When you think of Spanish islands, you and most people tend to think of islands like Majorca or the dance music capital of the World Ibiza, right in the Mediterranean. But Spain has another set of islands, often overlooked, but that are just amazing. Off the coast of Africa lie the Canary Islands and Canary islands holidays are one of those experiences that you’ll never forget.
The Canary Islands have long stood in their niche in the African coast, but only relatively recently have they turned into such a luxurious island resort. The islands were used as a waypoint for Spanish ships and, thus, were very important in the economy of Europe and the Spanish colonies and have been coveted by many European and African powers. But the islands have always been faithful to Spain, and now are reaping the results of their stability.
Going to the Canaries is a heavenly experience. It’s one of those places where you spend what would be 5 star holidays in any other country, for a much cheaper price. I was guilty myself of not knowing anything about these islands until some family members decided to go there on holiday. Just looking at their photo album was enough to make me want to go there myself.
My favorite place in the islands has got to be San Cristobal de la Laguna. The town is in Tenerife, the main island, and is the former capital. Some economic distress made a lot of its population move to Santa Cruz, which became the capital after that. But these seemingly bad news for the city became one of the best things that ever happened to it. The town was almost frozen in time and now is architecturally beautiful, having even been declared a World Heritage site by Unesco.
Another beautiful island is La Palma. The island is small compared to Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the biggest islands in the archipelago, but it is very interesting in itself. The entire island is a biosphere reserve and has a lot of animal and plant life that is unique to that corner of the world. Maybe you won’t find the most luxurious beaches there, but you can find unspoiled pieces of rainforest that are just dazzling.
So talk to your travel agent or, if you feel adventurous, take advantage of the low cost flights traveling to Tenerife and get ready to be amazed.
