The Canary Islands is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the whole of Europe seeing an average of over 12 million visitors each and every year. Although the archipelago is made up of a large number of islands, not all are inhabited. The five largest and most popular islands in the Canaries are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma and Lanzarote. The Canaries were formed by volcanic events thousands of years ago and make up the tips of a vast volcanic region that lies beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
Tenerife has become an extremely popular destination for the younger generation over the last few years due to the development of its entertainment districts. It is well known as being one of the party capitals of the world, regularly hosting famous celebrity DJ concerts and being a popular jaunt for movie stars and sports stars. With 5 million tourists on average per year it is the most popular island in the Canaries for tourists and along with the nightlife, also has an impressive diversity of things to see and do on the island during the day.
Fuerteventura is estimated to be the oldest island in the Canaries, dating back to around 20 million years ago when it was created as a result of an eruption from the Canary hotspot. Along with being the oldest, it is also the second largest behind Tenerife at over 640 square miles. Fuerteventura has become a popular destination for tourists that desire a quieter destination than Tenerife without sacrificing the superb climate and scenery.
Often called a ‘miniature continent’, Gran Canaria is one of the jewels of the Canary Islands with its wide range of geographical aspects and micro climates. Made up of picturesque villages, sand dunes, mountains, rough coastlines, jungles and surrounded by clear blue sea, Gran Canaria is unsurprisingly frequented by over 2.2 million tourists per year. The southern end of the island sees less rain and more sun, so most tourists tend to head to the towns of San Agustin, Playa del Ingles, Sonnenland and Maspalomas along the south coast.
The forth largest island is Lanzarote, which is also the easternmost island in the archipelago. Although the island has a slightly cooler climate than the other larger islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, it is still extremely popular with tourists due to its interesting geography and beautiful beaches which include the Playa Blanca and Playa de Papagayo. One other popular destination on the island is the Cueva de los Verdes which is a 6 kilometer long lava tube created around 3,000 years ago, thought to be the second longest lava tube in the world.
More – Cheap Holidays To Lanzarote
