I'm thinking about taking a winter break and heading to the Canary Islands for a week. Does anyone have any recommendations for a nice hotel preferably with a PADI diving school nearby? Thanks a lot.

We went to the Canary Islands last Christmas. Good that you are planning to use wet suit as it wasn't really ocean swimming weather. We stayed at very luxury hotel without PADI diving school. I found Canary Island least interesting place we have every visited. It's nice but nothing really special. We went because it is closest warm place during winter from London. From US I would go elsewhere. Also it is very long flight from US.

Have no personal experience with diving in the Canaries. There are dive centres on the islands Fuerteventura (Punta Amanay) and Lanzarote (next to Hotel Fariones in Puerto del Carmen). Don't expect to see corals as it's all volcanic under water. <BR>I wouldn't bother going to the Canaries for a diving holiday. The Red Sea in Egypt is the place to be.

Water's cold, not terribly interesting. Gran Canaria has some interesting scenery as does Tenerife. I was there in March, and it was frigid. It never got above 70 degrees.

Hi Sally,<BR>I´m living in Tenerife for many years and I´m sure you´ll find our pretty island very nice and comfortable. If you´re looking for something standar of course you´ll find it ( like most of tourist who came here to have fun, sun and good prices ) but if you want to have more experiences and live the real Tenerife try to put in contact with www.tenerifealacarta.com. They know how to give the chance to have a good time in Tenerife. <BR>You´ll find good prices from London to TFS ( Tenerife South ).<BR>More information in www.abouttenerife.com<BR>Just one more thing: of course Tenerife dive places are not like in Red sea or Australia but to dive here is amazing because of visibility ( more than 25 meters ), very good ambiance and amazing scenery underwater.