THE Canary Islands is an archipelago of seven islands off the coast of Africa, particularly in Morocco and Western Sahara. It is an autonomous territory of Spain and it lies in the Atlantic Ocean. The land area of the Canary Islands, when totaled, is at 7,447 square kilometers. The largest of the Canary Islands is Tenerife. With Tenerife being a premier summer destination, it boasts of its own international airport, the Reina Sofia International Airport which is named after the reigning queen of Spain. The most populous island in the Canary Islands where the seat of government is located is Gran Canaria so let’s zero in on that.

Gran Canaria’s capital, Las Palmas, also boasts of its own international airport just like its Tenerife counterpart. Although the International Airport of Gran Canaria-Gando does not have direct flights from the US, it still hosts to dozens of direct flights daily from major European cities like Lisbon, London, Paris, Bonn and Berlin.. Of course, if you come from New York, just hop into a connecting flight from major Spanish cities like Madrid or Barcelona to Gran Canaria. The same is true with Tenerife. The International Airport of Gran Canaria-Gando is a former military air base and it was converted for civilian use only in 1930 by then King Alfonso XIII. Of course, the Spanish Air Force still maintains some land space at this airport. This airport is relatively larger than the Reina Sofia International Airport in nearby Tenerife. Not surprisingly, this airport is the fifth largest in Spanish territory. Other airports in the Canary Islands are the La Palma Airport, Arrecife Airport, El Hierro Airport, El Mattoral Airport and Los Rodeos Airport.

Now here’s a piece of trivia for you. The Canary archipelago is declared as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. To maintain the serenity of its beaches, the Spanish authorities have put in place a strict ecological system for the resorts. All beach resorts must pass the blue flag accreditation of the European Union. A blue flag accreditation means the resort has passed strict environmental quality inspection by the European Union. This means that the beaches must be free of pollutants as well as the tap water in the resort. This also means that the beach staff must constantly remind the tourists not to leave their trash in the sands. Drivers of off-road vehicles are likewise instructed to stay away from regular parking areas. They have their own parking areas – unpaved spots of course. This is to ensure that the tourists’ parking areas are not littered with mud coming from the off-road vehicles. This is particularly true during the months of August and September when the precipitation in the Canary Islands is relatively dense.

The number of annual visitors in the Canary Islands is a whooping 2.2 million. One of its most impressive attractions is the Maspalomas dunes, a 12-kilometer contiguous length of sand dune right beside the beach. The sand dunes are home to sand lizards. So what are you waiting for? Come here in the Canary Islands.