Fuerteventura and La Palma things to do
With the longest shoreline of all the Canary Islands, plenty of spacious, empty beaches, and an arid climate that guarantees year-round sunshine, Fuerteventura is just the spot for windsurfers, beach bums, nudists, sun lovers, anglers, and those seeking total seclusion.
It is the island closest to AfricaMost of the island's 30,000 residents live in Puerto del Rosario, the nondescript capital, located about midway along the eastern coast. Atlantic rollers break against the rocky northwestern shore, while the best beaches and resorts lie in the dune riddled southeast. Here the once sleepy fishing village of Morro Jable has mushroomed into Fuerteventura's largest resort. In the north, Corralejo is another once quiet fishing village turned booming resort town. Fishing, from the beaches or a boat, is excellent here.
The island can be toured in a day, taking in the rugged interior including Betancuria, a secluded oasis chosen by Jean de Bethencourt (a Norman Frenchman who settled Fuerteventura) as the island's original capital in 1404. The town was originally built on a hill above the valley facing the ocean, but was moved to its present location for better protection after several pirate attacks. This explains why the 15th-century Iglesia-Catedral de Santa Maria (Cathedral Church of St. Mary) has a hidden trapdoor in its ceiling where church valuables were hidden when pirates drew nigh.
The neighboring town of Tuineje is known for the November 13, 1740 Battle of Tamasite. During the battle, which took place around Tamasite Mountain, a band of intrepid islanders drove camels before marauding English corsairs, forcing the pirates to expend their ammunition. The islanders then fell upon the English invaders before they could reload and thus defeated them. The battle is recreated every year on its anniversary. Another enjoyable excursion can be made from Corralejo over translucent waters to the offshore Isla de los Lobos.
La Palma car hire
One of the few islands to have escaped inundation by tourists, possibly because it is short on good beaches, La Palma has sufficient numbers of other attractions to justify a visit. Shaped like a leaf, it measures approximately 13 miles by 29 miles and is possibly the most beautiful island of the archipelago which is why it is known as the Isla Bonita, or Pretty Island. It's also the greenest isle in the group, hence its other nickname, the Isla Verde (Green Island).
Car hire in La Palma can be booked before you fly and picked up directly from the airport.A massive crater, the Caldera de Taburiente, occupies the center of the island, with ravines and streams running down to the rugged coastline. At over 6,000 feet, La Palma is the world's highest island. Below its pine-forested heights are intensely cultivated terraced fields producing tropical and other fruits (as well as tobacco plants, originally imported from Cuba, from which the island's noted cigars are made).
The capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma, was once the third most important port of the Spanish empire. It still retains picturesque colonial-style homes and a 16th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall). Today, with 18,000 inhabitants, it is one of the most pleasant towns in the Canaries. Although facilities and services for tourists are not as well developed on La Palma as on Grand Canary or Tenerife, it does attract Europeans who prefer quiet vacations.
Santa Cruz de la Palma
Standing at the foot of a colossal cliff, which is part of an eroded crater, the island capital has an unhurried Old World atmosphere. Along its quiet streets are excellent examples of the architecture of the Canary Islands. Particularly noteworthy are the 16th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall), with a beautiful Renaissance facade, and Iglesia del Salvador (Church of the Savior), a 16th-century structure with a fine coffered ceiling.
Also of interest is the Museo Naval , a maritime museum in a life-size replica of Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria.
La Gomera attractions
La Gomera, although only 146 square miles in area, this round island rises steeply from a precipitous shoreline to nearly 5,000 feet at its central peak, Mt. Garajonay. The craggy seacoast and mountainous terrain make transportation from one valley to the next so difficult that the islanders developed a whistling language to communicate with one another over distances up to several miles.
Situated about 20 miles across the water from Tenerife's southwestern coast, La Gomera is usually visited as a day trip by tourists vacationing on one of the larger Canary Islands. Jean de Bethencourt first invaded the island, against stiff Guanche resistance, in 1404. Christopher Columbus (known in Spanish as Cristobal CoIon), who stopped here in 1492 to procure water and provisions on his first voyage of discovery, is reputed to have spent some memorable days with the mistress of the island, the widow Beatriz de Peraza, Countess of Gomera; his visit is a source of great local pride.
In San Sebastian, the island's tiny picturesque capital, is the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de La Asuncion (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption), where Columbus and his crews heard mass before setting off for parts unknown. The church, on Calle del Medio near the tourist office, was restored in 1992 in honor of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the Americas. The house in which the explorer is said to have slept, called the Casa de Colon, is now a museum housing a permanent collection of pre-Columbian art.
Also noteworthy is the 15th-century Torre del Conde (Count's Tower), an old fortress standing near the sea, which has been declared a national historic monument. 'For shopping, stroll along the main street, Calle Real, an ideal place to pick up the local redclay pottery.
Gomera's Parque Nacional de Garajonay, encompassing the peak and surrounding woodlands some 10,000 acres is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, home to over 850 species of plants and flowers. The rare Laurisilva, an ancient, tertiaryera laurel plant whose lovely petals once graced the whole of the Mediterranean region, can be found at Garajonay, its last outpost. The Centro de Visitantes (Visitors' Center) is located northeast of San Sebastian, at Juego de Bolas. Turn off the main road to Vallehermoso (signposted) at Las Rosas and head south. To arrange for a free guide, call a week in advance. There are signposted walking trails and free maps available. Dense fog tends to creep in during the afternoon, so try to visit before 3 PM. The park is closed Sundays; there's an admission charge.
El Hierro things to do
The smallest and least populated of the archipelago's major islands, EI Hierro is the harshest of all, with black volcanic soil, steep massifs, deep craters, barren mountains, and a serious dearth of spring water. Its name means iron, and the island really does appear to be lost in the Iron Age. Inhabited by prehistoric fauna and giant lizards, this rocky 107 square miles is the ideal spot for those who appreciate solitude and nature at its most dramatic.
The farthest west of the islands (till Columbus stumbled across the Americas, it was considered the westernmost point in the known world, the zero meridian), EI Hierro appears grim and unfriendly from the sea, since its coasts are of black lava dotted with cactus. Clouds often shroud its central zone, a plateau 4,900 feet above sea level. Not the entire island is stark, however; tiny pockets of emerald green glitter in the mountainous interior, providing pasture for flocks of sheep. Their milk, combined with cow's and/or goat's milk, is an essential ingredient of the popular queso herreno, a slightly sour tasting smoked cheese.
The hardy Bimbache, EI Hierro's original inhabitants, solved the problem of the island's lack of spring water by harvesting water from the evergreen leaves of the garoe tree. The trees were so important to the islanders that, until fairly recently, the ownership of one tree was a communal affair, with different branches belonging to different proprietors. The island's inhospitable conditions eventually forced much of the population to emigrate to South America.
Nearly half of the residents live in the capital, Valverde, which is known for its wine. From Valverde, visitors can make short excursions to such natural wonders as La Dehesa, a huge igneous desert whose rolling slopes create the hypnotic illusion of a continual wave. Towering over this calm expanse is the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de los Reyes (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Catholic Monarchs), which every four years is the focal point of a great pilgrimage. During these processions, the image of the Virgin Mary is borne for 19 miles along harsh, windy roads to the capital, accompanied by pilgrims, some bearing candles, some playing native music.
It is the island closest to AfricaMost of the island's 30,000 residents live in Puerto del Rosario, the nondescript capital, located about midway along the eastern coast. Atlantic rollers break against the rocky northwestern shore, while the best beaches and resorts lie in the dune riddled southeast. Here the once sleepy fishing village of Morro Jable has mushroomed into Fuerteventura's largest resort. In the north, Corralejo is another once quiet fishing village turned booming resort town. Fishing, from the beaches or a boat, is excellent here.
The island can be toured in a day, taking in the rugged interior including Betancuria, a secluded oasis chosen by Jean de Bethencourt (a Norman Frenchman who settled Fuerteventura) as the island's original capital in 1404. The town was originally built on a hill above the valley facing the ocean, but was moved to its present location for better protection after several pirate attacks. This explains why the 15th-century Iglesia-Catedral de Santa Maria (Cathedral Church of St. Mary) has a hidden trapdoor in its ceiling where church valuables were hidden when pirates drew nigh.
The neighboring town of Tuineje is known for the November 13, 1740 Battle of Tamasite. During the battle, which took place around Tamasite Mountain, a band of intrepid islanders drove camels before marauding English corsairs, forcing the pirates to expend their ammunition. The islanders then fell upon the English invaders before they could reload and thus defeated them. The battle is recreated every year on its anniversary. Another enjoyable excursion can be made from Corralejo over translucent waters to the offshore Isla de los Lobos.
La Palma car hire
One of the few islands to have escaped inundation by tourists, possibly because it is short on good beaches, La Palma has sufficient numbers of other attractions to justify a visit. Shaped like a leaf, it measures approximately 13 miles by 29 miles and is possibly the most beautiful island of the archipelago which is why it is known as the Isla Bonita, or Pretty Island. It's also the greenest isle in the group, hence its other nickname, the Isla Verde (Green Island).
Car hire in La Palma can be booked before you fly and picked up directly from the airport.A massive crater, the Caldera de Taburiente, occupies the center of the island, with ravines and streams running down to the rugged coastline. At over 6,000 feet, La Palma is the world's highest island. Below its pine-forested heights are intensely cultivated terraced fields producing tropical and other fruits (as well as tobacco plants, originally imported from Cuba, from which the island's noted cigars are made).
The capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma, was once the third most important port of the Spanish empire. It still retains picturesque colonial-style homes and a 16th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall). Today, with 18,000 inhabitants, it is one of the most pleasant towns in the Canaries. Although facilities and services for tourists are not as well developed on La Palma as on Grand Canary or Tenerife, it does attract Europeans who prefer quiet vacations.
Santa Cruz de la Palma
Standing at the foot of a colossal cliff, which is part of an eroded crater, the island capital has an unhurried Old World atmosphere. Along its quiet streets are excellent examples of the architecture of the Canary Islands. Particularly noteworthy are the 16th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall), with a beautiful Renaissance facade, and Iglesia del Salvador (Church of the Savior), a 16th-century structure with a fine coffered ceiling.
Also of interest is the Museo Naval , a maritime museum in a life-size replica of Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria.
La Gomera attractions
La Gomera, although only 146 square miles in area, this round island rises steeply from a precipitous shoreline to nearly 5,000 feet at its central peak, Mt. Garajonay. The craggy seacoast and mountainous terrain make transportation from one valley to the next so difficult that the islanders developed a whistling language to communicate with one another over distances up to several miles.
Situated about 20 miles across the water from Tenerife's southwestern coast, La Gomera is usually visited as a day trip by tourists vacationing on one of the larger Canary Islands. Jean de Bethencourt first invaded the island, against stiff Guanche resistance, in 1404. Christopher Columbus (known in Spanish as Cristobal CoIon), who stopped here in 1492 to procure water and provisions on his first voyage of discovery, is reputed to have spent some memorable days with the mistress of the island, the widow Beatriz de Peraza, Countess of Gomera; his visit is a source of great local pride.
In San Sebastian, the island's tiny picturesque capital, is the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de La Asuncion (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption), where Columbus and his crews heard mass before setting off for parts unknown. The church, on Calle del Medio near the tourist office, was restored in 1992 in honor of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the Americas. The house in which the explorer is said to have slept, called the Casa de Colon, is now a museum housing a permanent collection of pre-Columbian art.
Also noteworthy is the 15th-century Torre del Conde (Count's Tower), an old fortress standing near the sea, which has been declared a national historic monument. 'For shopping, stroll along the main street, Calle Real, an ideal place to pick up the local redclay pottery.
Gomera's Parque Nacional de Garajonay, encompassing the peak and surrounding woodlands some 10,000 acres is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, home to over 850 species of plants and flowers. The rare Laurisilva, an ancient, tertiaryera laurel plant whose lovely petals once graced the whole of the Mediterranean region, can be found at Garajonay, its last outpost. The Centro de Visitantes (Visitors' Center) is located northeast of San Sebastian, at Juego de Bolas. Turn off the main road to Vallehermoso (signposted) at Las Rosas and head south. To arrange for a free guide, call a week in advance. There are signposted walking trails and free maps available. Dense fog tends to creep in during the afternoon, so try to visit before 3 PM. The park is closed Sundays; there's an admission charge.
El Hierro things to do
The smallest and least populated of the archipelago's major islands, EI Hierro is the harshest of all, with black volcanic soil, steep massifs, deep craters, barren mountains, and a serious dearth of spring water. Its name means iron, and the island really does appear to be lost in the Iron Age. Inhabited by prehistoric fauna and giant lizards, this rocky 107 square miles is the ideal spot for those who appreciate solitude and nature at its most dramatic.
The farthest west of the islands (till Columbus stumbled across the Americas, it was considered the westernmost point in the known world, the zero meridian), EI Hierro appears grim and unfriendly from the sea, since its coasts are of black lava dotted with cactus. Clouds often shroud its central zone, a plateau 4,900 feet above sea level. Not the entire island is stark, however; tiny pockets of emerald green glitter in the mountainous interior, providing pasture for flocks of sheep. Their milk, combined with cow's and/or goat's milk, is an essential ingredient of the popular queso herreno, a slightly sour tasting smoked cheese.
The hardy Bimbache, EI Hierro's original inhabitants, solved the problem of the island's lack of spring water by harvesting water from the evergreen leaves of the garoe tree. The trees were so important to the islanders that, until fairly recently, the ownership of one tree was a communal affair, with different branches belonging to different proprietors. The island's inhospitable conditions eventually forced much of the population to emigrate to South America.
Nearly half of the residents live in the capital, Valverde, which is known for its wine. From Valverde, visitors can make short excursions to such natural wonders as La Dehesa, a huge igneous desert whose rolling slopes create the hypnotic illusion of a continual wave. Towering over this calm expanse is the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de los Reyes (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Catholic Monarchs), which every four years is the focal point of a great pilgrimage. During these processions, the image of the Virgin Mary is borne for 19 miles along harsh, windy roads to the capital, accompanied by pilgrims, some bearing candles, some playing native music.
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