Things to do in the Canary Islands
A cluster of seven major and six minor islands in the Atlantic Ocean, which mix European, African, and even American influences, the Canary Island archipelago lies about 65 miles off the northwest coast of Africa. The Canaries are aptly called the Fortunate Isles; bathed by the Gulf Stream and ruffled by the trade winds; they are spread out in a line only about 4° north of the Tropic of Cancer, at roughly the same latitude as Florida, and in general enjoy a spring like climate throughout the year, with temperatures mostly in the 70s F.
Yet physical contrasts are dramatic, from verdant tropical vegetation to Dantesque, lavacovered lunar landscapes; from towering, snowcapped mountains to rolling desert dunes; from ultramodern tourism complexes to quaint, whitewashed hamlets and recondite valleys populated with tertiaryera flora and fauna. Las Islas Canarias attract an everincreasing number of tourists, but most never venture far from the beaches, leaving the rugged wonders of the hinterlands for more intrepid souls.
There are 13 islands, but only Grand Canary (Gran Canaria in Spanish), Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma are of any significant size. Born of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the Canaries are dotted with hundreds of volcanoes, and one or two are still smoldering. Because of variations in altitude and climate, some islands have justly been described as miniature continents. On the heights, the vegetation is alpine, and includes Canary pine and broom. On the lower slopes, irrigation of the rich volcanic soils produces an astonishing abundance of tropical and semi-tropical fruits.
Scorching African winds from the Sahara create desert conditions on the easternmost islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, as well as along the eastern coasts of Grand Canary and Tenerife. But lofty volcanic peaks block clouds rolling in from the ocean and create damp, luxuriant conditions elsewhere.
These isles have piqued the imagination of man since the beginning of recorded history. Homer spoke of them as a privileged kingdom devoid of winter, and Herodotus identified them as the site of the mythical garden of Hesperides (where Atlas stood supporting the weight of the heavens). Plato believed the islands were the remains of the mythical lost continent of Atlantis, and Ptolemy, the 2nd-century geographer, situated his first meridian 0° longitude at EI Hierro, the most remote of the islands.
There are canaries in the Canaries, but the archipelago's name comes from another source. Pliny wrote of an expedition sent to these legendary isles by the African king, Juba. The explorers returned with huge, wild dogs; hence the name canarias, from the Latin canis (dog). Even today a local breed of fierce gray dogs called verdinos, or bardinos, still roams some parts of the islands.
Canary Islands history
When the Spanish attempted to take the islands in the 15th century, they had problems not from canines but from the original human inhabitants, the Guanche cave dwellers, who put up fierce resistance and were not conquered until 1496. Little is known about where the Guanche people came from or how. Shepherds and rudimentary farmers, they practiced a cult of the dead, developing a complicated mummification process similar to that used in Egypt. Carvings at the Cueva de Belmaco (Belmaco Cave) in La Palma, yet to be deciphered, promise to reveal much more about this fascinating people.
But the recent discovery of a stone with ancient Berber inscriptions supports the prevailing theory that the Guanche were descendants of North African tribes and may have emigrated from the mainland sometime around 500 BC. As the Spaniards established themselves on the islands, the Guanche who were not killed off by disease, famine, volcanic eruptions, or slavery were absorbed into the Spanish culture.
Some of the local people retain the physical characteristics of their forebears (they were tall, fairskinned, and lighthaired), and traces of their existence remain all over the archipelago in the form of ceramics and leather artifacts, geometric cave paintings, mummies, remnants of their traditions and language (in placenames such as Timanfaya and Tenerife), and their food. Today's islanders have a newly awakened interest in their ancestors, partly in reaction to what they feel is neglect from distant Madrid. From time to time throughout the islands, slogans appear on posters and walls saying Godos fuera! (Goths as in Visigoth, the islanders' pejorative name for a mainland Spaniard go home!).
Canary Islands industry and agriculture
For most of their early history, the Canaries depended on agriculture as the mainstay of their economy, with their aromatic malvasia (malmsey) wine gaining wide favor in European courts during the 16th century (Shakespeare had Falstaff call for a cask of Canary Jack). During the 18th and 19th centuries, sugarcane, muscatel wine, and a tiny red mite called the cochineal insect brought wealth to the Canaries.
The natural dye obtained from the insect, which lives off the islands' cacti, was exported in large quantities to Britain and France until the invention of artificial colorings. Later, the Canaries prospered with bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco. For a long time, trade was monopolized by British firms, which also made the towns of Las Palmas on Grand Canary and Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Tenerife important coaling stations for their ships.
Wealthy Europeans began spending winters in the Canaries during the late 19th century. Today five million tourists visit the islands annually, and although there are now more than 300,000 hotel beds, it can be extremely difficult to get a room in the better resorts during high season, from December through Easter. The Canary archipelago is one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities.
But since 1927 the islands have been split into two provinces, and there is ongoing rivalry between the ports of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Las Palmas is the provincial capital of the eastern islands: Grand Canary (the most populated), Fuerteventura (a virtual desert), and Lanzarote (which has the most impressive volcanic scenery). Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the western group: Tenerife (the largest island), La Palma (the green island), La Gomera, and EI Hierro. The archipelago has its own parliament, and each island has its own cabildo (council) to look after local affairs.
A mixture of cultures influences Canarian food, which tends to be hearty and simple. Gofio, a filling paste made of flour, water, and milk, is an island staple from the Guanche. Sancocho canario is fresh fish cooked with both sweet and regular potatoes and served with kneaded gofio and mojo, an essential Canarian seasoning made with oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and various spices such as paprika, coriander, and pepper. Mojo picón is a hot seasoning made with peppers; watch out, because it's ubiquitous, and its benign aroma belies its true incendiary nature.
Papas arrugadas (literally, wrinkled potatoes), potatoes boiled in their skins and served with mojo, are a popular snack. Some of the world's richest fishing grounds lie between the Canaries and the African coast, a plentitude that yields such specialties as stuffed chicharros (mackerel) and Tenerife-style cazuela canaria, a delectable casserole of fresh or salted fish. Common meat dishes include roast chicken in banana cream, tender cabrito asado (roasted kid goat), and jabali (wild boar) from Gomera. Most red meat is served with salmorejo, a sauce of vinegar, garlic, and assorted spices. Vegetable dishes and stews are usually made with bubangos (summer squash), cabbage, and watercress.
Weather in the Canary Islands
The tropical and subtropical climate of some of the islands has produced such fresh fruit as avocados, bananas, mangoes, cherimoyas, and papayas. Equally enticing are the desserts, including frangollo, a sweet made of corn, milk, and honey, and gofio turrón, a nougat candy. Cheese aficionados have a wide variety of cured, raw, and smoked goat and sheep cheeses from which to choose. Meals are often rounded off with ronmiel, a punch made of distilled sugarcane and palm sap; mistela, coffee laced with sugar and brandy; banana liqueur; or the renowned malmsey wine, which can be a young verde (green),purpura (purplered), seeD (dry), or dulce (sweet), depending on the harvesting period.
Today's Canary Islanders make their living farming, fishing, and producing handicrafts as well as by working at various jobs in the modern resort developments. They speak Spanish with a musical accent reminiscent of Latin America (to which many Canarians have emigrated over the years). Their folk music also has a Latin American rhythm; folk groups play flutes, drums, guitars, and the timple, a small stringed instrument. Visitors to the Canary Islands will be charmed not only by the rich tapestry of music, landscape, history, and gastronomy but also by the warm inhabitants. Keep in mind when planning visits that in the Canary Islands, as in other parts of Spain, churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest usually open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM, and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules may change with the seasons.
Festivals in the Canary Islands
Camels, bands, and lavishly dressed islanders participate in the Cabalgata de los Tres Reyes (Cavalcade of the Three Kings), which takes place on January 5 or 6 in several towns throughout the islands, most notably Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Also celebrated on all the islands with astonishing exuberance is February's Camaval; Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas compete to outdo each other with dazzling and outrageous parades, costumes, and nonstop music and dancing; Latin American stars and bands are usually on hand to help liven things up. Semana Santa (Holy Week), from Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) through Domingo de ResUlrecci6n (Easter Sunday), is observed with solemn processions throughout the islands.
In addition, each town has a fiesta to honor its patron saint (exact dates can vary from year to year). During the last two weeks of April, Tegueste, near La Laguna, Tenerife, combines its romena (flower-bedecked oxcart procession) with a show of 15,000 bottles of wine from 20 Spanish bodegas. Early in May, the Dia de la Cruz (Day of the Cross) is the occasion for one of the year's most lighthearted fiestas, particularly on the island of El Hierro. On Tenerife, in June, carpets of flowers and elaborate paintings of sand are arranged on the streets of La Laguna and La Orotava for Corpus Christi processions.
During September, San Sebastian on La Gomera holds its Semana de Colon (Columbus Week) celebrations (commemorating the explorer's passage through the islands in 1492, the first stop on his historic voyage across the Atlantic). September 8 is a big day on Grand Canary, when a colorful procession pays homage to Nuestra Senora del Pino (Our Lady of the Pine) in Teror. The port town of Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife hosts an annual Festival de Cine Ecologico (Ecological Film Festival) during the third week of November.
Once every five years, La Palma holds its Fiestas Lustrales, a two-week festival in honor of Nuestra Senora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) in Santa Cruz de la Palma, in which the highlight is the Danza de los Enanos (Dwarfs' Dance, a day-long event in which two dozen or more costumed islanders dance polkas); the next celebration will be held this summer from July 2 through August 16. Finally, Las Palmas hosts the Festival de Opera in February and March, and in La Laguna, on Tenerife, the Festival Internacional del Teatro y de la Danza (International Festival of Theater and Dance) takes place from March through May.
Gran Canaria Car hire
Book Gran Canaria car hire before you fly to save money and time when you arrive at the airport on the island. Cheap airport car hire in Gran Canaria is easy to book online and you can choose from every major car hire company, including Hertz, Helle Hollis and Avis, and a range of local car rental companies in Gran Canaria.
Grand Canary (Gran Canaria), the most heavily populated of the Canary Islands, covers only 592 square miles but encompasses a variety of landscapes and climates. When it is cool and cloudy along the northern slopes where tomatoes, potatoes, sugarcane, and bananas flourish sunbathers can be soaking up the rays on beaches in the cloudless south. At the same time, chill winds may be sweeping over this circular island's 6,400-foot central heights, ruffling the upland forests of laurel, pine, and eucalyptus. Sheer ravines cut into the volcanic mountains of the center, and agriculture flourishes because of intricate irrigation schemes.
While ever-increasing numbers of sun-hungry visitors flock to the fine beaches of the southern coast, most of the island's 600,000 inhabitants live in the north in the bustling capital of Las Palmas. Stretched along a strip of seafront at the island's northeastern tip, Las Palmas is the largest city in the archipelago, with 350,000 inhabitants, a major port, a fading tourist resort, and a shopping center.
In the interior of the island, southwest of Las Palmas along narrow mountain roads, is Tejeda, standing about 4,800 feet above sea level amid a bleak, volcanic landscape. The setting, described by the Spanish poet Miguel de Unamuno as a petrified storm, is awesome. More soothing is the Maspalomas Playa del InglesSan Agustin resort area, sometimes called the Costa Canaria, along the island's southern coast.
The area stretches for miles, embracing three resort developments, excellent beaches, and a mini-Sahara of spectacular sand dunes. Quainter, more secluded spots are opening up in the coves west of MaspalomasPlaya del Ingles. The tiny fishing community of Puerto de Mogan is fast becoming the retreat of the yachting set, who are attracted by its charming marina and enchanting canal-cooled Mediterranean village.
The city of Las Palmas
Las Palmas stretches from La Isleta peninsula and the Puerto de la Luz area, where cruise liners and merchant vessels dock, south along a narrow isthmus. The Castillo de La Luz, a castlefortress on the Isleta on Calle Juan Rejon, was built in 1494 to protect the town from pirates and other invaders (including the English fleet of Sir Francis Drake) and has been restored to serve as a cultural center. Just south of the Isleta, on the western side of the isthmus, begins a twomile beach, Playa de las Canteras. Running parallel to the beach is the Paseo de las Canteras, a promenade boasting numerous bars, cafes, and a variety of restaurants: not just Spanish but Swedish, Italian, Chinese, Finnish, Mexican, Indian, and German.
Most resort hotels are in this strip as well. These, however, have suffered from a tourist exodus to the south of the island. The bulks are shabby and frayed, and serve the lower end of the package circuit. The public market, located in the southern fringes of the barrio, is still appealing. It occupies an entire block at the corner of Calle Nestor de la Torre and Calle Galicia.
Any bus traveling along Calle Leon y Castillo at Parque Santa Catalina also goes to Parque Doramas. Another parque de San Telmo, is farther south, where the broad, bustling shopping street, Calle Mayor de Triana, begins and leads south to the Vegueta, the city's old quarter. Parallel to Triana is the CasaMuseo Perez GaLdos, the former home of Benito Perez Galdos, a 19th and 20th-century writer, playwright, and campaigner against social injustice. It's closed Sundays and afternoons; admission charge.
The Vegueta Las Palmas
The Vegueta, the city's historic center, an area of peaceful cobbled streets, old balconied buildings, and pleasant squares, is a bit farther south (from the Isleta or Puerto de la Luz area, take a taxi or bus No.1). Here, fronting the noble Plaza de Santa Ana (St. Ann Square), is the Catedral de Las Palmas, a 15th-century cathedral that is Gothic in origin, with a later, neoclassical exterior. The cathedral's Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacra boasts a collection of magnificent Flemish and Castilian paintings.
Directly across the street from the cathedral is the CasaMuseo Colon, the former governors' residence. This dignified mansion hosted Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon in Spanish) for a short time in 1502 before he headed to the Americas on one of his later voyages. It now functions as a small museum, containing objects from the period of Columbus's explorations, including heavy cannon, faded maps, and models of the explorer's vessels. Nearby is the Museo Canario, displaying ceramics and implements of the original island inhabitants. The first floor has glass cases containing hundreds of skulls of the Guanche, some showing evidence of trepanation techniques used in primitive medicine. Most striking are the mummified remains of entire bodies.
North of Las Palmas
Cenobio de Valeron, a remarkable archaeological site, is 15 miles (25 km) west of Las Palmas via the C810 coastal highway. Here the rock is honeycombed with caves where once, it is believed, young daughters of the Guanche nobility were kept as vestal virgins. From nearby Guia, a road zigzags inland and back eastward through fertile terraced farmland, to Moya and Arucas. The latter, 10 miles (17 km) out of Las Palmas, has a somber Gothic-style church, built during this century, which stands out against .the town's white houses. There are spectacular views from the observation deck at the top of the nearby Montana de Arucas.
Continue south to Teror, 13 miles (21 km) from Las Palmas, whose wooden-balconied mansions are a marvel of traditional, harmonious architecture. At its heart is the 18th-century Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pino (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pine), which houses the much venerated statue of Grand Canary's patron saint, said to have been found in a pine tree in 1481. The statue is the object of the island's annual pilgrimage on September 8.
The original whitewashed fishing village sits on a hill to the north, providing a rustic backdrop to the newer, sleeker enclave below. A ferry ride to neighboring Puerto Rico and Arguineguin (service six times daily from the port; buy tickets on board) is a pleasant, leisurely way to study the underlying coast.
Yet physical contrasts are dramatic, from verdant tropical vegetation to Dantesque, lavacovered lunar landscapes; from towering, snowcapped mountains to rolling desert dunes; from ultramodern tourism complexes to quaint, whitewashed hamlets and recondite valleys populated with tertiaryera flora and fauna. Las Islas Canarias attract an everincreasing number of tourists, but most never venture far from the beaches, leaving the rugged wonders of the hinterlands for more intrepid souls.
There are 13 islands, but only Grand Canary (Gran Canaria in Spanish), Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma are of any significant size. Born of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the Canaries are dotted with hundreds of volcanoes, and one or two are still smoldering. Because of variations in altitude and climate, some islands have justly been described as miniature continents. On the heights, the vegetation is alpine, and includes Canary pine and broom. On the lower slopes, irrigation of the rich volcanic soils produces an astonishing abundance of tropical and semi-tropical fruits.
Scorching African winds from the Sahara create desert conditions on the easternmost islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, as well as along the eastern coasts of Grand Canary and Tenerife. But lofty volcanic peaks block clouds rolling in from the ocean and create damp, luxuriant conditions elsewhere.
These isles have piqued the imagination of man since the beginning of recorded history. Homer spoke of them as a privileged kingdom devoid of winter, and Herodotus identified them as the site of the mythical garden of Hesperides (where Atlas stood supporting the weight of the heavens). Plato believed the islands were the remains of the mythical lost continent of Atlantis, and Ptolemy, the 2nd-century geographer, situated his first meridian 0° longitude at EI Hierro, the most remote of the islands.
There are canaries in the Canaries, but the archipelago's name comes from another source. Pliny wrote of an expedition sent to these legendary isles by the African king, Juba. The explorers returned with huge, wild dogs; hence the name canarias, from the Latin canis (dog). Even today a local breed of fierce gray dogs called verdinos, or bardinos, still roams some parts of the islands.
Canary Islands history
When the Spanish attempted to take the islands in the 15th century, they had problems not from canines but from the original human inhabitants, the Guanche cave dwellers, who put up fierce resistance and were not conquered until 1496. Little is known about where the Guanche people came from or how. Shepherds and rudimentary farmers, they practiced a cult of the dead, developing a complicated mummification process similar to that used in Egypt. Carvings at the Cueva de Belmaco (Belmaco Cave) in La Palma, yet to be deciphered, promise to reveal much more about this fascinating people.
But the recent discovery of a stone with ancient Berber inscriptions supports the prevailing theory that the Guanche were descendants of North African tribes and may have emigrated from the mainland sometime around 500 BC. As the Spaniards established themselves on the islands, the Guanche who were not killed off by disease, famine, volcanic eruptions, or slavery were absorbed into the Spanish culture.
Some of the local people retain the physical characteristics of their forebears (they were tall, fairskinned, and lighthaired), and traces of their existence remain all over the archipelago in the form of ceramics and leather artifacts, geometric cave paintings, mummies, remnants of their traditions and language (in placenames such as Timanfaya and Tenerife), and their food. Today's islanders have a newly awakened interest in their ancestors, partly in reaction to what they feel is neglect from distant Madrid. From time to time throughout the islands, slogans appear on posters and walls saying Godos fuera! (Goths as in Visigoth, the islanders' pejorative name for a mainland Spaniard go home!).
Canary Islands industry and agriculture
For most of their early history, the Canaries depended on agriculture as the mainstay of their economy, with their aromatic malvasia (malmsey) wine gaining wide favor in European courts during the 16th century (Shakespeare had Falstaff call for a cask of Canary Jack). During the 18th and 19th centuries, sugarcane, muscatel wine, and a tiny red mite called the cochineal insect brought wealth to the Canaries.
The natural dye obtained from the insect, which lives off the islands' cacti, was exported in large quantities to Britain and France until the invention of artificial colorings. Later, the Canaries prospered with bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco. For a long time, trade was monopolized by British firms, which also made the towns of Las Palmas on Grand Canary and Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Tenerife important coaling stations for their ships.
Wealthy Europeans began spending winters in the Canaries during the late 19th century. Today five million tourists visit the islands annually, and although there are now more than 300,000 hotel beds, it can be extremely difficult to get a room in the better resorts during high season, from December through Easter. The Canary archipelago is one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities.
But since 1927 the islands have been split into two provinces, and there is ongoing rivalry between the ports of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Las Palmas is the provincial capital of the eastern islands: Grand Canary (the most populated), Fuerteventura (a virtual desert), and Lanzarote (which has the most impressive volcanic scenery). Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the western group: Tenerife (the largest island), La Palma (the green island), La Gomera, and EI Hierro. The archipelago has its own parliament, and each island has its own cabildo (council) to look after local affairs.
A mixture of cultures influences Canarian food, which tends to be hearty and simple. Gofio, a filling paste made of flour, water, and milk, is an island staple from the Guanche. Sancocho canario is fresh fish cooked with both sweet and regular potatoes and served with kneaded gofio and mojo, an essential Canarian seasoning made with oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and various spices such as paprika, coriander, and pepper. Mojo picón is a hot seasoning made with peppers; watch out, because it's ubiquitous, and its benign aroma belies its true incendiary nature.
Papas arrugadas (literally, wrinkled potatoes), potatoes boiled in their skins and served with mojo, are a popular snack. Some of the world's richest fishing grounds lie between the Canaries and the African coast, a plentitude that yields such specialties as stuffed chicharros (mackerel) and Tenerife-style cazuela canaria, a delectable casserole of fresh or salted fish. Common meat dishes include roast chicken in banana cream, tender cabrito asado (roasted kid goat), and jabali (wild boar) from Gomera. Most red meat is served with salmorejo, a sauce of vinegar, garlic, and assorted spices. Vegetable dishes and stews are usually made with bubangos (summer squash), cabbage, and watercress.
Weather in the Canary Islands
The tropical and subtropical climate of some of the islands has produced such fresh fruit as avocados, bananas, mangoes, cherimoyas, and papayas. Equally enticing are the desserts, including frangollo, a sweet made of corn, milk, and honey, and gofio turrón, a nougat candy. Cheese aficionados have a wide variety of cured, raw, and smoked goat and sheep cheeses from which to choose. Meals are often rounded off with ronmiel, a punch made of distilled sugarcane and palm sap; mistela, coffee laced with sugar and brandy; banana liqueur; or the renowned malmsey wine, which can be a young verde (green),purpura (purplered), seeD (dry), or dulce (sweet), depending on the harvesting period.
Today's Canary Islanders make their living farming, fishing, and producing handicrafts as well as by working at various jobs in the modern resort developments. They speak Spanish with a musical accent reminiscent of Latin America (to which many Canarians have emigrated over the years). Their folk music also has a Latin American rhythm; folk groups play flutes, drums, guitars, and the timple, a small stringed instrument. Visitors to the Canary Islands will be charmed not only by the rich tapestry of music, landscape, history, and gastronomy but also by the warm inhabitants. Keep in mind when planning visits that in the Canary Islands, as in other parts of Spain, churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest usually open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM, and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules may change with the seasons.
Festivals in the Canary Islands
Camels, bands, and lavishly dressed islanders participate in the Cabalgata de los Tres Reyes (Cavalcade of the Three Kings), which takes place on January 5 or 6 in several towns throughout the islands, most notably Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Also celebrated on all the islands with astonishing exuberance is February's Camaval; Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas compete to outdo each other with dazzling and outrageous parades, costumes, and nonstop music and dancing; Latin American stars and bands are usually on hand to help liven things up. Semana Santa (Holy Week), from Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) through Domingo de ResUlrecci6n (Easter Sunday), is observed with solemn processions throughout the islands.
In addition, each town has a fiesta to honor its patron saint (exact dates can vary from year to year). During the last two weeks of April, Tegueste, near La Laguna, Tenerife, combines its romena (flower-bedecked oxcart procession) with a show of 15,000 bottles of wine from 20 Spanish bodegas. Early in May, the Dia de la Cruz (Day of the Cross) is the occasion for one of the year's most lighthearted fiestas, particularly on the island of El Hierro. On Tenerife, in June, carpets of flowers and elaborate paintings of sand are arranged on the streets of La Laguna and La Orotava for Corpus Christi processions.
During September, San Sebastian on La Gomera holds its Semana de Colon (Columbus Week) celebrations (commemorating the explorer's passage through the islands in 1492, the first stop on his historic voyage across the Atlantic). September 8 is a big day on Grand Canary, when a colorful procession pays homage to Nuestra Senora del Pino (Our Lady of the Pine) in Teror. The port town of Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife hosts an annual Festival de Cine Ecologico (Ecological Film Festival) during the third week of November.
Once every five years, La Palma holds its Fiestas Lustrales, a two-week festival in honor of Nuestra Senora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) in Santa Cruz de la Palma, in which the highlight is the Danza de los Enanos (Dwarfs' Dance, a day-long event in which two dozen or more costumed islanders dance polkas); the next celebration will be held this summer from July 2 through August 16. Finally, Las Palmas hosts the Festival de Opera in February and March, and in La Laguna, on Tenerife, the Festival Internacional del Teatro y de la Danza (International Festival of Theater and Dance) takes place from March through May.
Gran Canaria Car hire
Book Gran Canaria car hire before you fly to save money and time when you arrive at the airport on the island. Cheap airport car hire in Gran Canaria is easy to book online and you can choose from every major car hire company, including Hertz, Helle Hollis and Avis, and a range of local car rental companies in Gran Canaria.
Grand Canary (Gran Canaria), the most heavily populated of the Canary Islands, covers only 592 square miles but encompasses a variety of landscapes and climates. When it is cool and cloudy along the northern slopes where tomatoes, potatoes, sugarcane, and bananas flourish sunbathers can be soaking up the rays on beaches in the cloudless south. At the same time, chill winds may be sweeping over this circular island's 6,400-foot central heights, ruffling the upland forests of laurel, pine, and eucalyptus. Sheer ravines cut into the volcanic mountains of the center, and agriculture flourishes because of intricate irrigation schemes.
While ever-increasing numbers of sun-hungry visitors flock to the fine beaches of the southern coast, most of the island's 600,000 inhabitants live in the north in the bustling capital of Las Palmas. Stretched along a strip of seafront at the island's northeastern tip, Las Palmas is the largest city in the archipelago, with 350,000 inhabitants, a major port, a fading tourist resort, and a shopping center.
In the interior of the island, southwest of Las Palmas along narrow mountain roads, is Tejeda, standing about 4,800 feet above sea level amid a bleak, volcanic landscape. The setting, described by the Spanish poet Miguel de Unamuno as a petrified storm, is awesome. More soothing is the Maspalomas Playa del InglesSan Agustin resort area, sometimes called the Costa Canaria, along the island's southern coast.
The area stretches for miles, embracing three resort developments, excellent beaches, and a mini-Sahara of spectacular sand dunes. Quainter, more secluded spots are opening up in the coves west of MaspalomasPlaya del Ingles. The tiny fishing community of Puerto de Mogan is fast becoming the retreat of the yachting set, who are attracted by its charming marina and enchanting canal-cooled Mediterranean village.
The city of Las Palmas
Las Palmas stretches from La Isleta peninsula and the Puerto de la Luz area, where cruise liners and merchant vessels dock, south along a narrow isthmus. The Castillo de La Luz, a castlefortress on the Isleta on Calle Juan Rejon, was built in 1494 to protect the town from pirates and other invaders (including the English fleet of Sir Francis Drake) and has been restored to serve as a cultural center. Just south of the Isleta, on the western side of the isthmus, begins a twomile beach, Playa de las Canteras. Running parallel to the beach is the Paseo de las Canteras, a promenade boasting numerous bars, cafes, and a variety of restaurants: not just Spanish but Swedish, Italian, Chinese, Finnish, Mexican, Indian, and German.
Most resort hotels are in this strip as well. These, however, have suffered from a tourist exodus to the south of the island. The bulks are shabby and frayed, and serve the lower end of the package circuit. The public market, located in the southern fringes of the barrio, is still appealing. It occupies an entire block at the corner of Calle Nestor de la Torre and Calle Galicia.
Any bus traveling along Calle Leon y Castillo at Parque Santa Catalina also goes to Parque Doramas. Another parque de San Telmo, is farther south, where the broad, bustling shopping street, Calle Mayor de Triana, begins and leads south to the Vegueta, the city's old quarter. Parallel to Triana is the CasaMuseo Perez GaLdos, the former home of Benito Perez Galdos, a 19th and 20th-century writer, playwright, and campaigner against social injustice. It's closed Sundays and afternoons; admission charge.
The Vegueta Las Palmas
The Vegueta, the city's historic center, an area of peaceful cobbled streets, old balconied buildings, and pleasant squares, is a bit farther south (from the Isleta or Puerto de la Luz area, take a taxi or bus No.1). Here, fronting the noble Plaza de Santa Ana (St. Ann Square), is the Catedral de Las Palmas, a 15th-century cathedral that is Gothic in origin, with a later, neoclassical exterior. The cathedral's Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacra boasts a collection of magnificent Flemish and Castilian paintings.
Directly across the street from the cathedral is the CasaMuseo Colon, the former governors' residence. This dignified mansion hosted Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon in Spanish) for a short time in 1502 before he headed to the Americas on one of his later voyages. It now functions as a small museum, containing objects from the period of Columbus's explorations, including heavy cannon, faded maps, and models of the explorer's vessels. Nearby is the Museo Canario, displaying ceramics and implements of the original island inhabitants. The first floor has glass cases containing hundreds of skulls of the Guanche, some showing evidence of trepanation techniques used in primitive medicine. Most striking are the mummified remains of entire bodies.
North of Las Palmas
Cenobio de Valeron, a remarkable archaeological site, is 15 miles (25 km) west of Las Palmas via the C810 coastal highway. Here the rock is honeycombed with caves where once, it is believed, young daughters of the Guanche nobility were kept as vestal virgins. From nearby Guia, a road zigzags inland and back eastward through fertile terraced farmland, to Moya and Arucas. The latter, 10 miles (17 km) out of Las Palmas, has a somber Gothic-style church, built during this century, which stands out against .the town's white houses. There are spectacular views from the observation deck at the top of the nearby Montana de Arucas.
Continue south to Teror, 13 miles (21 km) from Las Palmas, whose wooden-balconied mansions are a marvel of traditional, harmonious architecture. At its heart is the 18th-century Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pino (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pine), which houses the much venerated statue of Grand Canary's patron saint, said to have been found in a pine tree in 1481. The statue is the object of the island's annual pilgrimage on September 8.
The original whitewashed fishing village sits on a hill to the north, providing a rustic backdrop to the newer, sleeker enclave below. A ferry ride to neighboring Puerto Rico and Arguineguin (service six times daily from the port; buy tickets on board) is a pleasant, leisurely way to study the underlying coast.
Labels: Canary Islands history, Festivals in the Canary Islands
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