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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife -

The largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is also the most visited island in the archipelago. Its capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is an attractive and vibrant hub noted for a number of cultural must-sees, including the outstanding Auditorio de Tenerife, an opera house and concert hall overlooking the sea designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Two excellent museums, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Nature and Man, should also be visited.

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Teide National Park, Tenerife -

Located in the center of Tenerife and named for Mount Teide, Spain's tallest peak, summiting at 3,718 m (12,198 ft), this outstanding park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mount Teide is a volcano, and a foray inside the enormous crater is a highlight of any trip to the Canaries.

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San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Tenerife -

The charming, colorful and colonial-flavored San Cristóbal de la Laguna is Tenerife's second UNESCO World Heritage Site. This beautiful city was the ancient capital of the Canary Islands, its long history exemplified by buildings such as the late 15th-century Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de La Concepción and the Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, completed in 1527. For a better understanding of the region's heritage, browse the engaging Museum of History and Anthropology.

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Macizo de Anaga, Tenerife -

Tenerife's sandy and sunny south coast beaches are what many tourists come here for. But to exclude Macizo de Angra on your itinerary would be to pass on an opportunity to explore the oldest part of the island, a mountainous region textured by ancient laurisilva (laurel rain forest) and where the Guanches—the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands—once lived. The entire area is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

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Dolphin and whale watching, Tenerife -

The waters off Tenerife are among the top places in the world for whale watching, the best time to admire migratory species being from November to February. However, pilot whales (pictured) and dolphins are a near-guaranteed year-round treat.

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Playa de Sotavento, Fuerteventura -

Fuerteventura's capital, Perto del Rosario, is known for its busy port and harbor. But you don't have to go far to reach some of the best beaches in the archipelago—vast stretches of golden sand that the island is famous for. Fanned by stiff Atlantic breezes, northeastern beaches attract legions of kite surfers and wind surfers. For more tranquil conditions, head for the south coast of the Jandia Peninsula, at the southern tip of the island, and Playa Sotavento, set on the aptly named Costa Calma.

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Morro Jable, Fuerteventura -

Morro Jable is one of Fuerteventura's leading tourist destinations. A picturesque town set on the extreme southern tip of the island, the location is also celebrated for its superb beaches—Playa del Matorral for example, and Playa Las Coloradas.

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Lobos Island, Fuerteventura -

Corralejo on the north coast is watersports central, a destination renowned for its excellent surfing. It's also the stopping off point for Lobos Island, an islet comprising largely of a protected nature reserve crisscrossed by hiking trails. The main beach, Playa de la Concha, is lapped by warm, shallow crystalline waters.

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Betancuria, Fuerteventura -

Snuggled in the western part of the island is historic Betancuria. Founded in the 15th century by French explorer Jean de Béthencourt (1362–1425), this used to be the capital of Fuerteventura. The church-cathedral of Santa María de Betancuria is the town's architectural show-stopper, while an archaeology museum explains the history of the first European expeditions to the Canary Islands.

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Jandía Natural Park, Fuerteventura -

Occupying the greater part of the Jandía peninsula, this remote and windswept park is of great ornithological significance, with Houbara bustards, broad-winged hawks, and Egyptian vultures numbering among the resident and breeding birdlife. The mountainous volcanic landscape is almost entirely deserted, so it's best to explore this arid environment by an all-terrain vehicle.

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Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria -

The third-largest Canary Island is Gran Canary, though its capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is the biggest city of the archipelago. Founded in 1478, Las Palmas is worth exploring at leisure for its collection of historic buildings, among them the early 16th-century cathedral and the Casa Museu de Colón, the premises of which include a house once occupied by Christopher Columbus. You should also visit the Museo Canario, a museum dedicated to the pre-colonial history of the Canary Islands.

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Maspalomas, Gran Canaria -

The south coast of Gran Canaria is blessed with an almost unbroken ribbon of sand, beautiful golden beaches that include Maspalomas, a dune system protected as a nature reserve that features a palm grove and a brackish lagoon. In fact, you could be forgiven for mistaking the landscape for one set in North Africa.

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Roque Nublo, Gran Canaria -

A third of Gran Canaria is under protection as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Venture into the island's interior, to places like Roque Nublo, and you get an idea of just how wild and untamed this place can be. Roque Nublo stands tall in a rural park and was formed by a volcanic eruption around 4.5 million years ago. It's one of a series of landmark rock formations in Tejeda, the geographical center of Gran Canaria.

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Caves of Valeron, Gran Canaria -

One of Grand Canaria's best-known archaeological sites is the Caves of Valeron (pictured), a system of silos, rooms, caves, and cavities built before Roman times and used by the island's inhabitants until the conquest of Gran Canaria at the end of the 15th century. At nearby Galdar another ancient wonder, the Painted Cave, also dates back to pre-Hispanic times.

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Puerto de Mogán, Gran Canaria -

The sheltered diminutive fishing village of Puerto de Mogán is an idyllic destination far removed from the glitz and glamor of Gran Canaria's five-star resorts. A network of canals linking the marina to the harbor have led to this delightful destination being nicknamed the "Venice of the Canaries."

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Arrecife, Lanzarote -

The port city of Arrecife on the east coast of Lanzarote serves as the island's capital. A useful base from which to explore the fourth largest of the islands in the archipelago, Arrecife has a number of cultural assets with which to engage the visitor, not least the 18th-century Castillo de San José that today guards a museum of modern art. Among the Spanish artists represented here is the acclaimed painter, sculptor, and ceramicist Joan Miró (1893–1983).

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Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote -

Timanfaya National Park's unearthly terrain is testament to Lanzarote's volatile past. The parkland is entirely made up of volcanic soil, much of it deposited during the violent eruptions of 1730 and 1736. Timanfaya's dramatic landscape and its ecological value is one of the reasons why the entire island is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

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Mirador del Río, Lanzarote -

Spanish artist, sculptor, and architect Cesar Manrique (1919–1992) was born on Lanzarote, and his work can be admired at various locations throughout the island, famously at his own home, Taro de Tahiche, built into a series of subterranean bubbles caused by lava flows. One of the most dramatic examples of his vivid imagination is the extraordinary Mirador del Rio (pictured), a scenic overlook high above the sea on the north coast. Manrique was a passionate advocate of sustainable tourism, and his projects were always executed in an environmentally-friendly manner.

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Cueva de los Verdes, Lanzarote -

Created around 3,000 years ago by lava flows erupting from the nearby Monte Corona Volcano, Cueva de los Verdes is a 7-km (4 mi) lava tube that extends from the mountain to the ocean. The section open to public makes for a compelling tourist attraction, with the cave walls illuminated by colorful lights.

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Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote -

The largest and liveliest resort on Lanzarote is Puerto del Carmen. A popular and long-established vacation destination, this is the Canaries at its holiday best, with first-rate hotels, great bars and restaurants, excellent shopping, and several casinos overlooking bands of enticing sand.

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Santa Cruz de la Palma, La Palma -

Santa Cruz de la Palma is easily the prettiest and most alluring of the archipelago's capital cities thanks to its beautiful and colorful colonial-style historic quarter. Complementing the 16th-century veneer are several monuments of note, for example the Iglesia del Salvador and Castillo de Santa Catalina.

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Caldera de Taburiente National Park, La Palma -

Inland, La Palma's Caldera de Taburiente National Park encloses a vast, forested cauldron-like hollow formed centuries ago after a violent volcanic eruption. The park, blanketed by scented evergreen Canary Island pine, is a designated Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and supports populations of laurel pigeons, red-billed choughs, and island canaries, among other species.

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Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma -

Caldera de Taburiente National Park is also the location of Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, where some of the world's largest telescopes are situated. The altitude and dryness of the climate affords a breathtaking nighttime sky, a veil of stars that can be appreciated with the naked eye.

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Los Llanos de Aridane, La Palma -

Sleepy Los Llanos de Aridane is where to appreciate traditional Spanish island life. Its historic quarter centers around Plaza de España, which is overlooked by the handsome Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church. The black sand beaches of Puerto Naos and Charco Verde are appreciated for their warm, translucent waters.

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Laurisilva cloud forest, La Palma -

La Palma's humid, subtropical laurisilva forest that blankets Los Tilos ravine is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A number of hiking trails snake through this moist and foggy environment, footpaths that allow for some of the most rewarding treks on the island.

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San Sebastián de La Gomera, La Gomera -

La Gomera is the third smallest of the eight islands that make up the archipelago. Its modest capital, San Sebastián de La Gomera, rewards the eye with a select number of historical buildings, among them Iglesia de La Asunción (pictured) and the Casa del Colón, another museum set in a building that once hosted Christopher Columbus.

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Parque Nacional de Garajonay, La Gomera -

The undoubted jewel in La Gomera's tourism crown is Parque Nacional de Garajonay. Its boundaries enclose the world's largest pre-glacial forest, a dense, ancient shroud of laurisilva, so rare and precious it has long enjoyed UNESCO World Heritage status.

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Los Órganos, La Gomera -

La Gomera rises so steeply out of the Atlantic that it lacks a costal highway. Instead, take to the water to admire another environmental wonder, Los Órganos—enormous prismatic columns of basalt that drop down the cliff face into the sea and continue under the water. This is natural architecture at its most impressive!

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Roque El Cano, La Gomera -

If you fancy hiking La Gomera's rugged interior, set off from Roque El Cano near the village of Vallehermoso for a circular walk with spectacular views.

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Valverde, El Hierro -

Valverde is the smallest Canarian capital and the only one not located by the sea. This is as rural and provincial as it gets, but the tiny community is still worth a diversion for its authentic Spanish island atmosphere.

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Campanario de Joapira, El Hierro -

El Hierro offers up some visual treats such as this extraordinary example of contemporary religious architecture, Campanario de Joapira. Built in 1957 and overlooking La Frontera, this bell tower chimes the time over a lonely and somewhat forbidding landscape.

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El Hierro giant lizard -

The island's most famous resident is the El Hierro giant lizard, a thickset endemic reptile classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

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Caleta de Sebo, La Graciosa -

The smallest of the Canary Islands, La Graciosa was only declared an island in 2018. Before then, this smudge of earth and sand had the status of an islet. The destination's capital is Caleta de Sebo.

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Playa Francesca, La Graciosa -

La Gracisoa is moored off the coast of Lanzarote and makes for a rewarding seafaring excursion. Most visitors end up exploring the island's numerous bays and inlets by boat.

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Playa de la Cocina, La Graciosa -

Accessible by foot from Caleta de Sabo is Playa de la Cocina, a delightful half-moon of soft white sand popular with snorkelers. This little-known, out-of-the-way beach is often cited as one of the most beautiful in the entire archipelago.

Sources: (TravelMedia.ie) (IUCN Red List) (Encyclopedia.com)

See also: The stars who love to holiday in Spain

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