Category Archives: Canary Islands / Islas Canarias

Garachico, Tenerife (Canary Islands)

June 27, 2014Beach, mountain and nature, Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, The islands, Tours and Guidesbestplaces

People visiting Tenerife island (Canary Islands) should not miss out on Garachico which is situated in the northwest of Tenerife Island between the steep mountain slopes and the volcanic rock cliffs on the Atlantic Ocean coast. Obviously, it is a scenery of indescribable natural beauty.

Garachico was founded in the late15th century and its seaport was possibly the most important port in the island during 16th and 17th centuries. However, in 1706 there was a volcanic eruption and the lava flowed from the Trevejo Volcano towards the sea destroying a part of the town and burying its commercial port. In fact, the beautiful bay disappeared under the volcanic lava while the natural rock pools were being formed on the coast, currently known as El Caletón.

Nowadays, this historical town with one population of about 5,000, and a pleasant mild climate all the year round, has a lot of to offer visitors in the way of traditional Canary architecture, extraordinary natural landscape, typical food, delicious wine, traditional dance, nature, culture, beaches, and above all, El Caletón of Garachico a natural swimming pools of black volcanic rocks, and the breathtaking views of its surroundings among other things.

What to visit in Garachico Town and Port (Tenerife)

Starting in the lively Plaza de la Libertad (Freedom Square) which is the main meeting point of the town and Glorieta de San Francisco next to Plaza de la Libertad visitors will be able to find the most important buildings of Garachico.

Santa Ana Church is one of the most beautiful and remarkable buildings of Garachico, dating in the mid 16th century was partly destroyed by the volcanic eruption in 1607 and rebuilt afterwards. Its square bell tower stand out from all the houses of Garachico. Inside the church there are an impressive altarpiece and other artworks which are worth visiting.

Convent of San Francisco of Asis, a two-storey building dating from 1524, there are exhibitions of Canary, volcanoes, photos and the Public Libray among other things; Our Lady of the Angels Church (Iglesia de Nuestra señora de los Angeles) dating from 1524, both buildings the Convent and Church form a magnificent architectural ensemble in traditional Canary style.

Casa del Marqués de la Quintana Roja in traditional Canary style was rebuilt after the volcanic eruption like the original building; La Casa de Piedra is an Art Space was also rebuilt; and City Hall building all of them are in Plaza de la Libertad.

Castle-Fortress of San Miguel dating from 16th century is situated on Atlantic Ocean Coast, next to El Caletón but fortunately the castle was not destroyed by the volcano in 1706. It takes 3 minutes on foot from Plaza de la Libertad to San Miguel Castle.

Puerta de Tierra is a picturesque park inside the town with exotic plants and remains of old port that remind us of the volcanic eruption. It is located next to the beautiful Plaza la Pila which has a spectacular view of Puerta de Tierra and surroundings. It takes 2 minutes on foot from Plaza de la Libertad.

Casa del Marques de Villafuerte, in traditional Canary style, was built in the late 17th century its geographical location avoided being destroyed by the volcanic eruption; and Concepcionistas Franciscanas Convent are also worth visiting.

Taking a leisurely walk along the promenade visitors will come across interesting sculptures, historical buildings and Casa el Molino an interesting old flour mills, after they will arrive at San Roque Chapel dating in the early 17th century which is near the New Marina.

The Garachico Rock, which is a islet to 300 meters far away from Garachico coast and rounded by Atlantic Ocean, has a surface area of 50,000 square meters with a wealth of native wildlife. Anyway, it is certainly a Natural Area and the visits are forbidden.

Beaches in Garachico

Due to its tropical trade winds, its annual average temperatures between 18 degrees and 24 degrees and its geographical location near the Teide National Park, the beaches and sport activities are of the main tourist attraction of Garachico.

– El Caletón is situated on the site of the old port coast with natural swimming pools that were made during the volcanic eruption. It is often crowded of tourists with adequate facilities for all the family. Visitors should not leave Garachico without enjoying the beautiful pools.

– The Muelle Beach, located in the old bay of Garachico is a lovely and excellent beach with black sand and clear blue water. It is highly popular with tourists and local people. It is near El Caletón.

–Las Aguas Beach, situated next to New Marina is larger, quieter and more secluded than the Muelle Beach with black sand, clear blue water, plenty of free space and a beautiful landscape.

Other beaches of Garachico: Gomero, La Caleta, Guincho and La Madalena.

By the way, Mount Teide (El Teide) is one of the tallest volcano in the world and the highest peak in Spain at 3,718 meters above sea level it occupies a majestic location in the center of the Canary Island known as Teide National Park was declared a World Heritage site in 2007 by UNESCO.

More places to visit in Canary Islands (Spain)

– Read here all ours places in the Canary Islands (Las Islas Canarias – España).

– Tenerife: Dont dofget visiting Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Icod de Vinos.

Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife (Canary Islands)

May 10, 2014Beach, mountain and nature, Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, Tours and Guidesbestplaces

Situated in the beautiful Orotava Valley, on the Atlantic Ocean coast in the north of Tenerife Island (Canary Islands), 37 km. away from Santa Cruz de Tenerife city, Puerto de la Cruz is a lively town with lovely gardens and a population of about 30,000. To add, the town is at the bottom of foothill of the Teide Mountain (3,718 meters high).

The annual average temperature between 15 degrees in winter and 27 degrees in summer, its mild climate and its nature beauty of its surroundings have really played an important role in the quality of life in Puerto de la Cruz, which is regarded as one of the main towns in tourist attraction in Canary Islands. Moreover, the volcanic sand beaches and the fresh mountain air make Puerto de la Cruz one of the best towns to have a lifestyle healthy, spend an enjoyable holiday or do all sort of sport. In fact, in this town visitors can stroll, play, rest, eat, drink, dance, have fun and enjoy its nightlife in a friendly, relaxed and pleasant atmosphere among other many things.

In the heart of the historical neighborhood in the north of the town visitors can find the Plaza de la Iglesia (Church Square) and Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia (Our Lady of the Rock of France Church), the square is a quiet and clean area to rest and enjoy its traditional buildings . It will take two minutes on foot from Church Square to get the remarkable Charco Square the main meeting point for citizens and tourists where people can find shops, cafés, restaurants, open air terraces. This square is immensely popular with the local people and the perfect place to spend the free time. Moreover, the old pier is nearby too. Tourists should not miss on out this area.

The Castle of San Felipe was built in the middle of the 17th century in order to keep safe the place. However, if you like music you will listen concerts in this Castle currently.

Puerto de la Cruz: Visiting the beaches of the Port

Puerto de la Cruz has four black sand beaches:

– Martianez Beach, is an ideal beach to go surfing, swimming, walking and enjoy water sports.

– San Telmo Beach is near the Iglesia Square in the heart of the historical Town remaining as a typical beach for bathing. This beach is especially popular among the citizens.

– The Jardin Beach, which is near the San Felipe Castle, is the largest beach in Puerto de la Cruz covering more than 16,000 square metres. It has plenty of gardens with paths to stroll, play or rest and a range of facilities. This beach – garden was designed by the world renowned artist and sculptor Cesar Manrique Cabrera ( 1919-1992) who expressed through his designs a love of nature.

– Lago Martianez Complex, (Complex Martianez Lake) which is the most emblematic place in Puerto de la Cruz, has several seawater lakes or swimming spools, gardens, terraces, bars, excellent facilities. Its surface area is about 50,000 square meters and was designed by the artist canary Cesar Manrique Cabrera (1919-1992) who built the Complex like a natural environment space. By the way, the Complex becomes a bustling and lively place during the evening and the night. This beach is between San Telmo and Martianez beaches.

The Botanic Garden, Taoro Park and Loro Park (Tenerife)

The Botanic Garden (Jardin de Aclimatacion de la Orotava) dates from 18th century creating with astonishing variety of plants is a beautiful landscaped garden. It might have more than 4,000 different plants.

It will take about 25 minutes on foot from Church Square to arrive at Botanic Garden. Its nature beauty makes it a must-see place

The Taoro Park is also worthy of mention, it takes about 18 minutes on foot from Church Square to get this park, covering an area of about 100,000 square meters.

Loro Park is one of the most interesting zoo in the world where people can see plenty of animals and spend all day strolling and enjoy the zoo. It will be a unique and unforgettable experience for children if they can see the intelligent dolphins acting as if the dolphins were in the sea.

If you want to know more about Puerto de la Cruz , it goes back to the 16th century like Orotava’s seaport until the first years of the 19th century that it was renamed like Puerto de la Cruz. In fact, the seaport probably had quite importance between the 16th and 18th centuries when the pier was used for international trade of sugar and wine. Besides, Puerto de la Cruz was a fishing village and parts of the old seaport are still visible. By the way, the town has followed with its fishing seaport for several centuries.

Strolling around the streets of this town tourists will come across of architecturally interesting buildings, museums, and so on.

More about Tenerife and The Canary Islands

– Canary Islands: Read here all about the Canary Islands, Spain (Islas Canarias, España).

– Tenerife island: The beaches and places to go when visiting Tenerife.

– Santa Cruz de Tenerife: The main city of Tenerife Island.

Icod de los Vinos, the Drago town in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

April 17, 2014Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, Streets and monumentsbestplaces

Icod de los Vinos also called the Town of the Drago tree is not only famous for its Drago Milenario tree (millennial tree) which grows in this town, but also its nature, its forest, its vineyards, its plataneras (banana trees), and the Cave of the Wind (Cueva del Viento).

Situated in the north-west of Tenerife Island, in the Canary Islands, on the hillside of Teide (the highest mountain in Spain 3,718 meters in height), Icod de los Vinos has a population of about 25,000.

The Drago tree

It is said that the exotic millennial Drago tree, which is the oldest drago tree known in the world, can be more than one thousand years old. In fact, it measures more than 17 meters in height and 20 meters the perimeter trunk. Moreover, the drago trees were regarded as sacred by the Guanches ( people who were living in Tenerife Island when the island was conquered by Spaniards in 1495. Considering that drago tree is a healing herb it was used in medicine.

Nowadays, the ornamental drago trees are considered to be together with the palm trees the plant symbols of Tenerife island and can be seen in parks, gardens and streets frequently in the Canary Islands. However, in the past, the prized red sap of the drago trees called the drago’s blood, was extracted massively from their trucks and used to make several products by the traders and plenty of drago trees were cut down for their exploitation. Fortunately, drago tree is being protected from exploitation in the Canary Islands.

Tourists should not miss out on the Milenario Drago tree, the longest living drago tree.

The Wind Cave

The underground Cueva del Viento Sobrado (the Wind Cave) is one of the largest volcanic caves in Europe, it can really measure more than 15 kilometers in length and might have been made about 20,000 years ago when the volcanic lava flew from the active Teide volcano. Situated on the foothill of the Teide Mountain which is the highest mountain in Spain with 3,718 meters over sea level, the cave is three kilometers away from Icod de los Vinos. It is well worth a visit.

Visitors had better wear comfortable shoes and clothes to enter the cave, the visit takes about two hours. The ticket to visit the cave can be booked in advance, it costs from 5 to 16 euros. By the way, the white wine of this town is delicious.

Other interesting places nearby Icod de los Vinos

– Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Read here everything abut the capital city of Tenerife island.

– The Canary Islands (Islas Canarias): The best places to visit in the Canary Islands.

Visiting Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)

April 11, 2014Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, Tours and Guidesjulia

The coastal cosmopolitan Santa Cruz de Tenerife city is the capital and the largest city in Tenerife Island, which is one of the seven Spanish Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Located in the north-east of Tenerife Island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife just has one of the most important ports of Spanish that has become a favourite and traditional port of call for luxury cruises and modern ships from North and South America, Asia and Europe. In fact, Santa Cruz de Tenerife really attracts more than 4,000.000 visitors a year, although the city only has a population of about 250,000.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is not only popular with the tourists because its sunny beaches, exceptional climate, good gastronomy but also its culture, nature, architecture, shops, entertainment, renowned festivals, cheap and upmarket hotels, nightlife, and so on. Anyway, people can just have a lot of fun at Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s festivals or parties and come across enjoyable things.

What to visit in Santa Cruz de Tenerife city

Strolling leisurely along the streets and squares of Santa Cruz de Tenerife city is the best way to enjoy the city. So we suggest starting in the large Plaza de España (Spain Square), one of the main meeting points of Santa Cruz de Tenerife next to the port. The Spain Square has an artificial shallow seawater lake in the middle of the square with a geyser, many ever-trees, benches, important buildings and open-air terraces.

After having a good look around the impressive Spain Square, it will take about 15 minutes on foot to arrive at imposing Auditorium of Tenerife Adán Martín one of the most remarkable buildings in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Auditorium was built between 1997 and 2003 and designed by the world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava Valls (who was born in 1951 in Valencia). Located on the Atlantic Ocean coast in the south of the city, the Auditorium is used for performances, opera, dance, concerts, from rock, classical, pop, jazz to flamenco among other events. Moreover, the Tenerife Auditorium has an innovative organ which is considered to be unique in the world. Therefore, tourists should not miss out on this building which can be visited on Monday to Saturday at half past twelve in the afternoon in guided visit.

The Castillo de San Juan Bautista (Saint John Castle) popularly known as the Black Castle was built in 1644. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast next to the Auditorium, the castle is worth a visit.

The Parque Marítimo César Manrique (César Manrique Martime Park) with more than 20,000 square meters has a few seawater swimming pools and a good range of first-class facilities for all family, it is among the Saint John Castle, the Palmetum and the Atlantic Ocean. It takes 22 minutes on foot from the Spain Square or 7 minutes from the Auditorium. By the way, the Palmetum is a botanical garden park with a lot of palm trees on the Atlantic Ocean coast. It is a must-see place).

It will only take 5 minutes on foot from Spain Square to the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (the Conception Church) dating from 17th century with a beautiful tower in Canary Colonial style that is one of the symbols of the city. The church is located in the historic neighborhood of the Concepción, famous for its excellent restaurants and cafés, which server delicious traditional cuisine and good local wine. Moreover, in February the neighborhood has a lot of fun during the Carnival Festival. Besides, the fascinating Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Nature and Humankind Museum) is opposite the Concepción Church, crossing the Barranco de Santos bridge. It is worth a visit.

The Teatro de Güimerá (Güimerá Theatre) dating from 19th century in classical style is one of the most emblematic buildings in Tenerife Island. It is located in the Madeira Square near other interesting buildings. It takes 5 minutes on foot from Spain Square or from Concepción Church.

Next to Spain Square at its west is the lively Plaza la Candelaria (Candelaria Square) where the Carnival Festivals are celebrated by citizens and tourists dancing or listening to live music. If visitors go through the Candelaria Square they will get the Castillo Street one of the main shopping streets of the city.

The Parque García Sanabria (García Sanabria Park), which covers an area of more than 60,000 square metres, is just a beautiful botanical garden where people can relax and enjoy its plants, flowers, trees, fountains and modern sculptures. It is the perfect place to spend the day with the family. It takes about 15 minutes on foot from the Spain Square. Tourists should not leave the city without visiting this park, they will come across of enjoyable things.

Other interesting places near Santa Cruz de Tenerife city

– Beaches and gastronomy in Tenerife: Find here where to go and what to eat in Tenerife Island.

– San Cristobal de la Laguna city (commonly known as La Laguna): A historic city that was founded in 1497 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo (1456 -1525). Situated in the north of Tenerife Island (one of the seven Spanish Canary Islands), La Laguna has a population of about 170,000 and is twelve kilometres away from Santa Cruz de Tenerife city. Moreover, La Laguna was declared a World Heritage site in 1999 by UNESCO.

– The Canary islands: All our posts about the Canary Islands (Spain).

Tenerife Island: Beaches and gastronomy in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

March 29, 2014Beach, mountain and nature, Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, Gastronomybestplaces

Situated in the Atlantic Ocean, Tenerife Island is the largest island of the seven Spanish Canary Islands (known as Islas Canarias) off northwest coast of Africa. Tenerife covers a surface area of about 2,030 square kilometers and being Santa Cruz of Tenerife its Capital city.

Its favorable geographical location, its pleasant mild climate, its tropical trade winds (vientos Alisios), its annual average temperatures between 17 degrees in winter and 25 degrees in summer, its sunny beaches, and leisure activity make Tenerife Island an ideal holiday destination. Moreover, Tenerife also has a lot of offer in the way of culture, nature, gastronomy, sport, festivals, and so on.

The beaches of Tenerife

The exceptional warm climate makes the beaches of Tenerife its main attraction for visitors who can enjoy bathing, windsurfing or swimming in the clear water of the Atlantic Ocean during all the year round, sunbathing, relaxing on the Médano, the Cabezo, the Cristianos, The Gigantes, San Juan or some of the many sandy beaches which surround on the coast of Tenerife island.

If tourists want to enjoy a different beach every day, they can take the public bus or tram which run very frequently from wherever village or city of Tenerife to all the most famous beaches of the island. It might take about an hour or less to arrive at the farthest beaches. Although the best way to reach the beaches is to hire a car and enjoy the incomparable beauty of the island.

We suggest joying the fine golden sand of Teresitas beach in the north of the island, it takes about 12 minutes (9 km. away) from Santa Cruz de Tenerife city. The volcanic black sand of Arena beach in the south of the island which will take about an hour (100 km. away) from Santa Cruz de Tenerife city, or the exotic black sand Socorro beach near the Orotava Valley it takes about 30 minutes by car (42 km away).

By the way, the beaches have excellent facilities for people of all ages.

The gastronomy in Tenerife

Visitors can enjoy delicious food and excellent wine in Tenerife if they ask for traditional dishes at the cafés, taverns, or restaurants which offer Canary Islands’ cuisine such as montaditos de batata (sweet potato canapé), bacalao con mojo rojo (cod with red mojo sauce), queso asado con miel (fried or roasted cheese with honey), puchero canario (Canary Islands’ stew), grilled pork, chicken or fresh fish with the famous papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes boiled dry in sea salt) served with mojo picon ( a spicy of garlic sauce), Besides, the sweet and famous plátanos (bananas), aromatic goat’s cheese and the excellent honey are massively popular with tourists and local people.

Anyway, all the villages on the coast have restaurants and cafés where tourists can try tasty fresh fish in Canary Islands’ style. Do not forget that many restaurants in Tenerife have terraces overlooking the sea and modern open-air terraces to have lunch, dinner or tapas with good red, rose or white Canary Islands’ wine. Read more here about the Gastronomy of the Canary Islands.

The Wine of the island

Although international cuisine is served in all the restaurants and cafés of Tenerife, visitors should not forget the great quality of its wines which have just been chosen by world renowned chefs. Moreover, tourists must not lose the opportunity to see the vineyards, which grow on volcanic soil giving a delicate flavor to its vintages, such as in the beautiful landscape of the Orotava Valley, Gúimar Valley or Taracote among others. As for wine, people interested in knowing more about wines can also make the wine route which offers leisure activities, visits wineries, savors fine local wines and superb traditional cuisine, among other things.

By the way, there are several guided winery tours of half a day, full day, nature and wine and so on. However, a few tourists make it on their own because the distances are short in Tenerife what let people combine several activities the same day taking the efficient and cheap public transport service. The Orotava Valley takes about 25 minutes by car ( 35 km away) from Santa Cruz of Tenerife city.

More places to visit in the Canary Islands

– Santa Cruz de Tenerife city: A guide to visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

– Towns, Ports and beaches in Tenerife: Garachico and Icod de Vinos.

– Gran Canaria: Find here our posts about the best beaches of Gran Canaria, and Towns and Mountains of Gran Canaria.

– The Gastronomy of the Canary Islands: In this post you’ll learn more about the traditional food and drinks of the islands.

Monuments and nature in Gran Canaria: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Roque Nublo and other inland towns (Canary Islands)

February 28, 2014Beach, mountain and nature, Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, Streets and monuments, Tours and GuidesJorge

As we have already talked about the best beaches of Gran Canaria, its coast and its seaside towns, today we are going to focus on the rest of the island: Gran Canaria has not only beaches, but also a lot of nature and interesting cities, towns and remarkable sites to visit.

In this article we are going to talk about the following places:

– Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: In the north of the island is located this city, than with almost 400,000 inhabitants is currently the capital of the Canary Islands.

– Other touristic cities and towns inside the island: If during your stay at Gran Canaria you have car and you want to visit the whole island, here you will find some interesting suggestions about what to visit.

– Mountains and routes through the nature: Almost all of these routes are in the center of Gran Canaria, where are located many touristic places as Roque Nublo or Cruz de Tejeda.

Gran Canaria, the second biggest island in the Canary Islands

As we have already said in our last article, The Canary Islands are a group of Spanish islands located in the west coast of Africa. They are mainly composed by these seven islands: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Gomera.

The geography of Gran Canaria island and its proximity to Africa creates a strange climate where, while in the north of the island the climate varies between 30 ºC in summer and 15 ºC in winter, in the south the climate is always around 20º and 30º, the perfect temperature to enjoy the beach all the year.

Finally, the center of the island has a mountain area whose peaks almost reach 2000 metres in height (Roque Nublo 1813m., Pozo de las Nieves 1949m.).

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria city

With 380,000 inhabitants, this is the biggest city of Canary Islands (Islas Canarias), and therefore the capital city of them.

The main touristic places of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are its center (Vegueta neighborhood) where is Las Palmas Cathedral (in the photo) built between the 15^th and 18^th centuries, the Literary Cabinet and many more historic buildings.

The city has a lot of activity, nightlife and during the Carnivals this is one of the main touristic destinations of Spain. You also can visit its Comertial Centers (remember that the taxes in the Canary Islands are lower than in the rest of the country, so the prices are lower).

Don’t miss to visit its main beach and its promenade in Playa de las Canteras.

Touristic towns in the north of Gran Canaria: Arucas, Terol and other

In the north of the island, not far away from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria you can visit some towns as Arucas, Terol, Firgas, Valleseco, Santa Brígida, Moya, Santa María de Guía, Agaete or Galdar. Among all of them, the most touristic ones are Arucas and Teror.

– The Arucas cathedral: In Arucas can be seen its “cathedral” San Juan Bautista Curch (which is not officially a cathedral yet). This church was built between 1909 and 1979 over the ruins of and old temple. The architecture of the current building and its neogothic style makes it one of the most emblematic buildings of the island.

– Teror: The main touristic places in Teror are The basilica of Teror (Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino), The main square and the Museum (Museo de los Patronos de la Virgen).

Touristic towns in the centre and east of Gran Canaria: Santa Lucia, Tejeda, Ingenio…

In the centre of the island can be found the best nature routes of the island and some nice mountain villages as Tejeda, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Santa Lucia.

In the east, you can find Ingenio, among others less touristic towns (Argüimes, Telde, Vecindario or the airport).

Nature and mountains: Roque Nublo, Cruz de Tejeda, Pozo de las nieves…

Finally, Gran Canaria has some interesting routes through the mountains. The two most famous places to visit are Cruz de Tejeda (close to Tejeda Town) and Roque Nublo.

Roque nublo (in the photo) is an 1813 meters peak at where excursionists can arrive on foot. From its top, it can be seen an impressive landscape of the peaks nearby and the rest of the island.

You also can visit Pico de las Nieves, the highest peak of the island (1900m.) which has a route that connects it with Roque Nublo on foot (it can take 30 minutes walking aprox).

More touristic places to visit in the Canary Islands

– The best beaches of Gran Canaria: A list with the best beaches to enjoy in this island.

– The Canary islands (Islas Canarias): Check here all our posts about the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote…).

The Canary Islands Gastronomy: What to eat and typical food of the islands

February 25, 2014Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, GastronomyJorge

Today we are going to talk about the typical food of the Canary Islands (Islas Canarias). Its location in the Atlantic ocean, at the west of Africa near the Sahara and Morocco coast makes a difference in the typical food of the islands in comparison to the food that can be grown or fished in the rest of Spain, in the Iberian Peninsula.

Eating in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a holiday paradise for many tourists who travel there to enjoy its beaches and its tropical climate. And of course, as in any other touristic places, the Canary Islands are used to receiving a huge number of tourists who who go to shops and restaurants to eat.

Surely you will find a lot of shops, bars and restaurants in any part of the islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote…). Usually, these restaurants are cheaper than the restaurants in the rest of the country, what means that a person can eat dinner for less than 10€. However, everything depends on what are you looking for: In the Canary Islands you can find some of the cheapest places of Spain, and also some luxury ones.

Typical food and drinks from the Canary Islands

When eating in a restaurant in the Canary Islands, you will be able to ask for a normal dish from Spain or Europe… but our recommendation is to try the typical food from the islands. It’s very tasty and our experience there was very satisfying!

Here you have a list with some of the traditional dishes of the Canary Islands:

– Baked potatoes with mojo sauce (Patatas arrugadas): This variety of small potatoes (popularly known as Papas arrugás) are baked in an oven and served unpeeled with Mojo Sauce.

The Mojo sauce can be red or green depending on the ingredients which have been used to prepare it, and it gives a soft taste to the potatoes that everyone will love. Commonly, this typical sauce is prepared from: oil, salt, tomato, pepper and a little bit of garlic and parsley.

– Fish (Pescado): The seaports of the Canary Islands provide all kind of fish to its shops and restaurants.

Also, you will probably see in the restaurant menus some other fish as squid or sepia (calamares, chocos, chopitos, puntillitas) which are not typical from the islands, but which are very popular in other regions as in Andalusia or in the Mediterranean coast.

– Gofio: Long time ago, it was the basic food for the original residents of the islands (The “guanches” tribes). The gofio is mainly composed by cereals (wheat and barley). Nowadays it’s eaten with the main dishes as fish or meat.

– Meatloaf (Carne mechada / Ropa Vieja): The meatloaf is highly popular among the citizens of the islands. You can try it alone, with salad and chips or in a sandwich.

– Cactus Jam (Mermelada de cactus) and Prickly pears (Higos chumbos): The weather of the islands makes very easy to grow upland plants as cactus or palms. With its fruits, people make a wide variety of dishes, as marmalade and other similar products.

– Fruits and juices (Fruta y zumos): Don’t leave the islands without trying its natural juices and smoothies. Also, the Canary bananas (Platanos de Canarias) are very popular, besides they are exported all over the world because of its good taste and its hight quality.

– Alcoholic Drinks: There are two very popular brands of alcohol in the islands: The Tropical Beer and The Areucas Rum, which factory is located in Aruca Town (Gran Canaria).

More about the Canary Islands

– The Canary Islands: Read here all our post about the islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Gomera.

Visiting the best beaches of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)

February 24, 2014Beach, mountain and nature, Canary Islands / Islas Canarias, Tours and GuidesJorge

In this article we are going to talk about the best beaches to go in Gran Canaria, the third biggest island of the Canary Islands with 1500 square kilometers (the biggest one is Tenerife with 2000 square kilometers and then Fuerteventura with 1600km^2).

The Canary Islands: A Tropical Paradise

The Canary Islands (Islas Canarias) are a group of Spanish islands located in the west coast of Africa, at the south of the Iberian Peninsula. They are composed by these seven islands: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro and La Gomera.

The tropical weather of the Canary Islands, its beaches and nature make them a holiday paradise where tourists from all over the world (but mainly from Europe) go there to rest in all seasons of the year.

Gran Canaria island

Gran Canaria is not a conventional island: Its geography and its proximity to Africa creates a strange climate where, while in the north of the island (where is located Las Palmas city) the climate varies between 30 ºC in summer and 15 ºC in winter, in the south (where is located Maspalomas, Puerto Rico and Mogán) the climate is always warm, which means that visitors can sunbathe or go swimming during the four seasons of the year.

Maspalomas zone

At the the south of Gran Canaria is located Maspalomas town, the most touristic zone of the island. It is completely focused on the visitors, with a lot of hotels, apartments, restaurants and amenities.

Among the activities that you can do there, there are the following: sunbathe, swimming, surfing, rent a boat or canoe… Other activities that you can do in the island is to go underwater on submarine, to dive, to visit the attraction parks or to visit the mountains in the central part of the island.

Playa del Inglés (The English’ beach)

In Maspalomas, you have to visit Playa del Inglés: This beach is the biggest beach of the island and has a perfect climate (between 20 and 30ºC) all the year. This beach is located at the south of the island and has a huge extension of sand which is always full of people.

Also the beach has a nudist area and a gay zone, but it’s only in a small part of the beach.

Other beaches in the south-east of the island are the next ones: San Agustín Beach, Pozo Izquierdo beach, Arinaga beach (at Vecindario town) and Vargas beach (at Ingenio town).

Las Dunas de Maspalomas (The dunes)

Between El Inglés beach and the lighthouse of Maspalomas, you will see this wide zone of dunes. By climbing them, you will be able to see all the coast of Playa del Inglés.

On the other side of the dunes, there are placed Maspalomas beach and Meloneras beach.

Puerto Rico (the Spanish seaside village)

Puerto Rico town (don’t mistake with the south American Puerto Rico country) is another touristic zone in the south of Gran Canaria in where you can enjoy its beach and its landscape.

It is located not far away from Maspalomas, in a sheer zone which has forced its citizens to build their houses in the mountain slopes, creating an impressive perspective.

Puerto de Mogán (Mogan Port)

Mogan is another town in the south of the island. In its port you will see the Seaport and more beaches as Mogán, Taurito and Veneguera. Besides, in Puerto de Mogán there is a restaurant zone is its promenade, ideal if you want to eat something while seeing the sea.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (The capital city of the islands)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the capital city of the Canary Islands. With almost 400,000 inhabitants this is the biggest city of the islands.

As Las Palmas is in the north of the island, the climate is colder in winter, however this city has a lot of activity, especially for young people who will find a lot of discotheques, Erasmus people and many more.

The main beach of the city is called Playa de las Canteras (The quarry beach)

The Port of Agaete

Finally, Agaete is a seaside village located in the north-west of the island, famous for having a rock formation called El dedo de Dios (El Roque Partido). In Agaete you will find the beach Playa de las Nieves.

More places to visit in the island

There are many more towns in the north and in the center of Gran Canaria (Arucas, Firgas, Moya, Galdar, Punta de Sardina, Teror, Valleseco…), but they are less touristic than the south ones. Also, in the centre of the island there are some interesting areas to do excursions through it mountains, as the famous Roque Nublo or some towns as Santa Lucía, Tejeda or San Baetolomé de Tinaja.

– Nature and inland towns to visit in Gran Canaria: Check here more touristic places to visit in Gran Canaria!

– Gastronomy and typical food: Our post with the typical food of the Canary Islands.