Canary Islands advice

May 1, 2007 12:26 PM

Traveling to the Canary Islands in Sept. Where should we go?

My boyfriend and I are trying to decide where in the Canary Islands to go for vacation. We'll have two weeks total and want to have a mix of some sightseeing and some R&R on the beach. Right now we're considering Tenerife but are open to suggestions. I definitely want sandy beaches somewhere close to our hotel, but so far everything I've read about Tenerife only mentions pebble beaches. We will be renting a car, so driving to the beach is an option, although not ideal. Suggestions, advice and Web site recommendations would be great.

posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

The GF and I spent Christmas 2005 in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote. It was pretty cool. Lanzarote has quite a few interesting architectural works of Cesar Manrique which I found to be the best part of the trip. We flew into Santa Cruz, Tenerife and had some time to see the Auditorio designed by Calatrava. That was definitely a must see.

We didn't explore much else of the other islands but I was sufficiently impressed with the variety of Lanzarote.
posted by JJ86 at 12:58 PM on May 1, 2007

2nd vote for Lanzarote -- scenery you won't see on other islands. We went twentyfive years ago, so I can't comment on much except the countryside but our whole family still remembers the food grilled over a volcano fumarole. The beaches were great --we went to several-- and the island's interior was terrific (lost for words here).
posted by anadem at 1:30 PM on May 1, 2007

La Gomera ; we went there in 2005 and it was a totally magical trip to the top of the mountain.

Starts with a two hour ferry trip from the largest nearby island. Once on La Gomera there are beaches but it's hardly a tourist destination, so you won't see the usual garish crap.

As we progressed up the narrow winding mountain roads occasionally we'd encounter crosses or other humble monuments to folks that didn't fare so well. Make your trip during the daylight hours and clearly avoid alcohol.

We came across deserts on our way up to the top; almost permanently cloud shrouded and obscured. There is a UNESCO World Heritage site on the top and it's well worth the trip.
posted by Mutant at 2:18 PM on May 1, 2007

I would highly recommend Iberostar Playa Gaviotas Hotel on Fuerteventura. I did 3 weeks there.

It is on the German tourist end of the island, but it is a great place.
posted by Slenny at 7:01 PM on May 1, 2007

We always stay in the Barcelo Santaigo at Porto De Santiago in Tenerife.

It's far enough north that it's not wall-to-wall Brits but far enough south that the weather is OK. As for beaches the black volcanic beach at Los Gigantes is 15 minutes walk north and the white sand beach at Arena is about the same south.

We always rent a car, and the Teide National Park is one of my favourite places in world.
posted by hardcode at 5:57 AM on May 2, 2007

I just got back from Fuerteventura and had a great time. We stayed in Corralejo, which is probably the livliest resort on the island, but keep in mind that it is probably the quietest island in the Canaries.

The good thing about Fuerteventura is that you are only a ferry-ride away from Lanzarote, so you could do day trips there if you wanted to.

From what I know about the Canaries, Gran Canaria and Tenerife are more lively and Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are a bit quieter and family-friendly. However, we had plenty of stuff to do in Corralejo so it's not like it's remote.

One of my friends at work has been to all of the Canaries many times and recommends Gran Canaria as the best, so this is where I will probably go next as other people I know have backed this up. Wherever you go, I hope you enjoy it. The weather is gorgeous.
posted by triggerfinger at 10:54 AM on May 2, 2007

Thanks everyone for your recommendations. Looks like we'll be staying on Tenerife after all, due to very good military rates at some of the resorts there. We'll spend one week in the southern part of the island and the second week in the northern part. Any suggestions you have for that island in particular would be great. We're definitely going to take a day trip to La Gomera.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 2:49 PM on May 2, 2007