wally34949

Any recommendations for the best airport and best island to fly into and visit. Any comments about the ferries from island to island?

I am thinking of flying from Scotland to Gran Canary on flyglobenspan next June. Is that airline really that bad?

hetismij

My favourite Canary Islands are La Palma and La Gomera. Greener, less touristy than the rest, with great walking and stunning scenery. You can get inter island flights with Binter Canarias.
If you visit La Palma try to stay on the west coast as the weather is much better on that side of the island. It can be wet and grey in Santa Cruz but drive through the tunnel and you can be in warm sunshine!

Mucky

I have not been to any other of the Canaries apart from Gran Canaria so can't comment on the other islands.

I speak as I find and with the exception of the sunshine I thought Gran Canaria was dreadful.

Places like Playa de ingles and Puerto Rico are built around commercial centers and these are the kind of place with loads of British and Irish pubs, packed full of Tattood English tourists swilling pints swearing and wearing England football shirts.(and that's just the women)

I did hire a car and found the mountain roads to be treacherous.

However we did drive into Maspolomas which seemed a bit better, so I suspect its where the Germans go.

So imho Gran Canaria is best avoided unless of course you like places like Blackpool and all that goes with it.

Sorry to be so negative, but I still carry the scars.

Good Luck

Muck

hetismij

Nearly half of Gran Canaria is a Unesco biosphere reserve.
The southern part of the island is the most touristy bit, the roads into the centre are small and twisty, but are not bad for European mountain roads. It is discribed as a continent in miniature.
La Palma also has an Unesco biosphere reserve, and the entire island od El Hierro is one.

If you get away from the tourists then all the islands offer unique landscapes, each one different to the next island.

traveller1959

Tenerife has the most life of its own - you will find breathtaking scenery, including a giant volcano, caldera and lot of lava flows, rain forest, banana plantations, vineyards, bizarre deserts, rugged coastline, hiking trails, picturesque mountain villages, historical towns, surrealist plants - and dreadful tourist resorts.

Pick your location wisely, after thorough research, rent a car and you will enjoy a fantastic holiday.

Tenerife has very few beaches. Puerto Santiago is nice, playa de la teresitas probably the most beautiful one. Orotava is the most beautiful historical town, however in the inland. Avoid Los Christianos, Playa de las Americas, Costa Adeje and Playa de Fanabe.

GeoffHamer

These are the three main ferry operators:
www.naviera-armas.com
www.trasmediterranea.es
www.fredolsen.es

Carolina

Any ideas on Fueteventura? I am going with my 18 year old daughter for 5 nights in January. We are thinking of Correlejo as we want to be able to walk to restaurants etc. in the evenings. The only Canary Island I have visited before is Tenerife where I have stayed in Puerto de la Cruz (which I liked) and visited Playa de las Americas (not keen).
Thanks.

Maria_H

This is partly a cut and paste of a reply I made to a previous question about the Canaries, with a few additions.

I have been to Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Tenerife, though we did visit some beaches, that wasn't our only reason for going to the islands. All these islands have tourist resorts suitable for those who just want to spend their time between the beach and the various clubs and bars in lively resorts. It is however, also possible to avoid that kind of tourism if (like us) that is not your sort of thing, especially if you hire a car and get out and about.

Fuerteventura has the best beaches but possibly the most barren landscape. It is possible to do some exploring and walking in less touristy parts of the island. We stayed in Caleta de Fuste, a reasonable sized but not rowdy resort with some good restaurants and quite central for touring the island.

Lanzarote has some quite interesting places to visit, including the various Cesar Manrique places - a cactus garden, the foundation (his home built into a lava flow) and the caves. Also the tour up the volcano is worth a visit. We stayed in Playa Blanca in the south of the island, which is a relatively upmarket resort and not far from the nature reserve and beaches at Papagayo. It is also where the ferry goes over to Fuerteventura.

The north of Tenerife has some fantastic mountainous scenery, including the incredible area round Mount Teide. There is plenty of scope for a walking holiday, with lush scenery and the wierd volcanic areas. The north of the island has more rainfall and hence kush vegetation, interesting gardens, banana plantations, etc. We stayed in an apartment in a finca just outside Puerto de la Cruz, which has a nice Spanish feel and black volcanic beaches.

It realy depends on your interests and the type of holiday you are looking for, which island you would like the best.

wally34949

Thanks so much for your replys. I really appreciate your honest answers.

I ran into some loud Brits in Barcelona. Helps to have air-conditioning and sound-proof rooms.

dutyfree

Wally-where did you end up going in the Canaries? I am trying to plan a Christmas trip there this year but don't want the usual drunken idiots at a resort on holiday. Any suggestions?