SShprints

Hi, We booked tix to Madrid in Nov. but looking to do a week in the Canaries as well. Which island is better? Tenerife? Gran Canaria? We like nightlife, good food, people watching and activities/sightseeing on the islands. Also, the weather should be warm at the end of Nov, correct?
Additionally, is there any way to take an excursion to Morocco from the Canaries?

Thanks a lot,

SS

traveller1959

The Canaries are always warm. Will be nice in November.

Tenerife has the more fascinating landscape - with a very impressive volcano dominating the island. Bizarre scenery, excotic flowers. Driving across the island with a rental car is a good experience. Few beaches.

Gran Canaria has more beaches and is a more mainstream tourist destination.

Good food (gourmet food) is hard to find on the canaries - what you get is cheap tourist fare, even in 4-star-hotels (in a full-board 4-star hotel, the daily allowance for food is about 7 Euros per guest - including breakfast, lunch and dinner!).

Nightlife: In the large tourist centers you will find a wide array of bars and diskos. Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, has still some life of its own left.

SShprints

is there any authenticity on the canaries? or is it just a big tourist trap with nice beaches?
I love Spain! This will be my 5th trip to Spain in 10yrs..but do the Canaries even feel like Spain? I was considering doing Morocco instead but really wouldnt mind a couple of days on a european beach in Nov.

Cowboy1968

Ditto what traveller said.

With the existing number of even luxury accomodations, I found the restaurants less than exciting.
I usually asked the concierge or chamber maid where they would go to eat. Those places were far from flashing Michelin stars, obviously, but did serve much more decent and "authentic" food than those in the resorts.
Another option are Finca-style restaurants, usually a bit away from the main tourist areas in the hinterland, where you often find better and/or innovative food than at the buffets on the beach promenades.

Bear in mind that on both islands the northern shores get regular rainfalls (hence the tropical vegetation), so for more sun head south.
The Canaries are nicknamed as Islands of Eternal Spring (not Summer!) - so temps may be in the low 20C all day and it does not get cold at night, but a sweater or light jacket will be needed since the sun sets early.

Day trips (by plane) to Morocco are among the standard offerings of a zillion tour companies on any of the islands. Just check if you need any visa with respect to your nationality.

Rental cars, gas, booze, tobacco, and perfumes are cheap on the archipielago because of their duty-free status. So don't bring any alcohol from the mainland

Cowboy1968

There are many "real" sights, especially on Tenerife.
Both Santa Cruz and La Laguna are "real" towns, with nice old quarters with the famous wooden/carved balconies. Also natural wonders are in abundance: The national park of Teide and Las Canadas (the mountain is some 3,500 meters if I remember correctly), the Orotava valley with the botanical garden, eucalyptus forests in the NE peninsula, the rugged West Coast.. the good thing about mass tourism is that it is focused on very few areas (with re. to square kms).
The Canaries do not necessarily feel like "Spain", mostly because they belong to Africa, so the vegetation is subtropical in the Northern part of the islands, and desert-like in the South. The islands also had been a major hub for emigration to South America, with emigrants often returning after some years, so they added a certain S.American flavor to the islands.

The Canaries are definetely not one huge tourist trap, but many tourists prefer to stay in their little trap (i.e. the resorts) for 2 weeks and never visit any of the sights.

SShprints

good to know. I am the last person to sit in a resort..I love to get out and I generaly stay away from high-end restaurants..prefer a local mom-n-pop hideaway with 3 tables...hopefully thats something I can find in the Canaries.

Question, if I want to visit Morocco, am I better off doing this from Madrid before heading to the Canaries? Or Can I book a 2-3 day Morocco excursion from the Canaries?

Cowboy1968

From the Canaries. It's one of the standard tours you will find, but either just as a day trip or with one night. Morocco is just a hop away.

SShprints

do u know any tour companies that operate this kind of trip from the canaries?

hetismij

November is also the rainy season in the Canaries so be prepared for some rain. It won't be continuous, and will be mostly at night, but there is a good chance you'll get some. Day time temps will be low 20s C most likely.

dutyfree

What did you end up doing? Any tips? thanks-

Spanishalex1

If you drive 10 minutes out of any resort in Gran Canaria or Tenerife you are in authentic Spain. This tired chiche that they are just one big tourist trap is spread about by people who stay in their resort all week and never make an effort.

I live in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria Island. It is one of the biggest cities in Spain and has a fantastic 4km beach. Tourists are as rare as hen's teeth and there are dozens of tapas bars and quality restaurants. If you eat somewhere with a menu in 11 languages then you will get slop. If you get out and find a local place then it will be good.

http://alexbramwell.blogspot.com/201...a-europes.html

Tenerife is greener and has some fantastic scenery, while Gran Canaria has better beaches but still boasts pine forests, steep valleys and 1000m cliff roads. Either island would make a great place to rent a car and explore.

ympepe

Loro Park is very much worth a visit if you are on Tenerife.