Seven islands of volcanic origin near the northwestern coast of the African continent in the Atlantic belong to Spain and are a popular holiday destination among travelers from different European countries. The largest islands of the archipelago are Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. The islands are called miniature continents because of the difference in climate on the coast and in their depths in the mountains. In addition to the beaches on the archipelago, there are many opportunities for organizing active and sightseeing holidays, and therefore the answer to the question of what to see in the Canaries usually includes a list of national parks and volcanoes, zoos and caves, amusement parks and museums.
Top 15 attractions in the Canary Islands
Teide
Despite the desert, Martian-like landscapes, Teide National Park is distinguished by a special biodiversity. It is home to several dozen species of endemic plants and rare animals.
The park is located on the slopes of the highest mountains of Tenerife and the entire archipelago. Volcano Teide is 3,718 meters above sea level, and the Viejo peak is over 3,130 meters.
In 2007, Teide Park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Pyramids of Guimar
Six stepped pyramid-shaped structures in the southeast of Tenerife were built by farmers. In the 19th century, a similar practice was common on the islands. Stones removed from the ground during plowing were stored at the borders of agricultural land and then used as an inexpensive building material.
On the territory of the park, where the pyramids of Guimar were found, archaeological excavations were carried out, during which scientists discovered ancient artifacts of the culture of the Guanches - tribes that lived on the islands in the 7th-11th centuries. It is believed that the pyramids were built at least in the 17th century.
In the ethnographic park, visitors can look at the model boats of Thor Heyerdahl, who studied the significance of the Canary Islands for seafarers during the discovery of America.
Museum of nature and man
The exposition of the archaeological museum in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered one of the most complete and important in Macaronesia. If you are interested in the history and nature of the Canary Islands region, the museum will attract your attention:
- Guanche mummies. The bodies of the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands, mummified in a special way and preserved to this day, were discovered during the Spanish colonization. The oldest of them are more than 1400 years old. The Guanches preserved the bodies of the dead by embalming in accordance with their religious beliefs.
- A collection of objects carved from African tree species.
- Fossils collected from the islands to represent the diversity of the local flora and fauna in ancient times.
- Aboriginal crafts from the pre-Columbian era.
Part of the exposition is devoted to the flora and fauna of the islands.
Timanfaya
Popular with tourists, the national park with lunar landscapes is located in the southwest of Lanzarote. The territory of the park is located in a zone of volcanic activity and the main local attractions are dozens of geysers and the eponymous volcano still active.
In 1993, UNESCO declared Lanserote a biosphere reserve, and Timanfaya Park came under double protection. Tourists can visit the park only as part of an organized excursion. The Volcanoes Walking trail can be traversed on horseback on camels. A popular attraction in the park is lunch at a local restaurant that uses thermal heat to prepare meals.
Loro park
The most popular zoo in the Canary Islands, where you can look at the typical representatives of the local fauna, was founded in 1972 in Tenerife. The main pride of its organizers, the collection of parrots, numbering 4 thousand species, is the largest in the world.
In Loro Parque you will find the largest dolphinarium in the Old World, where every day there is a killer whale show.
Siam park
The owner of Siam Park, in common with Loro Park, designed it in the style of Southeast Asia, and invited the princess of Thailand to the opening in 2008. The entertainment facility is famous for its record-breaking slide. Tower of Power soars up 28 meters.
From 2014 to 2017, Siam Park is considered the best water park in Europe according to TripAdvisor. It is built on a high hill and uses new eco-friendly technologies to help preserve the unique biosystem of the island.
The complex has several restaurants with Thai and Mediterranean cuisine.
Drago park
On the island of Tenerife in Drago Park, you can look at one of the symbols of the Canary Islands - a dragon tree, which, according to local legend, reaches several thousand years. The girth of the lower part of the giant's trunk reaches 10 meters, and the height of the tree is about 25 meters. But the most amazing thing is its shape, which resembles a huge umbrella. Against the background of the Teide volcano, the relict tree looks especially extravagant.
In addition to the world famous exhibit, Drago Park is famous for several species of endemic plants growing on its territory.
Find: 50 km from Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Cueva de los Verdes
One of the world's largest volcanic caves stretches for six kilometers on the island of Lanzarote. Until 1970, it was considered the longest volcanic tunnel on the planet. The cave appeared as a result of the eruption of the Corona volcano several millennia ago and stretches from its crater to the Atlantic coast.
The largest width of the cave is 24 meters, its height is about 15 meters, and the height difference in it reaches 230 meters. Local tribes used the Cueva de los Verdes as a hiding place during the Spanish colonization.
A part of the cave is open to tourists, where electricity is supplied. In the lower section of the tunnel there is a restaurant on the shore of an underground lake.
Cactus garden
The Cactus Garden project was created in the 70s of the last century by Sesere Manrique. The artist has surprisingly organically blended it into the natural landscape, and the garden has become a vivid example of landscape design.
The space of the park is hidden behind a powerful stone wall. From the massive wrought-iron gates winding paths diverge, on the sides of which thousands of cacti of more than 1,100 species grow. They are collected from all over the world, and the collection of the park in Lanzarote features smooth and prickly, green and colored, tiny and huge specimens of the family. The design concept is based on Japanese gardens, famous for their elegance and laconicism. The garden is laid out on the site of a volcanic quarry and has the shape of an amphitheater.
Ticket price: 5.5 euros.
Auditorio de Tenerife
The symbol of the capital of the island of Tenerife, the Auditorio Opera House was built in 2003 and is recognized as one of the outstanding works of architecture of the new millennium. The unusual shape of the building in the style of postmodernism has become a successful example of the play of volume and curved lines. The roof of the Auditorio is 100 meters long and weighs over 350 tons.
The theater has several concert halls, the largest of which can seat 1,616 spectators. Here you can listen to organ music concerts.
House of Columbus
The most interesting exposition of the museum on the island of Gran Canaria is dedicated to the great navigator Christopher Columbus. The discoverer of America stayed here during his expeditions to the New World. The mansion was built in the 15th century, restored in the middle of the 18th century and since 1952 has been used as a museum.
The House of Columbus has departments dedicated to the pre-Columbian era in America, the voyages of the great navigator, the history of the Canary Islands and the development of the city of Las Palmas. A small part of the museum's collection displays examples of painting from the 16th-20th centuries.
Basilica of Candelaria
The Catholic Church in Tenerife in the city of Candelaria is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is an important center of religious pilgrimage in the Canary Islands. In the church, you can see the statue of Our Lady of Candelaria, created by the Spaniard Fernando Estevez in the 19th century. The Madonna becomes the center of the feast in her honor, celebrated on the islands on 15 August and 2 February.
Spain square
The main square of the Canary Islands in Tenerife in the city of Santa Cruz was built in the 1920s. Its dominant feature is a monument to the heroes who died in the Civil War, at the top of which there is an observation deck.
The area is very large, and on an area of 5000 sq. m contains a fountain with seawater and night lighting, several colonial-style buildings and government offices.
Canary Islands Museum
The exposition of the museum in the capital of the island of Gran Canaria presents visitors with interesting exhibits that tell about the history of the archipelago. In the collection you will find tools of labor of aboriginal Guanches, their jewelry and household items, mummies and ceramics found during archaeological excavations. Of interest are "pintaderas" - stamps with which the Guanches manually printed fabrics for making clothes.
Infierno
The gorge in the southwest of Tenerife is a nature reserve, where, in addition to the most beautiful views, you can find unique evidence of indigenous peoples living here in ancient times. The walls of the caves in Infierno are dotted with inscriptions and drawings of the Guanches.
Hiking trails in the gorge are laid out so that tourists can enjoy all the diversity of the surrounding flora. At the end of one of the trails, there is a picturesque waterfall that falls from an 80-meter height.
