Insight Guides Pocket Canary Islands (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

Insight Pocket Guides: ideal itineraries and top travel tips in a pocket-sized package.

Plan your trip, plan perfect days and discover how to get around - this pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do and see in the Canary Islands, from top attractions like El Teide on Tenerife and the Costa Calma beache on Fuerteventura, to hidden gems, includ.ing the small islands of El Hierro and La Gomera.

Compact, concise, and packed with essential information about Where to Go and What to Do, this is an ideal on-the-move companion when you're exploring any of the Canary Islands
Covers Top Ten Attractions, including the Jardin de Cactus on Lanzarote and Maspalomas sand dunes on Grand Canaria, and a Perfect Day in Tenerife itinerary suggestions
Offers an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture
Contains an invaluable pull-out map, and essential practical information on everything from Eating Out to Getting Around
Includes an innovative extra that's unique in the market - all Insight Pocket Guides come with a free eBook
Inspirational colour photography throughout
Sharp design and colour-coded sections make for an engaging reading experience

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Apr 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781789194012

Insight Guides

Insight Guides wherever possible uses local experts who provide insider know-how and share their love and knowledge of the destination.

Book preview

9781789194012.jpg41031.jpg

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Canary Islands, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Canary Islands, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Canary Islands are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Canary Islands. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

41186.jpg

Table of Contents

Canary Islands’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Day In Tenerife

Introduction

Climate, flora and fauna

People and tourism

Which is the best island for you?

A Brief History

The first inhabitants

Conquistadors

Columbus connections

Wine and warfare

Free trade

The Spanish Civil War

Tourism and environment

Historical landmarks

Where To Go

Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Puerto de la Cruz

La Orotava

Going north

San Cristóbal de La Laguna

West of Puerto

The central area

The east

The south coast

El Hierro

Exploring the island

La Gomera

San Sebastián

The north

The south

La Palma

Santa Cruz de la Palma

The southern loop

The northern loop

Gran Canaria

Las Palmas

The east coast

Southern resorts

Northern Coast and Hinterland

Central sights

Lanzarote

The south

The north

Fuerteventura

The north

The south

What To Do

Active pursuits

Water sports

Other activities

Shopping

Best buys

Nightlife

Festivals

Carnival

Corpus Christi

Children

Calendar of events

Eating Out

Where and when to eat

What to eat

Fish

Meat

Soups

Vegetables

Cheese, fruit and desserts

Alcoholic drinks

Tea, coffee and soft drinks

Reading the Menu

To help you order

Deciphering the menu

Restaurants

Tenerife

El Hierro

La Gomera

La Palma

Gran Canaria

Lanzarote

Fuerteventura

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Budgeting for your trip

C

Car hire(see also Driving)

Climate

Clothing

Crime

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

Guides and tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

LGBTQ travellers

M

Media

Money

O

Opening times

P

Police

Post offices

Public holidays

T

Telephones

Time zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Transport (see also Getting there)

Travellers with disabilities

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites

Recommended Hotels

Tenerife

El Hierro

La Gomera

La Palma

Gran Canaria

Lanzarote

Fuerteventura

Canary Islands’s Top 10 Attractions

shutterstock_374286289_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #1

Shutterstock

Jardín de Cactus

A César Manrique creation on Lanzarote. For more information, click here.

iStock_000020360150_Large_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #2

iStock

La Palma

A verdant island with some great walking. For more information, click here.

HGEWMX_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #3

Alamy

Montañas de Fuego

Take a camel ride through Lanzarote’s volcanic landcape. For more information, click here.

iStock_000021671118_Large_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #4

iStock

Puerto de Mogán

One of the prettiest places on Gran Canaria, a perfect blend of tradition and tourism. For more information, click here.

iStock_000021825199_Large_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #5

iStock

El Teide

Tenerife’s, and Spain’s, highest mountain. For more information, click here.

IMG_5067_costa_calma_Spain_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #6

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Costa Calma beaches

Great sweeps of white sand draw visitors to Fuerteventura. For more information, click here.

iStock_000034747626_Large_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #7

iStock

La Orotava

A beautifully preserved Tenerife town containing such gems as the Casa de los Balcones. For more information, click here.

iStock_000029655912_Large_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #8

iStock

Maspalomas

These pristine dunes on Gran Canaria are like a desert by the sea. For more information, click here.

IMG_7796_lanzarote_cueva_de_los_verdes_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #9

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Cueva de los Verdes

Impressive lava formations on Lanzarote. For more information, click here.

iStock_000016830902_Large_CanaryIslands_EC.jpg

Top Attraction #10

iStock

El Hierro

A peaceful island with some dramatic scenery. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day In Tenerife

9.00am

Breakfast

Soak up the sea views at Playa de las Vistas and breakfast at the Water Melon (Centro Comercial San Telmo) in San Telmo, Los Cristianos.

10.00am

Adeje

Take the main TF1 road north and divert to the unspoilt hill town of Adeje, former seat of the Guanche tribe and later stronghold of the Counts of Gomera. Visit the remains of their Casa Fuerte and amble along the steep Rambla with its bars and cafés. Adeje is the entry point to the Barranco del Infierno (Hell’s Gorge), a popular 4-mile (6.3km) return hike which should be saved for another day.

11.30am

Arguayo

Rejoin the main road going north. After Chio head right via the village of Arguayo, home to the Museum of ‘Cha Domitila’ (tel: [phone]), where you can watch potters at work and purchase ceramics.

12.30pm

Masca

Carry on north via Las Manchas to Santiago del Teide. From here continue to Tenerife’s most picturesque village – Masca, at the head of a dramatic gorge. Enjoy the breathtaking views from one of the roadside restaurants – Chez Arlette, El Guanche (Calle El Lomito 9, tel: [phone]) is a good bet.

2.00pm

Garachico

Return to the main road and head north (TF-82) for the charming coastal village of Garachico. Spend a couple of hours here, taking a dip in the lava rock pools, visiting the ex-Convent of San Francisco, admiring the views from Castillo de San Miguel or cooling off with a drink in the Plaza.

4.00pm

West coast

Head back south on the main road, then at Tamaimo turn on to the TF454 down the valley for Los Gigantes. ‘The Giants’ is named after the soaring volcanic walls that drop sheer into the sea. Continue south along the coast, pausing perhaps at the fishing village-cum-beach resort of Playa de San Juan.

7.00pm

Sunset wining and dining

Enjoy a cocktail at La Caleta on the Costa Adeje, then tuck into superb gourmet seafood at Restaurant 88, Masía del Mar (tel: [phone]; www.restaurant88tenerife.com; tel: [phone]; http://masiadelmar.com) or Piscis Terraza (tel: [phone]), with stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.

11.00pm

Nightlife

End the evening at the über-cool El Faro Chill Art (CC Torviscas Playa, tel:  [phone]) between Puerto Colón and Fañabe Beach, watching the sun sink from the Zen terrace – before partying at the disco inside.

Introduction

More than 1,000km (620 miles) south of the Iberian Peninsula and just 115km (70 miles) from the nearest point on the African coast, an archipelago made up of 13 volcanic islands juts dramatically out of the Atlantic Ocean. These, the Canary Islands, are an integral part of Spain, although they now have their own island government, known as the Cabildo Insular. Six of the islands, Alegranza, La Graciosa, Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste, are no more than specks in the sea and remain uninhabited. Of the others, it is the eastern islands, the three closest to Africa – Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura – that are geologically the oldest, and as they have the most extensive coastal shelf, they also have the most beaches.

What’s in a name?

The Canary Islands are believed to have been named after the dogs seen there during Roman times – canis being Latin for dog. Their Spanish descendants, the popular Presa Canario (Canarian dog of prey), are similar to mastiffs.

The four western islands, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, in descending order of size, have ragged coastlines with cliffs rising vertiginously out of