General
Information
 The Canary Islands
are one of Europe's favorite holiday destinations
due to the year-round sunshine which blesses these
Spanish isles lying 1,150km off the coast of Africa
and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The islands
autonomous region is made up of seven large islands:
Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote,
La Palma, Gomera and Hierro. and other smaller ones,
such as Graciosa, Alegranza and Lobos.
 The coasts are blessed with vast
sandy beaches full of outstanding reefs, capes and
bays. Nevertheless in some areas along the western
and northern coasts of Gran Canaria, there are many
cliffs and steep rock faces. The Canary Islands
is characterised by its volcanic scenery. This can
be divided into three different regions: the central
islands, the eastern islands and the western islands.
The volcanic activity of the past has created a
most peculiar landscape on the islands, with craters,
volcanic cones, volcanic rocks, tubes etc. The island's
most emblematic natural landscape has to be mount
Teide which, standing at 3,718 metres (12,198 ft)
high, is the tallest mountain in Spain. In order
of importance are Blanca mountain (2,743 metres
or 9,000 ft) and Viejo peak (3,100 metres or 10,170
ft). The island's geography and low rainfall ensure
that there are no major rivers of note.
The Islands
Eastern Islands:
Gran Canaria has great resorts with plenty of entertainment
and nice beaches. The sand dunes of Maspolomas are
spectacular and a must see - you can take a camel
ride over the dunes to enjoy the scenery.
Fuerteventura is a quieter island with sandy beaches
and a quiet, relaxing atmosphere.
Lanzarote has many natural wonders with the volcanic
activity having sculptured fantastic, lunar beauty.
The most amazing of these sites is the Timanfaya
National Park.
Western Islands:
La Palma - the beautiful national park Caldera de
Taburiente is at the center of the island with other
attractions being the Spanish Colonial architecture
of the chief town, Santa Cruz de la Palma.
La Gomeras' Garajony National Park is the main attraction
with a dense laurel forest.
El Hierro is a sparsely populated island with a
rugged landscape.
Tenerife contains the highest peak in Spain, the
volcano Teide, which is 3718 metres high. Surrounding
the volcanic crater is the Teide National Park containing
varied plant life and landscape. In addition to
the natural beauty Tenerife has a number of lively
resorts and popular nightlife spots.
Dive
Centers & Accommodations
Getting
There
Scheduled international flights come into the two
major islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Spain’s
national airline, Iberia has regular services from
most major European cities including London, Frankfurt,
Rome and Madrid (in the USA Tel; 1-800-772-4642).
All of the islands have airport and ferry (www.fredolsen.es,
www.naviera-armas.com
, www.trasmediterranea.es)
links, and proficient bus and taxi services exist
on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Cars and
motorbikes can be rented at reasonable rates on all
islands ($20-25 per day). Binter is the local airline
and although flying is not cheap, it is infinitely
faster than the alternatives of bus and ferry. (www.bintercarnarias.es,
www.islasairways.com).
Visas
Spain (of which the Canaries are a part) along with
Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands
and Portugal, forms part of the border-free travel
zone known as the Schengen Area. US, Canadian, Australian,
New Zealand and Israeli citizens are among those who
may enter the Canary Islands as tourists without a
visa and stay up to 90 days. EU passport holders can
come and go as they please.
Travel
Tips
Time
Zone: GMT/UTC +1
Dialling Code: 34
Electricity: 220V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Tipping is a matter of personal choice in restaurants.
If you're satisfied with the service, leave some small
change - 5% is usually plenty.
Activities (when you are not diving)
The most popular activity in the islands is the beaches,
but there is much more to keep you busy. Mountain
bikes are readily available, and the islands lend
themselves to cycling. Plenty of tracks in the country
are fine for hiking, and by the coast conditions for
surfing and windsurfing are excellent. For windsurfers,
the Bahía de Pozo Izquierdo is the best beach
on Gran Canaria, which is the windiest of all the
islands. The swimming is generally better in summer,
as the Atlantic has powerful swells in winter. Deep
sea fishing and sailing are good for those with a
little more money to spend, and the fishing off Gran
Canaria is excellent.
Health and Safety
There is a relatively modern health service in place,
but private insurance is recommended. Tap water should
NOT be drunk. It is not dangerous but tastes vile.
and those with respiratory problems ought to seek
doctors advice as the islands are subject to hot sand
storms blowing in from the Sahara Desert. This mostly
affects Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and is somewhat
rare. Those with respiratory problems should also
seek advice before attempting to conquer Mount Teide.
Motion sickness can also be a problem, with the choppy
boat crossings and winding mountain roads.
Money and Communications
The Euro is the accepted currency. Travelers’ checks
and most major credit cards are widely accepted in
the bigger towns. The telephone network, both terrestrial
and mobile, has greatly improved over the past couple
of years and international calls are now easily made.
In larger towns and cities you'll find Locutorios,
the best place to make long distance calls or buy
a phone card. Fax and e-mail communication is also
quite common in all but the smallest villages.
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