Canary Islands Overview
By Rachel Newcombe
Part of Spain, the Canaries are an archipelago of seven islands located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the north-west coast of Africa.
Volcanic in origin, the islands may sound like they’re named after a favourite yellow bird, but it actually stems from a type of dog found on some of the islands. Consisting of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and Herrio, they’re believed to about 30 million years old and attract about 10 million visitors a year.
Each of the islands vary in size, but are particularly famed for being a great destination for sun-kissed beach holidays. They also have lots of interest for historical and geological fans, not least due to their volcanic history, and the Teide volcano on Tenerife is the third largest volcano in the world. Between them they also have four of Spain’s 13 National Parks, located on La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Lanzarote. Go!
