

No matter when you have winter – in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere – the Canary Islands, with their perpetual spring/summer climate, stand ready to offer warmth and sunshine year round.ġ4. Many culinary dishes in the Canary Islands utilize an aromatic banana called La Gomera, which is not grown on Spain’s mainland.ġ3. The influence of the latter is due to Spanish ships stopping by on their way back from the Americas.ġ2.

The cuisine of the Canary Islands are considered a crossroads of Spain, North Africa, and Latin America. Besides flying in, the only other way to reach the Canary Islands is by a ferry from the Spanish mainland, which provides a bumpy ocean crossing that takes almost 20 hours.ġ1. Science fiction fans love Lanzarote’s El Golfo Crater – its green water glows.ġ0. Lanzarote offers a volcanic moonscape that would make astronauts feel right at home.ĩ. In 1797 Great Britain’s famous admiral, Horatio Nelson, attempted to storm Santa Cruz on Tenerife. Christopher Columbus used the Canary Islands as a stopover when en route to the Americas.ħ. The most recent was Pico del Teide which erupted as recently as 1909.ĥ. The islands have their own micro-climates, ranging from very wet to very dry, depending on which island and which part of it you visit.Ħ. Four of the islands have had active volcano eruptions since the 14th century discovery by Europeans. All of the Canary Islands are volcanic islands.Ĥ. The canary bird was named after the islands, not the other way around.ģ. There are several theories about the origin of the name for these islands, and almost all have to do with dogs.Ģ. If you plan to be one of the millions of people attracted by these islands, you’ll enjoy your stay even more when you know these twenty one fascinating facts about the Canary Islands:ġ.

Thirteen, to be exact, and these are the land masses that form the Canary Islands.įrom the largest, Tenerife, to the smallest, Roque del Oeste, this remarkable archipelago of thirteen sun kissed islands may single-handedly be the reason why Europeans, and people from around the world, are able to survive cold winter months. Spain has some secrets hidden in its back pocket.
