THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

Thousands of years ago, the islands were formed by volcanic explosions. The first inhabitants, the Guanches, made their first settlemenets around 3000 BC. They called their community Tamaran. In the 15h century, Spain conquered the settlement and the land has been under Spanish rule ever since.

Gran Canaria, the third largest island in the archipelago and the most populated. There are about 789,908 inhabitants, with about half (377,600) found in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This city is considered the capital of the province of Las Palmas as well as the entire autonomous community of the Canary Islands.

There are 21 municipalities: San Bartolome de Tirajana, Santa Maria de Guia,San Nicolas de Tolentino, Sta. Brigida, Sta. Lucia de Tirajana, Agaete, Aguimes, Firgas, Galdar, Ingenio, Mogan, Moya, Las Palmas, Artenara, Arucas, Tejeda Telde, Teror, Valleseco, Valsequillo and Vega de San Mateo.

It is 1,560 square kilometers, and its highest peak (at Pico de Las Nieves) reaches 1,949 meters. Shaped like a circle, Gran Ganaria reaches a diameter of over 50 kilometers.

GETTING AROUND THE CANARY ISLANDS

The Gran Canaria’s transportation system has greatly improved in the last few decades. There are now highways that traverse the whole island and even reach into the previously impassable mountain areas. In the latter part of the 20th century, the Gran Canaria government also constructed super highways: car hire Malaga. The first ones were built in and around the capital, Las Palmas, and were then expanded to the northern coast, reaching the airport. The increase in tourist traffic led to the development of the south coast. The super highways are called GC1, GC2, and GC31, and these are then divided into GC4 and GC5. Only highways link the west and northwest areas of Gran Canaria, which are rarely visited by tourists.

TOURISM

Gran Canaria is often described as a “Miniature Continent” because of the sheer variety of the climates and landscapes that tourists can experience in it. If you go north of the island you’ll find a much cooler temperature; go south, and you’ll find sun and warmth. Beaches and coastlines decorate the eastern side of the island, while mountains and rocky hills decorate the western side. Most of the tourists like to visit the southern part of the island.

THE MAJOR ATTRACTIONS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS

One of the most popular destinations is the Palmitos Park, a very big bird park. This is found in the southern area of the island, very near the many resorts and tourist accommodations, especially in the towns of Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, San Agustín, and Sonnenland.

Between Playa del Ingles and Masapolomas, tourists can find the famous Dunes of Maspalomas. At the western side of this stands the Lighthouse at Maspalomas.

Playa del Ingles is actually quite popular in the homosexual or gay community, who love to frequent the numerous bars and restaurants. There is even a famous gay beach near the Masaplomas Dunes. There are also several boutiques in the Yumbo Centrum shopping center. Hwoever, the best shopping is found in the capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, found on the island’s north. Within the capital is the beach Las Canteras. It’s best to visit there during the annual Carnaval.

If you go southwest, you’ll hit the Municipality of Mogan. Here sits the fishing city of Arguineguin, where you can shop for the freshest ingredients and several local goods in the island’s largest market. It is held every Tuesday.

For those who want a taste of local culture and life, you can also visit the towns of Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán. These are very picturesque, with many canals—earning it the nickname “Little Venice”.

Be sure to visit Banana Park, the monolith Roque Nublo, the 290 caves of Cenobio de Valeron, and the Jardin Canario in Tafira Alta, a botanical garden. One of the most famous attractions of the Canary Islands was the Finger of God, or El Dedo de Dios, a rocky spire that thrusts upwards from the ocean near the Puerto de las Nieves. But a strong storm in November 2005 destroyed this natural monument.

Thinking of taking a vacation to the sunny coasts of Spain? Why not take a cruise to the famous Canary Islands? This beautiful seaside paradise boasts of blue skies, sparkling seas, great beaches, and very friendly people.

How to Get There

There are many ways of traveling to the Canary Islands. One of them is to book a cruise (crucero), which you can get by contacting a travel agent. It’s best to find someone that has a specialization in cruise vacations. They can give you very good rates, and will be able to recommend the package that suits your lifestyle, needs and budget. For example, if you are traveling with young kids, they will be able to guarantee that you take a cruise with lots of on-board activities and games.

If you don’t feel like taking a cruise, and would rather have a direct and hassle-free trip to the Canaries, you can take the plane. There are many international flights that fly directly to the Canary Islands, especially if you are coming from a city in Europe. Those in North America may have to take a flight to Madrid before taking a connecting flight.

What to Do

There are many things to do in the Canary Islands. If you love sports, you can try the golf courses, or explore the outdoors by going biking or hiking. Of course, there are many sea sports as well. Why not try snorkeling or scuba diving, and seeing the abundant marine life: turtles, grouper, rays, tropical fishes barracuda, and the occasional shark. You can also go on a deep sea fishing trip, or spend a leisurely day sailing. If you want to go windsurfing, you can go to the beach called Bahia de Pozo Izquierdo.

Nature lovers will enjoy a trip to Teide National Park, which boasts of a breathtaking volcanic landscape. Here you will also find the highest mountain in Spain, the Teide, from which the park was named.

Many of the hotels also have excellent recreational facilities, such as pools and game rooms, and others will have childcare facilities. There are also vacation houses where you can use the kitchen and cook your own meals, an affordable option for big groups.

The capital of the Gran Canaria, the main island in the Canary Islands, is Las Palmas. Las Palmas is a sprawling city, with nearly half a million residents. It acts as the islands’ center of administration, and is found about 200 kilometers off the coast of Africa.

Las Palmas was established in 1478. This was when the local guanche aborigines, which had lived in the islands for thousands of years, were defeated by the military forces sent from Spain.

The Spanish conquerors started building their own community, starting in the area of La Vegueta. This place is now considered to be the historical district of Las Palmas. All visitors of the city should take the time to explore this place, which has picturesque medieval buildings and cobblestone streets, and gives an idea of life as it was centuries ago.

Las Palmas played a large role in world history. It was the last outpost of Spain before the stretch of undiscovered ocean and land, and in fact, Christopher Columbus visited this place many many times n the course of his exploring. He was so charmed by the scenery and the friendliness of the community that he even built a house there, which has since been converted into a museum of the American Conquest (Casa Colon).

But most visitors of Las Palmas are there for the sunny weather. Experts from the Syracuse University in the United States say that it has the best climate in the world. In fact, many people believe that it is the land of Eternal Spring.

Las Palmas also offers visitors a wide array of shopping choices. The biggest brands can be found in the streets of Mesa y López and Triana. There are also very large shopping malls, such as Las Arenas (which is located at the Canteras beach), La Ballena, El Muelle (located at the port area), and Siete Palmas.

Beaches

One of the landmarks of Las Palmas is of course the famous Las Canteras beach, a 3 km long beach in the middle of the city, offering year-round relax. You´ll also have the option to visit the Alcaravanera beach on the port side of Las Palmas. The people of Las Palmas is very proud of its beach, and this is an area where you can not only relax at the beach, but also enjoy good food, take a walk with your friends or just sit down to have a ‘cana de Tropical’ (a small glass of the local beer).

Events

The most important fiesta of the year is the Las Palmas Carnival. This yearly mega-event starts the 2nd of February (2007), see their carnival program here. The carnival has a long tradition in Las Palmas as well as all over the Canary Islands. Well worth a visit!