Rust-red volcanic cliffs and dark lava boulders above a black sand beach on Lanzarote

The Canary Islands travel guide

Discover
Canary Islands.

Eight islands. One ocean.

Tenerife · Gran Canaria · Lanzarote · Fuerteventura · La Palma · La Gomera · El Hierro · La Graciosa

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The green lagoon of El Golfo beside a black beach and red rocks on Lanzarote

A single sand dune peak in front of the blue sea at Maspalomas

Mount Teide rising above a band of cloud over the north coast of Tenerife

La Graciosa from the cliffs of Lanzarote, a pale island ringed by turquoise water

About the guide

Eight islands.
Eight worlds.

Off the coast of north-west Africa, the Canary Islands rise out of the Atlantic as volcanoes. Each island is different: black lava fields and white villages on Lanzarote, endless beaches on Fuerteventura, dunes and mountain villages on Gran Canaria, Mount Teide on Tenerife, and the green, steep western islands of La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. Discover Canary Islands is a complete travel guide to all of them: when to go, how to hop between islands, where to stay, what to eat, where to hike and swim, and what it all costs.

8inhabited islands, from Tenerife to La Graciosa

3,715 mMount Teide on Tenerife, the highest peak in Spain

4national parks: Teide, Timanfaya, Caldera de Taburiente and Garajonay

The islands

One archipelago, eight islands.

From La Palma and El Hierro in the far west to Lanzarote and La Graciosa in the east, the islands stretch about 500 km across the Atlantic. Each one gets its own guide.

The rocky shore and sea-water pools of Puerto de la Cruz below white and yellow buildings

Largest island

Tenerife

Mount Teide, the Anaga mountains and two very different coasts.

A lagoon below the sand dunes of Maspalomas, with a bare tree standing in the water

The round island

Gran Canaria

The Maspalomas dunes, mountain villages and the city of Las Palmas.

A whitewashed house with a tall cactus, a black lava wall and a brown volcano behind

Volcanic

Lanzarote

Fire Mountains, black sand and the work of César Manrique.

A turquoise bay and sandy coves below pale cliffs, with brown mountains behind

Beaches

Fuerteventura

Long pale beaches, steady wind and a lot of open space.

La Isla Bonita

La Palma

Pine forest, young volcanoes and some of the darkest skies in Europe.

Green & steep

La Gomera

Laurel forest, deep ravines and a whistled language.

Furthest west

El Hierro

The far west: lava coast, cliffs and clear water for diving.

Smallest

La Graciosa

Sand roads, one small harbour village and a ferry from Lanzarote.

The map

Explore the islands.

Zoom in, drag around and tap a pin to preview a place: volcanoes, beaches, mountains and towns across the archipelago.

Tap a pin for a photo and a short note.

Explore the highlights See the guides

Green mountain ridges of Anaga running down to the Atlantic, with a white village on a hillside and a coast road below

The complete guide

Volcanoes, beaches and laurel forest.

Sunrise above the clouds on Teide, an afternoon on a black sand beach, dinner in a fishing village by the harbour. The travel guide is built island by island, with routes, hikes and maps for each one.

See all eight islands →

Tenerife & Gran CanariaTeide, Anaga, the Maspalomas dunes and the mountain villages of the centre.
Lanzarote & La GraciosaTimanfaya, El Golfo, the Manrique sites and the sand roads of La Graciosa.
FuerteventuraCorralejo, El Cotillo, Cofete and the Jandía peninsula.
The western islandsLa Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro: forests, ravines and quiet coasts.

The complete guide · Coming soon

Discover
Canary Islands

Eight Islands in the Atlantic.

Every island in the archipelago, how to travel between them, the national parks, the beaches and the mountain roads, with our own maps throughout. One book for your whole trip, from Lanzarote to El Hierro.

Island by islandTenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa

Island hoppingFerries, inter-island flights and how to combine islands

Hikes & viewpointsTeide, Anaga, Roque Nublo, Garajonay and the volcano trails

Seasons & weatherTrade winds, cloud, calima and which coast gets the sun

Notify me at launch See the highlights

Start here

Canary Islands highlights

A rope fence above a green lagoon and a black sand beach, with layered dark cliffs and the sea

LanzaroteEl GolfoA green lagoon on a black beach.

Rough red lava rock in front of rust-coloured volcanic cones

LanzaroteTimanfayaThe Fire Mountains, shaped by eruptions in the 1730s.

A high cliff above a deep blue strait, with La Graciosa and its volcanoes across the water

LanzaroteMirador del RíoCésar Manrique's lookout above the strait.

White houses and a small harbour below a sandy plain and volcanoes, with Montaña Clara in the sea behind

La GraciosaCaleta de SeboThe harbour village, with sand for streets.

A round volcanic crater on a red-brown plain, with a footpath leading up to the rim

FuerteventuraCalderón HondoA walk up to the rim of a volcanic crater.

A turquoise wave curling towards a long sandy beach under grey clouds

FuerteventuraEl CotilloBig Atlantic surf on the north-west coast.

Golden sand dunes with deep shadows, running down to the sea under a blue sky

Gran CanariaMaspalomas DunesA protected field of dunes beside the sea.

Mountain ridges in golden haze, with the rock tower of Roque Bentayga on the skyline

Gran CanariaRoque BentaygaRock towers in the misty mountains of the centre.

The cone of Mount Teide above a band of cloud, with white houses on the coast below

TenerifeMount TeideSpain's highest peak, at 3,715 metres.

Jagged mountains running down to the sea, with a white village on a ridge and a coast road below

TenerifeAnaga MountainsJagged ridges, laurel forest and black beaches.

A long golden beach and a harbour of small boats below the village of San Andrés, with Teide in the distance

TenerifeLas TeresitasA golden beach in a calm, sheltered bay.

Kitesurfers on the sea in front of a cone-shaped mountain, with people walking on a sandy beach

TenerifeEl MédanoWind, kites and the red cone of Montaña Roja.

See them on the map →

A row of dark volcanic cones in soft haze, seen from the rocky rim of a crater

Volcanoes

Islands made of fire.

Every Canary Island was built by volcanoes, and some are still young. On Lanzarote, the eruptions of 1730 to 1736 buried villages and left the Fire Mountains of Timanfaya. On La Palma, the Tajogaite eruption of 2021 lasted 85 days. You can walk into craters, cross lava fields and drive up to the edge of Teide's caldera.

Plan the volcano trails with the guide →

Teide National ParkA UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a cable car towards the summit.
TimanfayaCoach routes through the Fire Mountains and guided walks.
Craters on footCalderón Hondo on Fuerteventura and the volcano routes of La Palma.

The history of the Canary Islands

Islands at the crossroads.

Long before Europeans arrived, the islands were home to peoples of North African origin, among them the Guanches of Tenerife. Castile conquered the islands in the fifteenth century, Columbus stopped at La Gomera on his way west in 1492, and the islands became a port of call between Europe, Africa and the Americas. The guide opens with the story behind the places you will visit.

About the guide

The first islanders
The Castilian conquest, 1402 to 1496
Columbus at La Gomera, 1492
César Manrique and Lanzarote

A winding coast road cut into steep dark cliffs above a deep blue sea on Gran Canaria

Island hopping

One trip, several islands.

Ferries link the islands, and short inter-island flights connect all the airports. The small ferry from Lanzarote crosses to La Graciosa in about half an hour, and from Tenerife it is a short sail to La Gomera. The guide shows which islands combine well and how long each crossing takes.

Plan your route →

The eastern pairLanzarote and Fuerteventura, a short ferry ride apart.
The western loopTenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.
DrivingMountain roads, hire cars and taking a car on the ferry.
Without a carLocal buses, walking routes and boat trips.

A long beach and turquoise sea below brown hills at sunset on Fuerteventura

Beyond the resorts

Discover the quiet Canaries.

Past the busy beaches the islands open up: villages at the end of mountain roads, coves you reach on foot, forests wrapped in cloud and nights so dark you can see the Milky Way. The guide points you there too.

See the guides

The guides

One complete guide, eight island guides.

The complete Canary Islands guide and a guide to each island are in preparation. Leave your email below and we will tell you the day each one launches.

The complete guide

Discover Canary Islands

All eight islands in one book

Coming soon

Notify me

The island guides

One short guide per island, for when you are staying in one place.

Discover Tenerife

Teide, Anaga & the coasts

Coming soon

Discover Gran Canaria

Dunes, mountains & Las Palmas

Coming soon

Discover Lanzarote

Timanfaya, wine & Manrique

Coming soon

Discover Fuerteventura

Beaches, wind & dunes

Coming soon

Discover La Palma

Volcanoes, forests & stars

Coming soon

Discover La Gomera

Garajonay & the ravines

Coming soon

Discover El Hierro

Lava coast & diving

Coming soon

Discover La Graciosa

Sand roads & quiet beaches

Coming soon

Sunlight breaking through clouds over the jagged Anaga coast, with waves on a dark beach

Free download

The Canary Islands Travel Checklist

A free two-page checklist for planning your trip, from choosing your islands to your last sunset on the beach.

One email per new guide. Unsubscribe any time.

Passport, ID & Schengen rules
Choosing your islands
Ferries & inter-island flights
Car hire & mountain roads
Sun, wind & calima
Emergency number (112)

Part of the Discover series. Independent travel guides, one destination at a time.

A small ferry crossing the deep blue strait towards La Graciosa, with a brown volcano and Montaña Clara behind

The series

Island by island.

Discover Canary Islands covers the whole archipelago in one book. The island guides go deeper on one island each, for when you want to know every beach, trail and village.

The complete guide The island guides

Discover.

One destination at a time. Every road, every season.

Discover is an independent series of travel guides. Each book takes one place and covers it in depth: where to go and when, the routes that connect it all, honest practical advice and our own maps, with photography that makes you want to pack. The Canary Islands are the newest destination in the series, alongside South Africa, Iceland, Hawaii, Indonesia and Singapore.