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The Canary Islands are a very popular choice of holiday destination – the weather making them attractive all year round. Temperatures range from 64F (18C) in winter to 75F (24C) in summer. Except for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the northern side of the islands is sub-tropical, while the south, including these two islands is drier and slightly warmer. There is not much rain expect on parts of the windswept northern coasts and what there is tends to fall on the northern side of the more mountainous islands. The flatter islands, with no mountains to trap rain clouds, receive hardly a drop of rain.
Tenerife - features the lowest temperature 'difference' between summer and winter for virtually anywhere in the world. The weather occasionally includes rain, but there is no specific 'rainy season'. Air conditioning is quite rare, with overhead fans usually providing sufficient air movement to stay cool, even during the height of summer. The minimum and maximum annual average air temperatures in Tenerife are about 15C in winter and 24C in summer. Tenerife enjoys wonderful weather in one of the world's best and most delightful climates The Island offers a surprising variety of micro-climatic weather zones, enabling people to almost 'choose' their climate, depending on where you live. The Trade winds, together with the refreshing Gulf air currents, are the major weather factors that contribute to Tenerife's climate. The great altitude of Mount Teide gets up to three months of snow - yet it is still possible to enjoy a swim on the beach within an hour's ride. The coastal areas enjoy the most sunshine, the best weather, the least clouds and higher temperatures.
What to take with you: Travel light, Dress is very casual most of the time and T-shirts etc are cheap in Tenerife if you run out of clothes. As a further guide, between November and March, take a light sweater or jacket and long trousers for late nights or mountain trips. If you are a fussy Tea drinker, bring your own tea-bags, or whatever. Most deodorants in Spain are alcohol based so if you prefer the 'dry, non-stinging' products - bring some with you. Otherwise, you will find almost everything else that you use in your home country, or a close equivalent, on the supermarket shelves in Tenerife. If you have a Credit Card such as Visa, Mastercard, etc. take you PIN number with you - they are great, especially in an emergency, for getting pesetas cash from any auto banking cash dispenser 24 hours a day. These autobanks are everywhere in Tenerife and the costs of the transfers are very reasonable. Electricity Supply:Is 220V AC, 50Hz - so most 240V appliances will work satisfactorily on this slightly lower voltage. The plugs are mainly of the two pin (circular pins) variety. The higher power plugs have thicker pins, and an earth/ground connection. UK adapter plugs are easily obtained almost anywhere. Mains Water:Perfectly safe, but tastes awful (volcanic). Buy bottled water for general drinking, tea, coffee, etc.
Arriving on the Island: North Airport (Los Rodeos) Tenerife North airport is used primarily for domestic flights between Spain and the other Canary islands. Most Spanish National Airline (Iberia) flights use the North airport - so if you are visiting and staying in the South Tenerife, it would generally be advisable to try and arrange a flight that arrives at the Tenerife South airport (Reina Sofia). South Airport (Reina Sofia, TFS) By far the busiest Tenerife airport - Reina Sofia takes most of the incoming international tourist traffic. It has a very long main runway and plans for a second runway, running parallel with the existing runways, have been agreed. Getting from the airport to resort. If you are not with a package operator, that includes coach collection, simply hire a car or take a Bus or Taxi to your destination resort. Hopefully, if you are going to Tenerife South, you will have booked a flight which lands at the South Airport and likewise for the North. The South airport Reina Sofia is approximately 20 km from the main South resorts, Los Cristianos and Playa Americas.(Fare 2500Pts) The hourly Bus from the South airport to Los Cristianos is No. 487 - usually departing 10 mins past every hour until 22:00 hrs Buses from the South TO the airport leave Bus Station at Playa Las Americas at 07.10 and every hour until 22.00. The North airport, Los Rodeos and is situated approximately. 15 km from Santa Cruz. Buses connecting North and South go via Santa Cruz bus station. Bus No. 111 connects Santa Cruz to Los Cristianos/Playa Las Americas. (Taxi from North Airport to South 10,000 PTAs, 1 hr drive)
Accommodation: Accommodation comes in different forms the two most common being Hotels and Self Catering Apartments. The main Tenerife holidays resorts · Playa de las Americas - Sunny, great beaches, apartments and attractions · Los Cristianos - Adjacent to Playa, beautiful harbour, slightly less tourist. · Golf Del Sur - Full international course, but plenty for the non-golfer as well. · Los Gigantes - Beautiful area, good for a quieter, more secluded holiday. · Puerto de la Cruz - Lush and cultural but less sunny and more variable. For a warm relaxing break, get apartments in holiday resorts around Playa de las Americas, San Eugenio, Torviscas or Los Cristianos. Apart from perfect holidays weather, clean beaches and flexible lifestyle, every member of the family, of all age groups will enjoy our uniquely blended and multinational culture. Tenerife provides a wide diversity in apartments, food, entertainment, amenities and attractions, all round an island full of contrasts and natural beauty. Car Hire: Many visitors find laying around the pool and beach sun bathing is all they want, simply to wind down and recharge themselves. You can make your holiday extra special by spending some time away from your resort and seeing some of the island. If you hire a car for a few days, you will immediately be able to enjoy many of the other features of Tenerife. You will be able to reach the 'out of town' supermarkets, which offer significant savings on your shopping bill compared with the shops in the immediate tourist areas of Tenerife. A variety of Tenerife beaches become easily reached, as well as some really interesting smaller resorts. Many of the finest Canarian restaurants are located outside the main resorts, and are easily reached by car. 'Canarian style' restaurants in Tenerife, offer a cheap and superbly tasty experience. You can easily get to the other major attractions located around the island, such as Loro Parque, Mount Teide (highest point in Tenerife, and Spain) and a variety of other interesting places. Driving is straightforward, all Tenerife roads use the modern internationally understood road signs. Attractions: Mount Teide is the highest peak in Spain standing at 12,200 feet. Formed around a million years ago. Lunar landscape, volcanic ashes and rock formations. Incredible views and landscapes. Cable car to upper peak. Cable car cannot be used by people with heart condition's and other related medical conditions. Botanical Gardens(Puerto . . Cruz) Will impress even those who 'are not interested in flowers'. The gardens feature an incredible collection of tropical and sub-tropical trees and plants. Open daily 09.00 - 18.00. Situated in La Paz. Castle Museum Park(Los Realejos)Discover the Canary Islands History and all about its flora, fauna, agriculture, volcanoes, foods, ceramics and handicrafts. Everything you ever wanted to know about folklore. There are also Camel rides, and a playground for children. Open daily 09.00 - 18.00. Free bus every 30 mins. from Cafe Columbus. MascaRoad leads from Santiago del Teide, 6 km zigzag drive. Village until recently not accessible by road. Wonderful views and an insight into how Canarian's lived for many years. Popular with hikers who wish to make the 2 hour walk through the gully to the sea at the base of majestic cliffs of Los Gigantes. Craft Markets 'Rasto' (Santa Cruz Flea Market). Sunday mornings 10.00 - 14.00. About everything Garachico Local Canarian craft market, most Sundays. Risco Bello Aquatic Gardens (Puerto Cruz)Situated right in the heart of the Parque Taoro. A popular and beautiful tropical oasis with lakes, grotto, waterfall, pottery garden, Japanese bridge, exotic flora and fauna. Open daily 10.00 - 18.30 (winter) and 10.00 - 20.30 (Summer) Casa Iriarte(Los Realejos)A beautifully preserved 18th Century building with the distinctive Canarian balconies so ever-present in this town. Poet and author Tomas de Iriarte y Nieves-Ravelo was born in this house in 1750. The lower part of the house has shops selling souvenirs and upstairs there is a naval museum, with a collection of old posters and photographs. Beaches: The volcanic nature and evolution of Tenerife have created just a few 'natural' beaches, all of a fine black shingle or sand. The dramatic increase of tourism and demand for public beaches has been met by huge investments. High quality, man made beaches are now plentiful. These are mainly around the major tourist resorts. Most have good access, meet stringent European standards of cleanliness and most offer shower facilities, sun beds, shades and water-sports. Listed below, are some of these beaches, each with a brief description.Sun beaches for sun tanning on sand · Los Gigantes, coved, black sand beach, west Tenerife, small town with harbour · San Juan, coved, black sand, sloping, west Tenerife, small town with good snorkeling. · Fanabe new, developing area, yellow sand beach, showers, sun beds &shades, water-sports, south Tenerife. · Torviscas yellow grey sand beach, showers, shallow waters, sun beds &shades, near marina, restaurants, bars, south Tenerife. · Playa las Americas, La Troya, grey sand beach, sun beds &shades, showers, water-sports, centre of town, several different surf breaker coves, shallow waters, rollers on occasions, restaurants, shops, south Tenerife · Los Cristianos, Las Vistas, white yellow sand beach, sun beds &shades, shallow water, restaurants, bars, some water-sports · Los Cristianos, harbour, white grey sandy beach, shallow water, sea wall protected, sun beds &shades, restaurants, bars, boats, water-sports, south Tenerife. · Candaleria has got small black shingle beach, sloping to deeper water, often roller waves, centre of village, restaurants, east Tenerife. · Santa Cruz,Terasitas beach, large golden imported sand beach, shallow waters, well protected, kiosks, natural shade from some trees, few restaurants nearby, north Tenerife. · Puerto de la Cruz, black fine shingle beach, sloping to deeper water, roller waves, restaurants, bars, next to salt-water lido, north Tenerife. Eating: Tenerife mains water is perfectly safe, contains minerals and calcium, with a distinct taste and smell. Its OK to cook and prepare food with, but to drink, and for coffee and tea, I recommend you buy bottled drinking water. It's available everywhere, in 5 and 1 litre plastic bottles. Keep your water intake high while staying in a hot country especially if you intake of alcohol is higher than usual.Supermarkets carry all of the normal essential European and Spanish foods. Imported foods are more expensive than local produce. Spanish bread (uncut French 'stick' loaves) is used fresh daily. Spanish food is very simple and extremely tasty, meats and fish tend to be cooked over open grills and served with chips and salads. Casseroles made with fresh produce are common. Pastas and pulses and garlic are widely used in Spanish cooking. Chicken in Garlic (Pollo en ajo), often hotly spiced, is very common and extremely tasty. A variety of excellent sauce dips (Salsa's) are served almost everywhere. Fresh herbs are also carefully used a great deal, giving the simply cooked recipes wonderful flavours. The commonest Canarian meals tend to be a fresh salad starter, served with small sausages, or beans, fresh bread and sauces. The main course is usually one's favorite meat accompanied by small black potatoes cooked in rock salt (skin is left on), salad and a few 'French fries' or chips. Deserts are international and varied. Good wines are cheap and available everywhere. Tenerife offers a huge variety of international restaurants and cuisine, just about every taste is catered for. Local 'Canarian' restaurants are still far cheaper than most other countries of Europe. Fish, Rabbit, Chicken and other meats are widely available and excellent, especially when combined with the local sauces and wines. Tapas (small snack like dishes) served with bread, should not be missed. For the less adventurous, the usual fast food restaurants such as Macdonald's and KFC exist. If you can, hire a car and seek out one of the many restaurants in more remote areas - you will be rewarded with the most memorable food and wine. TAPAS - Ensaladilla - (Russian salad), Pulpo - (Octopus) - Bocarones (Fresh Anchovies) - Tortilla (Spanish Potato Omelette) - Atun en salsa rojo (Tuna in red sauce) - carne con papa (Meat and potatoes) DISHES - Garabanzas (Chickpeas) - Chuleta de Tenera (Beef chops) - Beefsteca de Tenera (Beef steak) - Pollo en Ajo (Chicken in garlic) - Pollo picante (Spicy chicken) - Salchichas (Homemade sausages Spanish wine are sold in supermarkets and restaurants you will rarely find European wines. Local Tenerifan wine is called Viña de Norte and is achieving a good reputation. Viña de la casa (House wines) served in Spanish restaurants served by the carafe, tends to be local wines, House wines in European restaurants tend to be cheap bottled wine. Obviously, Rioja tends to be a popular wine, and a wide variety of examples of this wine can be purchased cheaply. Gran Canaria The island is divided into two dramatically different climatic areas, humid in the north-central, filled with green and beautiful valleys, craters and other volcanic shapes, and the arid to the south, with desert-like landscapes, where you will find a nice place to take sun baths and swim in the huge beaches. Average temperature changes from 17C degrees in winter to 24 C in summer. Attractions:Las Palmas The Barrio de la Vegueta is a very attractive quarter of town, with numerous manorial houses showing influences of latin-american colonial style. In the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno you can see an important collection of contemporary art. La Casa de Colón, the "House of Columbus", reminds us that the ships of Christopher Columbus made a halt here on their journey to America. The Museo Canario, the "Canarian Museum", shows the most complete exposition you may find about the islands' original inhabitants, the Guanches The Pueblo Canario, located in the beautiful gardens of Doramas Park, was created by canarian artist Néstor de la Torre and represents the islands' typical architecture. Each Thursday and Sunday take place colorful folkloristical performances. 8 kilometers out of Las Palmas there is the Jardín Canario, the "Canarian Garden". It shows the incredible variety of plants at the islands, with no fewer than 500 species existing exclusively here. Beaches: Maspalomas Maybe the most beautiful among the fantastic beaches of this island. Fine white sand at a length of 6 kilometers and a width of up to 1 kilometer, and intensely blue sea ... a paradise for sunworshippers, in particular during the cold European winter! There are modern hotel-complexes and sports installations, more than anywhere at Faro de Maspalomas, with the island's most important sports harbour, Pasitoblanco. Along the beach there are several oasis with palms and even a fresh-water lake. Playa del Ingés Next to Maspalomas, of a length of 2.700 meters. This is one of the most famous beaches of the archipelago, with modern hotels and installations of any kind. San Agustín Less known than the two foregoing, but quieter and more relaxing. An ideal place to recover from the stress of everyday life. Eating: Agriculture is one of Gran Canaria’s main industries and a lot of the out of season fruit and vegetables that we buy in this country come from the island. Bananas, papaya, grapes and melons are all grown locally as are tomatoes and potatoes. Potatoes especially find their way into numerous dishes like soups and stews. LANZAROTELanzarote is the driest of the Canary Islands and guarantees sunshine almost without interruption. Attractions: National Park of Timanfaya is a volcanic field where visitors can appreciate a great variety of geologic phenomena as well as a large biological mix of some 180 different plant species. The César Manrique Foundation is the island’s cultural centre par excellence that has won international recognition not only because it houses some of the works of the world famous artist, but also because it exhibits Manrique´s private collection of some prestigious artists such as Picasso, Miró, Chillida, Klee. Jameos del Agua, one of the most interesting galleries of connecting caves and underground grottoes in the world lies to the north of Lanzarote, at the foot of the volcano Monte de la Corona which erupted around 3.000 years ago. El Golfo -the Gulf- is the name of the crater ( today reduced to half of its original size) with a green lagoon, colouring caused by the algae that inhabit its waters. The Cactus Garden is one of César Manrique's last works. The artist turned an old quarry into an impressive cactus plantation. Teguise, the capital of Lanzarote up to 1852, has become one of the most important cultural and tourist centers of the island. Beaches: El Reducto:This beautiful beach in Arrecife, capital of the island from the second half of the XIX century, was granted a blue flag by the European Union. With its promenade along the coast and the delightful San Gines lagoon, a natural pond formed by sea water which harbours small boats of inshore fishermen, it has been beautifully landscaped with the collaboration of Cesar Manrique. Its fine golden sand and placid waters create a picturesque setting. La Laja - 100 m. of fine white sand in Caleta del Sebo. Las Conchas - 400 m. of fine white sand on the other side of Graciosa, facing the island of Montaña Clara. Spectacular view and beach El Salado - 1.500 m. of fine white sand reachable only on foot. Francesa - 400 m. of fine white sand. 2,5 km. from Caleta del Sebo. La Cocina - 100 m. of fine white sand. 3,5 km. from Caleta del Sebo Lambra - 600 m. of fine white sand. 6,7 km. from Caleta del Sebo. Caleta de Arriba - 50 m. of white and fine sand. 1,2 km. from Caleta del Sebo in proximity to the pier. El Caletón Blanco:In the municipality of Haría, it harbors many of the natural marvels of Lanzarote such as losJameos del Agua and la Cueva de los Verdes. Its fine white sand mingles intimately with volcanic magma forming small shelterd bays ideal for swimming. Las Cucharas:A shelterd beach of toasted sand and placid waters 640m long in Costa Teguise, municipality of Teguise, one of the main tourist resorts of the island, with big hotels and apartments where architecture and landscape have been harmoniously integrated. Lanzarote's main tourist resort, in the municipality of Tías. Its coastline offers several kilometers of beautiful golden beaches. Playa Grande. Puerto del Carmen´s most central beach. Over 1 km of golden sand and beautiful promenade in Lanzarote´s most developed tourist area. . Its placid waters are ideal for windsurfing. Playa de los Pocillos - Puerto del Carmen. 1.230 m. of fine toasted sand. Placid waters ideal for windsurfing. Playa de Matagorda- Puerto del Carmen. One of a series of attractive beaches along the coast of Lanzarote´s main tourist area, in proximity to the airport. Excellent development along the leght of the beach. 850m of fine golden sand and calm waters. Punta de Papagayo: At the southernmost tip of Lanzarote, with its surrounding landscape covered in volcanic ashes are the crystal clear waters and fine white sands of Papagayo, a beach composed of several small bays and coves. It is a bumpy ride to the beach on the dirt road, but it is well worth it. Many of the visitors practice nudism. Playa Blanca:The southernmost tip of Lanzarote, in the municipality of Yaiza, was once a small fishing village. It is now a flourishing but tranquil resort with beautiful beaches bordered by a picturesque restaurant-lined promenade. Playa Blanca - 40 m. of fine golden sand with placid waters and a beautiful promenade to the the small harbour with daily ferries to Fuerteventura. Playa de las Coloradas - it is a tranquil beach of gravel, 410 m long, removed from developed areas, lacking of public services. Playa Dorada - A sheltered beach of fine white sand 30m long, on the basaltic border of the coast line, next to Playa Blanca. Eating:The local wine is rated among the best in the Canaries but curiosity is the main incentive for drinking it. Atlantic fish, like swordfish and grouper are often accompanied by local sauces. Potatoes, cooked in a number of different ways, traditionally accompany the main course. Perhaps the most popular are the aptly named 'wrinkled potatoes' 'Papas arrugadas', which are boiled in extremely salty water and eaten with hot 'Mojo' sauce. There are a number of special island dishes,including dried, salted fish dishes, fish soup and a variety of meat stews with vegetables. Stews and thick soups are the most commonly encountered Canarian recipes. In addition to beef, pork is the most revered medium for traditional meat dishes. Roast leg of pork, prepared to a special recipe, is one of the most commonly-encountered delicacies on the island.
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