our guide on whale watching tours in Tenerife. This activity can also be done on La Palma through a tour like this one. Remember that they are wild animals that live freely and that their movements and behaviors can be unpredictable. But if the success rate is true, this makes it the best Canary Island for whale watching , especially if you are looking for a place that is not as crowded with tourists as Tenerife.

Here is an article with everything you need to know about dolphin and whale-watching in La Palma. In Gran Canaria, there are also good conditions for whale watching tours, although whales are not as frequent there; what is normally seen are wild dolphins.

These small and cute cetaceans usually swim in the southern waters of the island of Gran Canaria, especially in the Puerto Rico area. If, during your holidays in the Canary Islands, you want to enjoy this activity, I recommend this tour or check our guide on the best whale watching tours in Gran Canaria. Lobos Island is another ideal Canary Islands destination for dolphin watching. You can take a tour to explores its waters in search of these mammals from Lanzarote or from Fuerteventura.

For more information, check our guides on dolphin-watching in Lanzarote and dolphin-watching in Fuerteventura. The laurel forest is a type of humid subtropical forest that I highly recommend visiting in the Canary Islands. To enjoy these beautiful forests, La Gomera is undoubtedly the best island in the Canary Islands. If you can travel to La Gomera, visiting this park is like entering a magical world where nature has created a space everyone wants to get lost in.

Winding trails, incredible views, fairytale landscapes and a beautiful volcanic landscape. This is the Laurisilva forest of La Gomera. Laurel forests, which is the best Canary Island. But there is another laurel forest that fascinated me: Anaga Rural Park, in Tenerife. Here, in addition to this beautiful forest, you will enjoy paradisiacal beaches, cliffs, and incredible landscapes.

And if you have time, I advise you to spend a night in this hostel to be able to enjoy this place even more. In short, if you want to get to know laurel forests on your trip to the Canary Islands, I recommend those of La Gomera and Tenerife. If you are looking for the best island in the Canary Islands to discover the most traditional culture, the most authentic gastronomy, and stroll through the streets of charming little villages and their surroundings, I know which Canary Island is best for you.

In Gran Canaria, you will find some of the most beautiful villages in the Canary Islands. Like Tejeda , also considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. Also, different hiking trails start from here. Lanzarote is another place to visit in the Canary Islands if you want to find beautiful villages.

For example, one of the most beautiful towns in Spain is there, Yaiza , and you can also visit the charming village of Teguise. On the other hand, Teguise is considered one of the oldest and most historic villages in the Canary Islands, which is why it has become, over the years, one of the main cultural and tourist centers of Lanzarote.

Beautiful villages to visit in the Canary Islands. And finally, I highlight Betancuria, Fuerteventura. It is the oldest town in the Canary Islands and the most picturesque of all.

In addition, it is also one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. It is more than years old, and, despite its small size, it has many places of interest to discover. So, if you are looking for the best Canary Island to learn about tradition and culture, keep Fuerteventura in mind. The offer of nightclub venues is so vast that you can find absolutely everything you are looking for. You can even find boats where you can spend a whole day doing activities and, at night, you can party.

Although Gran Canaria is the best island for nightlife, you can also find many things to do at night in Tenerife. If you are looking for a Canary Islands holiday that is full of partying, I totally recommend Gran Canaria or Tenerife , with the former being the best option.

If you are lucky enough to travel to the Canary Islands during Carnival , you will experience one of the most spectacular, colorful, festive, and musical events in the world.

It is a party that is already part of the culture and tradition of Tenerife. During the days that the Carnival takes place, parades, costumes, comparsas, and musical groups are held. And, most importantly, the election of the Carnival Queen. There, they have a very special figure, the Drag Queen , which is what sets this Carnival apart from the rest. It was impossible for me to choose just one, so when I saw that it was easy to travel between the Canary Islands , I decided to visit several of them, and it was the best decision I made.

There are very good connections by ferry or boat, even by plane, and you can visit several island on the same trip. In fact, it takes less than one hour to get from one Canary Island to another. There are many ferries between the Canary Islands every day. Olsen Express and Naviera Armas are the main companies operating these routes, but there are many other smaller companies too.

These are the connections you will find to travel between the Canary Islands by ferry:. Just go Canary Island Hopping! Also, many boats accept cars, so you can get a cheap rental car and move it between the islands. Find cheap rental cars in the Canary Islands.

There are 8 airports in the Canary Islands that connect the different islands to each other. In addition, traveling between the Canary Islands by plane is very convenient, since it always take less than an hour and there are flights between the islands every day.

The main airlines operating in the Canary Islands are Binter and Canaryfly. Personally, I advise you to always try to take a ferry or boat as your first option because you save on waiting time and airport security. But if you have no other choice, Canary Islands hopping by plane is also a great option. I enjoy exploring new landscapes and creating in-depth travel guides for Capture the Atlas.

I have felt a special connection with nature and all the inhabitants of the planet since I was a kid. You can know a little more about me here. Search for:. Book a whale watching tour in Tenerife, one of the best things to do in the Canary Islands. La Palma, the most beautiful Canary Island. The best things to do in El Hierro are underwater: Snorkeling tour Scuba diving tour. Speaking of ferries, for a more remote and incredibly beautiful beach experience, head to tiny La Graciosa - a picture-perfect place to get away from it all for the day.

Clean and bright with a mix of traditional and modern architecture, back in the day namely, the Renaissance era , it was the third most important port of the Spanish Empire, after Seville and Antwerp. You can drive most of the way up and then ramble around the volcanic mound on foot. Blanketed in dense Canarian pine woods, and zigzagged with deep ravines, the park is a picture-perfect paradise for ramblers. For more cave-based action, but this time observed from the water, visiting the volcanic Cueva Bonita sea cave comes highly recommended.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in fascinating fact: a third of this little island has been divided into 17 UNESCO-designated protected areas , this park has a well-marked circular trail and contains rare laurel forests, subtropical plant species and archaeological sites - all the while serving up sweeping views.

Though small in size, La Gomera is big on delivering food and drink specialties, such as almogrote, a spicy and addictive cheese paste. While Canarian rum is popular on all the islands, this is a La Gomera speciality, as is guarapo - a honey-like syrup made from the heated sap of Canarian palm trees. Or, to enjoy more typical tourist experiences seaside dining and drinking, a black-sand beach, and diving facilities , head to the little town of Valle Gran Rey.

Last but not least in our guide to the Canary Islands comes rustic El Hierro - the smallest and most south-westerly of the archipelago, the hardest to get to, and the least set-up for tourists. El Hierro is a sanctuary from tourist trappings - a haven for divers, hikers, and get-away-from-it-all-ers. Valverde, the only Canarian capital located inland it was built ft above sea level to protect it from pirate raids is small, with a cluster of friendly bars and restaurants.

To blend your back-to-nature experience with a spot of style and spa-pampering, you could stay at Balneario Pozo de la Salud - every room offers a sea or mountain view, while all guests can enjoy the ocean terrace.

Speaking of which, you can trust what we link to - our travel writer experts are exactly that experts and have highlighted them to share ideas that might make your trips all the more satisfying.

Joanne is a Pembrokeshire-born writer with a passion for the nature, cultures and histories of the Caribbean region, especially Dominica. Follow her JoanneOwen on Twitter and joanneowenwrites on Instagram.

Planning to travel here? Go tailor-made! Book ahead to sample the fresh-produce cooking at locally loved restaurant Enriclai. The fairytale-like sq-mile Parque Nacional de Garajonay at the heart of the island bursts with trails tracking through misty ancestral laurisilva forest try the 6.

The island has, so far, kept grand-scale tourism at bay, and most lodging is in small rural hotels, family-run pensiones, refurbished farmhouses and self-catering apartments.

There are also plenty of appealing casas rurales , many of which were abandoned by emigrants and have since been refurbished for tourists. La Gomera's top hotel is the Parador de la Gomera , in the style of a 15th-century Canarian mansion.

La Gomera's cuisine is classic, simple Canarian, starring fresh seafood, meaty mains, hearty stews such as potaje de berros watercress stew and, of course, patatas arrugadas wrinkly potatoes with lashings of mojo. The island's international community has introduced a few other flavors too, especially in Valle Gran Rey, which hosts some good fusion and vegetarian restaurants alongside its traditional offerings. Aeropuerto de La Gomera has several daily flights to Tenerife. The vast majority of people arrive here on day trips from Los Cristianos, Tenerife.

Here, on what feels like the edge of the earth, quiet hiking trails such as the historic mile 27km Camino de la Virgen weave through flower-filled fields and scented pine forests. Other paths, like the spine-tingling 2. El Hierro's accommodation scene isn't the most exciting in the Canary Islands, but you aren't here for flashy resorts.

The best places to stay are charming rural hotels and private casas rurales , and there are plenty of budget-friendly self-catering apartments across the island. Stay at boho-rustic converted bodega El Sitio , which hosts yoga retreats. Food on El Hierro might be unpretentious, but it's delicious, much of it produced on the island or off its coasts.

The lack of tourist traffic ensures restaurants are catering mainly to a local clientele, which means higher standards. El Hierro's tiny airport has just a few flights to Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where you can take onward transport to the rest of the archipelago. Named the eighth Canary Island in , serene sand-swept La Graciosa lies just a half-hour boat ride north of Lanzarote.

On this low-lying beauty of an island, wild honey-gold beaches wrap around scorched volcanic cones, and the only way to explore is on foot, by bicycle or by rented jeep. Hike or bike over to remote Playa de las Conchas or secluded Playa Francesa before settling in for a seafood feast in low-key "capital" Caleta de Sebo. Accommodations on Isla Graciosa are mostly in simple, comfortable pensiones or private apartments.

You'll enjoy excellent fresh seafood at most of Caleta de Sebo's mellow restaurants, including Casa Margucha and El Veril. Be the architect of your own trip as you discover the best things to do in Spain through insider tips, suggested itineraries and handy maps. Which of the Canary Islands is best for you? Isabella Noble.