Page 535 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

SP AIN ’ S ISLANDS  533

THE CANARY ISLANDS

La Palma • El Hierro • La Gomera • Tenerife
Gran Canaria • Fuerteventura • Lanzarote
Poised on the edge of the tropics west of Morocco, the
Canaries enjoy a generous supply of sunshine, pleasantly
tempered by the trade winds. Their scenery ranges from lava
deserts to primeval forests and from sand dunes to volcanic
peaks. The old towns on the main islands, meanwhile, have
colonial centres that make for pleasant exploration.

Seven islands and half a dozen islets de Tenerife, are all moun tainous;
make up the Canary archipelago. They Tenerife’s colossal dormant volcano,
are the tips of hundreds of volcanoes that Mount Teide, casts the world’s big gest
first erupted from the seabed 14 million sea-shadow. La Palma, El Hierro and La
years ago. Teneguía on La Palma last Gomera, where Columbus stayed on his
erupted in 1971. voyages, are all small, unspoiled islands,
In the 14th and 15th cen turies, when and make for refreshing respite away
navigators discovered the islands and from Tenerife’s mass tourism.
claimed them for Spain, they were The eastern islands belong to the
inhabited by the Guanches, who province of Las Palmas. Forested Gran
practised a stone culture. Sadly, little Canaria is the biggest and its capital, Las
evidence of them remains. Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a colo nial
Today the islands are divided into town. Lanzarote, by contrast, is flat, with
two provinces. The four western isles, lunar landscapes, while Fuerteventura
making up the province of Santa Cruz has long, pristine beaches.

Protected area of sand dunes at Maspalomas, next to the busy Playa del Inglés, Gran Canaria
Picturesque view of the stretch of golden sand at Playa de Las Teresitas, Tenerife

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