The document discusses the Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago off the coast of Morocco. It describes each of the 7 islands that make up the archipelago, highlighting their natural attractions like beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity as well as their climates and levels of development. The islands range from heavily touristy like Tenerife to more remote and scenic like La Palma, with each offering a unique landscape and environment for visitors to the subtropical region.

2. All of them! It’s no wonder the Canaries
were once known as the Fortunate Isles;
this volcanic archipelago of 7 islands off
southwest Morocco is a near-perfect
holiday destination. There’s a
subtropical climate with year-round
sunshine, and a host of natural
attractions: beautiful coastlines, national
parks, and lush topiary. Families come
for the glorious beaches and great-
value family-friendly hotels, plus there’s
no jetlag as you’re on European time.

3. The ‘Island of Eternal Spring’, Tenerife is
the largest and most touristy of the
Canaries, and served by the most flights.
While some of the island has been over-
developed (in the south), half is protected
for its astonishing biodiversity across 6
different vegetation zones and many
ravines and valleys. In the middle,
UNESCO-listed Teide National Park holds
Spain’s highest mountain, the Pico del
Teide volcano, and an observatory (there’s
great stargazing on the Canaries). The
craggy coastline has plentiful beaches;
those in the north have black volcanic
sand.

4. More tropical than its cohorts, Lanzarote,
the most easterly of the archipelago, has
extraordinary lunar volcanic landscapes,
such as the Mountains of Fire craters in
the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya.
Contraty to popular belief, the island is
wonderfully undeveloped – flat-roofed
whitewashed houses are everywhere, but
we didn’t see a single high rise. Beaches
are fewer but offer golden sands and
surfing.

5. Dubbed a ‘micro-continent’, Gran
Canaria is the island with the most micro
climates. Expect everything from sweeping
sand dunes to lush valleys; a 1/3 of the
island is protected as a Biosphere Reserve.
Tourist development is mostly confined to
the warmer and sunnier south; head to the
cooler north for dramatic cliffs and
mountains. There’s diving, hiking, and the
best beaches are found on the flatter east
coast.

6. Head to the most north-westerly island, La
Palma, the least developed and most scenic
in the archipelago. There’s a premier
observatory at its summit, much of the
terrain is National Park, it is still
geologically active, and it has the most
diverse plant life, including lots of pine
forest. The wild black-sand beaches
contrast with pastel-coloured colonial
villages. Kids will be fascinated by the
water tunnels (minas galerias) which
transport water collected by condensation
at altitude to the villages and plantations
below.

7. Known as the island of eternal spring,
Fuerteventura, just like the rest of the
Canary Islands, is a favorite among
travelers. Positioned southwest of
Lanzarote and east of Gran Canaria, the
second largest among the group, boasts of
the best and the most extensive white sand
beaches and the most playful Atlantic
waves. With tourism at the forefront of its
economic growth, the island has gradually
seen transformations of some of its sleepy
seaside suburbs into bustling resort towns.
But what sets it apart from its neighboring
islands is the number of quiet and
unspoiled traditional villages where time
seems to stand still.

8. Known as “Isla Magica,” La Gomera lives
up to its moniker and continue to enchant
visitors with its natural wonders and
perpetual summer-like weather. It is the
second smallest of the Canary Islands
cradling lush ancient forests, traditional
villages, and unique culture. An unspoiled
land, so beautiful and captivating, it’s no
wonder those who’ve visited promise to
return or stay a while longer.

9. El Hierro, the smallest and wildest of the
Canary Islands, is the least tourist
congested island in the archipelago. Its
location on the westernmost part of
Europe made people in the ancient times
believe that it was the edge of the Earth.
Today, with the perfect blend of ever-
changing terrain, rich cultural heritages,
and historic villages, the explicit edge-of-
the-world feel still hangs in the air.