Category: Canary Islands

Canary Islands are located off the coast of Africa and this archipelago is located between the Western Sahara and Morocco. The archipelago consists of islands such as Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera and the islets of Roque del Este, Isla de Lobos, Roque del Oeste, Montana Clara, Alegranza and La Graciosa. The capital of Canary Islands is shared by the provinces Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The history of first human inhabitation in the islands is not clear and when the European explored the islands, they found many indigenous populations there.

The Carthaginians, Greeks and Phoenicians visited the islands and the Castilians dominated the islands for some time, but could not continue due to the encounters with native Guanches. In 1495, Castilians conquered the islands and the wealth of the islands invited the attacks of several privateers and pirates. In 1599, Canarians were attacked by the Dutch, but later retreated. During the rule of Spanish Empire, the islands were the stopover for Spanish ships while they are on their way to America. Now, the Canary Islands are Spanish Autonomous community and it is also included in the European Union. The Canarian economy mainly depends on the tourism.

The population of Canary Islands is 2.1 million and it became the eighth populous among the autonomous community of Spain. The population of Canary Islands consists of mainland immigrants such as Castilians, Galicians, Basques and Catalans. The population also consists of long-tenured residents and Italians, Britons, Flemings and Portuguese. Majority of the native Canarians are Roman Catholic and other groups of Christianity such as Protestants and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Other religions are Islam, Hinduism and the Church of Guanche people. The official language of the Canary Islands is Spanish.

Canary Islands have diverse landscapes which include sandy beaches, deserts, spectacular cliffs and forests. In the islands, there are 4 biosphere reserves, four national parks and over 140 protected areas. Visitors are not allowed to camp or leave any defined paths inside the national parks. Tenerife is a major tourist attraction with walking, bird-watching, whale watching and nightlife. The Parrot Park or Loro Parque has 3,000 parrots which is a must see attraction and the park also consist of animal species such as jaguars, penguins, chimpanzees, alligators, killer whales, tigers, porpoises and tigers. In Tenerife, you can also find water parks, Camel Safari Park and Palmitos Park. In Tenerife, the tourists also can enjoy the spectacular views of Mount Tiede with the help Hot Air ballooning.

Lanzarote is famous for its Biosphere Reserve listed by UNESCO and you can find three hundred volcanic cones in the island. Lanzarote has tourist resorts such as Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca. Gran Canaria is an island famous for its sightseeing places where you can enjoy with family and kids. Most of the resorts in Gran Canaria are within the close proximity of Gran Canaria Airport. The tourist destinations of Gran Canaria are museums, monuments, theme based Water and Amusement parks, Botanical Gardens, Churches and historical buildings.