Canary Islands
 

Does anyone have any information/advice on visiting the Canary Islands? I keep reading about tacky tourist area and overweight oily sun bathers....

Seven different islands, and I have been to only three of them. <BR><BR>1) La Gomera has National parks with millions of years old Lauri Silva forests (UNESCO´S World Heritage) and good hiking paths. The tourists are mostly hikers who leave in the morning to the paths and return in the evening to a hotel. I liked Gomera very much.<BR><BR>2) La Palma has same good qualities as Gomera. Lots of good hiking, very quiet and beautiful nature. Liked that, too.<BR><BR>3) Teneriffa has many faces. Playa de Las Americas and many other tacky places along the south western coast with all those overweight oily types. But also Spain's highest mountain, volcano Teide with its massive snow-capped formation that is visible all the time, good hiking in the Teide area and Orotava Valley, spectacular Masca Gorge to walk, cute little towns of the northern coast (my absolute favourite is Carachico), wonderful wiews in Anaga peninsula, and so on. So, also Teneriffa is great, you just have to be more careful when you choose the place to stay and things to do. <BR><BR>4) Have never been to Gran Canaria or Lanzarote, but I suspect that you would have to be careful with those, too. My friend just visited Fuerteventura, and she said it was almost empty with huge beaches and sand dunes and wonderful surfing winds. And another friend has visited tiny El Hierro, and she said it is beautyful, really quiet and idyllic.

Hey elina, thanks for the info. Are the beaches in Tenerife say, white sand and clear blue water or is it more volcanic in nature?

No, not white sand, a little darker. Sea is clean, though. But the problem with beach holidays in Teneriffe is, that all the beaches are in those tacky places. In Puerto de la Cruz on northern coast swimming happens in world´s biggest sea water pools, because shoreline is massive volcanic rocks and cliffs.<BR><BR>For beach holidays I would choose Fuerteventura. White sand and big beaches. <BR><BR>In La Palma beaches are pitch black lavasand, and I think also in Lanzarote, because the whole island is volcanic, but I am not sure about that.

ttt

Gran Canaria's southcoast is another of those tacky places BUT it has white sandy beaches and huge dunes in Maspalomas. <BR>Lanzarote has a few (artificial) white-greyish beaches but for me it is the most fascinating island, just because the soil is black, everywhere you go. The Timanfaya National Park with its hotwater springs is certainly worth a visit, as well as Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua (caves with an underground lake).

How do you travel between the islands? Is it easy or a pain to island hop?

Hi,<BR><BR>I love the canaries and have been a few times. Once to Lanzarotte with 2 girl friends and we had the best holiday ever. We stayed in Puerto Del Carmen. I have also been on two girly holidays in Gran Canaria - once in Puerto Rico - where I would go tommorrow. It is very nice there and the other time I went to Playa del Ingl&eacute;s which I hated. It was very dirty and smelly and very young. I also spen New year in Teneriffe last year just outside Playa De Las Americas. It was nice to be just outside Americas - as the actual town is disgusting. The is even more smelly than Playa del Ingl&eacute;s. Hope this helps!!

Paige! You go by ferry or catamaran. To La Palma I took an internal flight from Teneriffe. I suppose you can fly also between the other islands, but for example in La Gomera the airport is not functioning, so ferry is the only way.