Villas in the Canary Islands

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:

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.

What's on offer?

Water parks, beaches, volcanoes - you name it, the Canaries have it.

• If you're staying in Gran Canaria, Maspalomas has some of the best beaches on the whole island, including dramatic sand dunes. And you also have the fabulously quirky Sioux City, with its Wild West theme.

• Staying in Tenerife? Lucky you - there's the biggest water park in the region, Siam Park, right on your doorstep.

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

If you are coming to the Canary Islands, you’ll need things to do that’ll keep everyone happy. Fortunately, this cluster of islands has more than enough to keep you busy, from water parks and family-friendly attractions to real-life volcanoes, eco-parks and water-sports.

Water parks

No matter where you are staying, you’ll never be too far from a water park or two. The big one is Siam Water park, but look out for other smaller options such as the quirky Sioux City Gran Canaria, Aqualand Maspalomas, and for older kids who love their shoot-em-up games, Hangar 37 Airsoft theme park on Gran Canaria.

Aqualand Maspalomas

Boat trips

If you want to go ocean-hopping then you’ve got so many different ways to get around, from hiring a yacht to organised boat trips that include stop-offs for a spot of snorkelling along the way. Some operators offer whale and dolphin watching trips, but make sure you pick ethical tours that don’t get too close to the animals in their natural environment.

Eco-tourism

The Canaries have some unique landscapes that are unlike anything you’ll see anywhere else. Book yourself on a tour of the volcanic lava fields.

Local sports

There’s plenty of sports available on the islands, but keep a look out for more local events, such as Lucha Canaria, a variation on wrestling that can get quite brutal at times; alternatively Salto del Pastor or ‘Shepherd’s Leap’ where practitioners demonstrate their agility by leaping across rocky terrain and crevices.

Golf

Tenerife and Gran Canaria in particular have some superb courses if you’re a fan of the nine-iron. Look out for the magnificent Real Las Palmas, which is also Spain’s oldest golf club, or discover our golf villas.

Food

Spain is well know for the amazing food, and the Canary Islands are not an exception. If you want to go out and discover their gastronomy, check out our villas close to restaurants so you don't have to move around much.

The Canary Islands have a mixture of large cities along the coast and tiny, sleepy villages inland that have been completely untouched by the modern world. It would take you years to explore everything on offer, especially as each island has its own unique personality.

The largest cities are Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Getting anywhere here is easy, as the road system is excellent, and the signs are clearly marked in both Spanish and English.

For shopping aficionados, the major towns and cities are packed full of designer stores, quirky boutiques and hippy markets, where you can pick up something that’s a little different from the usual tourist trinkets.

You’ll find plenty of local markets where you can pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as delicious local seafood. Try the sardines – they’re a million miles away from those sad canned things drowning in tomato sauce that you buy in the supermarket back home.

So if visiting towns is your thing, check out our villas close to villages.

Flying

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.

Roads and car hire

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 4x4 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

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.

Scooters

A great way of zipping around, but watch out for the island’s notorious potholes, and the occasional random donkey.