The Canary Islands in Spain are an archipelago of otherworldly landscapes. Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife and Fuerteventura are the most sought-after islands, and cater best to tourists. These islands offer something for every type of traveller, whether they’re an outdoor adventurer or a laidback sunbather.
They can be an ideal base for exploring with family or a secluded escape for chilling by the pool. Explore our selection below.
Discover the Oliver’s Travels way, where style and character define every handpicked villa in the Canary Islands. Our destination experts curate unique homes in beautiful locations that are perfect for families and guaranteed to ‘wow’.
Once you book a holiday, the service doesn’t stop there. Our Concierge Service means you’ll be in good hands to arrange in-house chefs, fridge stocking, housekeeping, and so much more, to make your stay truly extraordinary.
This cluster of Spanish islands in the Atlantic is a dream holiday destination for couples, groups of friends, and families. From sweeping sandy beaches to volcanic landscapes, lively clubs, top-quality water-sports, or golf the Canaries have it all. It’s the ideal spot for a winter getaway too, offering sunny days and chilled-out nights even when the January skies are grey back home.
Getting to the islands is easy – with a flight time of just over four hours from London and dozens of daily flights from most major and regional airports.
There are two airports serving the Canaries, on Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and small hopper planes serve the other islands.
Apart from Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, there are other nice islands in the Canary Islands that you might want to visit.
For example, La Palma is the grumbling beast of the Canaries, with plenty of volcanic activity (even though the Cumbre Vieja volcano is currently classified as ‘active but dormant’).
The quietest and most overlooked of all the islands is El Hierro, known as ‘the edge of the world’, which has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
Get some more information in the Lanzarote Travel Guide in our blog.
The Canary Islands have good weather year-round, this is why the destination is perfect for winter sun, from November until the end of April.
With a mild climate year-round, holidays here are on offer both during the peak season and during the quieter shoulder seasons.
Finding the right island for a perfect holiday in the Canary Island might not be easy, as each of them have so much to offer. To guide you a bit, why don’t you take this quiz to find out your perfect island match? Or check out all our collection of villas in each island:
This is a chilled out and laid-back island, but you won’t lack things to do. Whether you want to lay in the beautiful beaches, discovering Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, or enjoying with your family in a theme park, Gran Canaria offers endless options!
Our villas in Lanzarote and Tenerife have everything you need if you’re travelling with tots, including high-chairs and cribs. Check out our main villas for families with babies.
With theme parks galore and so much to do, kids are in absolute heaven on the Canaries. Do your research before you go so you pick the right island if there’s a particular theme park you want to see. See our villas for families with kids.
The theme parks also have some white-knuckle rides that they’ll love. Discover the villas ideal for teens.
Look out for family discounts to theme parks. Kids under five generally get in free to most attractions.
The Canary Islands are very family-friendly, particularly Lanzarote and Tenerife. If you really want some quality time together then booking one of our self-catered villas in the Canary Islands gives you the freedom to set your own itinerary.
Water parks, beaches, volcanoes – you name it, the Canaries have it.
The Canary Islands are full of incredible sandy strips, and even a few black sand beaches, and the top family ones are on the main islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, but you’ll also find exceptional beaches on every island.
Mujeres Beach in Lanzarote
Book your car hire and accommodation well in advance as the Canary Islands are incredibly popular year-round.
If you want to island hop, fly rather than take the ferries, as it’s quick and relatively cheap.
Don’t forget to pack plug adapters.
Healthcare is good but remember to have insurance and your E111 health card or you will be charged.
Flights to the Canary islands depart from most airports across the UK, both major and regional. The flight time is a little over four hours from London, so it’s close enough to make travelling with younger children relatively stress-free.
You’ll arrive at either one of the two airports on Tenerife (Tenerife North or Tenerife South) or Gran Canaria Airport. There are other airports on Fuerteventura, La Gomera, and La Palma, but flights to these smaller airports tend to be less frequent and more expensive.
You can get between the islands via ferries, or take small ‘hopper’ planes that fly between the islands, although seats on these are limited and in high demand during the summer season.
If you’re staying on one of the larger islands such as Tenerife or Gran Canaria then hiring a car is a good way of getting around. If you’re planning on exploring the wilderness (and especially if you plan to head up into the mountains) then choose a 4×4 option or a more robust jeep-type vehicle.
Roads in the major cities and towns are good, but there are very few main roads linking key locations so ensure your hire car has an onboard navigation system as the smaller roads are very poorly signposted.
Ferries run frequently throughout the peak season, but bear in mind that some of the more remote locations only have connections running to them once or twice a week.
There are three main operators, Trasmediterránea, Fred Olsen, and Naviera Armas.
As a rough guide, it takes around 8 hours to sail from Arrecife on Lanzarote to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
