dutyfree

Our family has finally decided that the Canary Islands might be a great spot for us to go on a Christmas vacation.

Background-my hubs and I live in the US and our kids live in the UK so our plan was to fly to LHR and stay for a few days and then all of us will fly together to the Canaries."Kids" are 26 and 29.We are looking for 2 or 3 cities/islands to spend 12-14 days in December over the Christmas holiday.Our family loves beach combing,history,exploring new cultures/food and any natural history/parks.We are not a family that would be happy to just be at a beach resort but rather rent a car or take a ferry to explore?

My husband just hit the library to get some Canary Islands books but I really want to book the airfare as soon as possible and was hoping that people who have been to the Canaries might give me some imput on which island or city was a fav with them.We will leave out of LHR or LGW and wanted to fly into one city and out of another if possible?
Thanks for any help that you could provide us!

qwovadis

Isla de la Gomera my fav more laid back prettier

great mountains tropical rain forest park with hiking

400 species of strange new animals plants kids love it...

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...e/Spain/Canary

Thompson Holidays decent packages some times...

Lifeman

This was a recent thread on this topic:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...been-there.cfm

Click on my screen name for a report on Fuerteventura earlier this year.

dutyfree

Anyone else? Need to book plane tickets soon and still cannot figure out which two islands we should chose? Thanks-

dutyfree

Where would you want to spend Christmas-Gran Canaria or Tenirife?

Odin

Neither really, this is a package holiday destination for the British with cheap hotels and charter flights. La Gomera, Fuerteventura, maybe Lanzarote.

Lifeman

With a choice of only those two? Then Gran Canaria every time. Otherwise Fuerteventura.

dutyfree

Using Easy Jet out of LGW and they are only flying to Tenerife,Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. I thought that we would fly into one island and out of another island with possible use of the ferry between the two islands.

Lifeman

Then Lanzarote and ferry to Fuerteventura. They are quite close to each other and you can take a car across. I seem to remember that we paid about €70 earlier this year. Each additional passenger is about €45.

dutyfree

Just got back from our family trip to the Canaries and had a wonderful vacation! We spent the first week in Gran Canaria at Puerto Mogan at a private apartment which we loved. Then took the ferry from Gran Canaria over to Tenerife. We spent our first four days(Christmas weekend) in Puerta de la Cruz(staying at a great hotel on a small mountain overlooking the sea and city) and then the last days in Los Gigantes at an unbelievable 3 bedroom/3 bath private apartment with two floors of balconies over looking the cliffs and sea.
I cannot say enough about Los Gigantes-it is the PERFECT place if you want to be in Tenerife without the massive crowds with lots of things to do and see.
Kinda sad to see people go to the Canaries and never see the various parts of each island as there is so much natural history and scenery! Rent a car;DON'T do a package tour or stay at hotels/resorts with thousands of people and find places where the locals eat and hang out.

willit

I agree. I went to Tenerife on a package tour expecting nothing but a bit of sun in winter, and was quite amazed at the beauty of the place once you get away from the tourist centres.

dmjmd

Hi Dutyfree - Glad to hear your trip went well; we are considering a very similar itinerary over Xmas/New Years 2012/13 - do you have any additional info on the apartment you rented in Los Gigantes? What kind of activities did you do? We are also Floridians (Naples) so some beach is good but isn't the main reason for the trip... and travelling with 17 & 19 year old daughters. Any advice appreciated!

dutyfree

dmjmd-I got the apartment through Holiday Lettings(UK) but I believe that the English lady who owns it is now with another renting agency. Let me see if I can find her old email and write her to ask which agency she is using. It is a wonderful place and you won't be disappointed especially with the garaged locked parking and the two floors of balconies.