Top 3 natural attractions of the Canary Islands and Tenerife
While The Canary Islands are an autonomous
community of Spain, this archipelago is located near the
coast of Africa. This southern location means that the Canary
Islands enjoy warm to mild weather pretty much all year
round. Tenerife
is the largest island, and has the largest population of
all the Canary Islands, and thanks to the climate has been
a staple tourist destination for operators like Thomas Cook
for several decades. Here we will take a brief look at three
of the principle natural attractions on Tenerife and the
other Canary islands. As with all ‘top three’
lists, this selection cannot help but be subjective, but
none if the options below will disappoint.
Teide National Park
Tenerife, like all the Canary Islands, is volcanic in origin.
Thanks to this genesis, Tenerife is home to the largest
mountain in Spain, Mount Teide, which when measured from
its base is in fact the third largest volcano in the world
at a height of 3718m. The surrounding area is protected
by Teide National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and
attracts around 2.8 million visitors every year. Mount Teide
is by far the most famous geographical feature of Tenerife,
and indeed the Canary Islands as a whole, and offers a good
day out and diversion from standard beach time. While it
is possible to get up Mount Teide by cable car, and even
on foot, altitude sickness is a very real possibility, and
so this approaching the peak requires due caution and forward
planning.
Timanfaya National Park
Timanfaya
National Park on Lanzarote is centred around another
volcano. This volcano was active a lot more recently than
Mount Teide on Tenerife. A dramatic series of eruptions
occurred during the 18th Century which created a significant
part of the modern Lanzarote, and covered a quarter what
was then the island. Given the geologically recent eruption,
the landscape of Timanfaya National Park is far starker
than Teide, and is frequently described as lunar. Highlights
of the guided tour include the chance to eat food ‘barbecued’
over the heat of a volcanic vent!
Canary Islands water sports
Perhaps a more elastic definition of a natural attraction,
the waters surrounding the Canary Islands nonetheless present
an ideal environment for learning a wide range of water
sports. The prevailing Trade Winds that provide constant
ventilation to Fuerteventura have also made the island a
centre of surfing and windsurfing. There are several established
schools on Fuerteventura that can offer high quality tuition
and equipment hire for budding surfers, while there are
windsurfing schools located throughout the Canary Islands.
The rich Atlantic waters also attract a lot of big game
fishermen keen to avoid the average weather found further
north in the Ocean.
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