Which Canary Island to Choose

The Canary Islands: which island to choose

The seven Canary Islands differ more than you might think: one is about volcanoes and theme parks, another about miles of pale beaches and wind for surfing. This short comparison will help you pick the island that suits your holiday.

Canary Islands compared

Island	Best for	What to see
Tenerife	Families, sightseeing and hiking	Mount Teide (3,715 m, the highest point in Spain), Loro Parque, the resorts of Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos
Gran Canaria	Combining beaches with city life	The Maspalomas dunes, Playa del Inglés, the old town of Las Palmas
Fuerteventura	Long beaches, windsurfing and kitesurfing	The Corralejo dunes, the Sotavento beaches
Lanzarote	Nature and architecture	Timanfaya National Park, the works of César Manrique, the Papagayo beaches
La Palma	Hiking and stargazing	Caldera de Taburiente, the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
La Gomera, El Hierro	Peace and quiet	Garajonay National Park (UNESCO) on La Gomera, the underwater world of El Hierro

When to go

The Canaries are known as the islands of eternal spring. In summer it is usually around +26...+28 °C, and in winter around +20...+22 °C during the day. The sea is about +19 °C in winter and warms up to +23 °C by late summer. In winter the south of the islands is warmer and drier.

How to get there

The Canary Islands belong to Spain and are part of the Schengen Area. Each of the seven islands has an airport, and Tenerife has two: Tenerife South handles most international flights, Tenerife North mainly domestic ones. Ferries and domestic flights connect the islands.

For more about each island, read our guide The Canary Islands.