Canary Islands: Tenerife, Fuerteventura & Lanzarote
If you are wondering what Canary even means (if you are not, please do!), don’t get it wrong :). Many people’s first thought goes to the eponymous bird, but this is not correct. In fact, it was the other way around with the canary bird being named after the archipelago.
It was in fact from dogs that the Canary Islands, known in Spanish as Islas Canarias, got their name from. The name comes from the Latin word for dog, Canaria, and was given by the first Europeans to arrive here. The story goes that when they landed ashore, they were met with large dogs on the island of Gran Canaria. However, it’s known that seals used to inhabit the island and were named ‘sea dogs’ by the Romans, so perhaps it’s them the islands are named after instead.
Both ways, these islands will take your breath away and you’ll see things you don’t see anywhere else in the world!
In total, there are 8 main Canary Islands, the largest island of the archipelago is Tenerife, followed by Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro, with the smallest being La Graciosa.
This article mainly focuses on Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote: we will need one full week at least to flavor all the best experiences these islands can offer!
Read my brain:
✿ Really worth doing!
✎ Not worth it, unless you have time to spare!
Your perfect 1-WEEK plan to visit the Canary Islands:
TENERIFE - FUERTEVENTURA - LANZAROTE
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Who to go with:
I haven’t felt like these Islands are a party place to be in. It’s much more about exploring and having romantic moments than just having fun and partying.
Depending on how you want to live on these Islands, you can either go with your friends and do a surfing week and explore the most savage lands, with your partner and enjoy beautiful views and romantic moments, or just with your best friend and exploring-buddy who you can be sure will follow you through all these shifts from one island to the other!
How long:
You will need at least 7 full days to be able to follow this itinerary Tenerife-Fuerteventura-Lanzarote. And I have to say, even 7 days to do all this was quite a work to shrink everything in. But, if you have less time you should consider cutting the itinerary to only Fuerteventura-Lanzarote, which would be my first two preferences and suggestions.
The itinerary:
Day 1:
Land in Tenerife and spend the night in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Day 2:
Rent a car and visit Tenerife.
Day 3:
Take a flight from Santa Cruz to Fuerteventura (if you prefer, and then you can rent another car there) OR a boat from Santa Cruz to morro Jable, so you can bring your car with you.
Day 4,5:
Visit Fuerteventura.
Day 6,7:
Take a boat from Corralejo (so you bring your car with you) to Lanzarote, and visit the island.
Last day:
Get back to Fuerteventura, and take a flight back home!
READY? THIS ARTICLE IS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH ✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿ !!!!
COME WITH ME TO…
CANARY ISLANDS
The Canary Islands are the southernmost region of Spain, and the largest and most populous archipelago of Macaronesia. Because of their location, the Canary Islands have historically been considered a link between the four continents of Africa, North America, South America, and Europe.
Capital city
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Official language:
SPANISH
Population
2.1 MILLIONS (2021)
Religion
Catholics
Currency
EUROS
Weather
Mediterranean climate
Nationality
SPANISH
Interesting notes:
(The ones you will want to tell your friends about to keep their mouths open in shock!)
1)
If you skipped my article introduction, no worries! The Canary island takes his name from the latin word “dogs” as it’s said that Europeans who discovered the island at first were welcomed from lots of dogs!
2)
Tenerife is home to the 3rd-tallest volcano in the world!
3)
Five of the seven existing species of turtles in the world live around the island of Tenerife
4)
The islands, especially Gran Canaria, are home to a giant lizard species (Giant Gallotia), which inhabited the islands before humans settles on it. They were roughly the size of Komodo dragons and can still be found on the island today – in a much smaller size compared to the original beast, though!
5)
These islands are a real magnet of winds! Trade winds are common in the Canary Islands archipelago and affect not only the weather of the islands but also the local wave climate, this is why it’s the perfect spot for surfing!
I have to say, the wind was quite annoying along my trip, it never stopped! But I went in March, so I guess it wasn’t the best time for the climate.
My dad, who is an expert on winds, said that the only place where you won’t find wind in the Canary Islands is in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, on the southern coast.
6)
Fuerteventura is over 20 million years old
The Canary Islands were created by a series of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The oldest of these is Fuerteventura, which is thought to be over 20 million years old. Whilst all other islands originated from separate volcanoes on the ocean floor (their landscapes are indeed very unique), Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are more similar and were once formed as a single island.
7)
Lanzarote is home to volcanic vineyards.
As Lanzarote is a volcanic island, it has almost no soil or natural vegetation. So, in order to grow grapevines here, winemakers had to think outside the box. Unlike traditional vineyards which stretch high and wide, on Lanzarote you’ll find vineyards take the form of separate vines in individual craters. The volcanic soil of the island, black in color, gives the wine a unique taste and is a must-try when visiting.
TENERIFE
Day 1: Tenerife
The southern part!
Mount Teide and the south coast.
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✿ Get on top of the Volcano!
And drive around the National Park :)
Tenerife is home to the 3rd-tallest volcano in the world!
On the island of Tenerife, you’ll find the volcanic mountain of El Teide, 3,718m tall (12,198ft). Its summit is the highest point in Spain. The volcano and surrounding area are now a national park and were named a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2007.
✿ Swim with Sea Turtles
Swimming with turtles in Tenerife is certainly an unforgettable experience and something many people don’t realize they can do. On the southern tip of Tenerife, the picturesque beach of El Puertito is home to a resident group of sea turtles. In fact, five of the seven existing species of turtles in the world live around the island of Tenerife! WOW
I haven’t personally done that, but I strongly recommend you to!
✿ See the Acantilados Los Gigantes
These giant rock formations rise from the sea to a height of 500-800 meters after which the town has been named. Los Gigantes means "The Giants". You can just pass by here on your road trip and view this beauty!
✎ Refresh pit-stop at Playa del Duque
This beach is a favorite for lovers of the sun and relaxation and has all the amenities, so it’s the perfect easy spot to just stop by for a break.
✎ Drago Park & Playa de San Marcos
Situated in Icod de Los Vinos, Drago Park was created at the turn of the millennium and it contains El Drago Milenario, a dragon tree thought to be around 1,000 years old, as well as a variety of other native plants. If you are into nature and history, this is a cute stop to enrich your knowledge!
✎ Visit La Orotava, and go to Casa Mendez-Fonseca
Casa Mendez-Fonseca is another great courtyard and is home to a small museum and wine-tasting!
✎ Refresh at Puerto de La Cruz
You will find the fresh air of the winds pushing from the ocean, and bringing some breeze from the water to you, whilst you watch the surfers having fun at the port’s beach with blck sand!
Day 2:
Tenerife
The northern part!
✎ Relax at Playa La Teresitas, and Playa de Antequera
I haven’t visited the northern part of Tenerife, because my flight to Fuerteventura (the next destination in this itinerary) was very early, but these are the places they suggested to me, which you could do on your day 2 in Tenerife.
There are 2 main beaches in the northern area: La Teresitas and Antequera. They are both beautiful, the latter being more savage probably (the first one is very touristic).
✿ Watch the sunset from Playa de Benijo
Make sure to be there at least half an hour before the sunset. It is nice when the sun goes beyond the rocks in front of the beach!
✎ Have dinner and a drink at S. Cristóbal de la Laguna
They say it’s an area (very close to Santa Cruz) where the locals go for dinner or drinks, as there are quite some restaurants.
FUERTEVENTURA
Fuerteventura is over 20 million years old
The Canary Islands were created by a series of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The oldest of these is Fuerteventura, which is thought to be over 20 million years old. Whilst all other islands originated from separate volcanoes on the ocean floor (their landscapes are indeed very unique), Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are more similar and were once formed as a single island.
Day 3:
Fuerteventura
How to get there and where?
My recommendation is to take the ferry from Santa Cruz to Morro Jable (in the southern part of Fuerteventura). This way
1) you can directly be at the southern part of the island, and visit this area.
2) you can bring your rented car and continue your road trip without interruptions!
✎Looking for a wonderful (and expensive) place to stay in the southern coast of Fuerte Ventura?
Stay at Innside (By Melia) Fuerteventura, in playa Barca. It’s also quite comfortable to see this area and still be towards the northern part of the island for the next days of the itinerary. This place has also a beautiful cafè to do a break or to do smart-working!
If you are rather looking for something cheaper, and want to stay in Morro Jable, you can find many inexpensive hotels and houses there as it’s a cheaper spot.
✿ Relax or surf in Playa de Jandia
This was probably the most suggestive spot of the canary islands, it was exactly the image I imagined of these islands before going there: sandy, desert-like, bright, and dry. Also, along the way to get there, you will have a beautiful view, very instagrammable.
✎ Visit the Oasis Botanical Garden
Day 4:
Fuerteventura
The center of the island!
We are ready to move north!
The road trip towards the northern part of the island is beautiful, so even if it takes some time (1.30-2 hours), it’s worth it!
✿ Road trip and a pit stop to Arco de las Peñitas
Whilst you are driving north, stop at this beautiful natural rock formation!
✎ Stop at Playa De Ajuy (Negra)
I haven’t been here, so I wouldn’t know if it’s really beautiful. Your choice :)
✎ Drive through Betancuria
You will anyway have to pass through this area to get north, I remember rocky roads, desert-like and with wide-open landscapes around me.
Most tourists also stop by the Morro Velosa statues, I personally did not do it, check it out and see if you think it’s worth it.
✿ Stop at Playa (Puertito) de Los Molinos
This was honestly one of the most local and “petite” places I have been to on this island. Puertito de Los Molinos is a small fishing village in the municipality of Puerto de Rosario with a population of less than twenty. You can find excellent food served at its restaurants (fresh fish), I have been to Las Bohemias del Amor.
Not forgetting, of course, a magnificent sea cave that can only be visited at low tide. You can ask the local villagers to bring you there!
Molinos means ‘mills’ in English, which alludes to a construction heavily associated with centuries-old agricultural and stockbreeding tradition in Fuerteventura: windmills, which are part of the island’s architectural tradition and are worth getting to know.
✿ See the Dunas de Corralejo (the dunes) and take iconic pictures!
The Dunas de Corralejo Protected Natural Park has more than 2600 hectare of a wonderful unique landscape with the sun-reflecting dunes.
If you wish to take the iconic picture on the road, just drive on FV-104 road and you are there!
✿ Where to stay5 for the night? Villaverde is the answer!
We decided, rather than staying in Corralejo, to take a villa in Villaverde.
The village of Villaverde is located in the north of the island in the municipality of La Oliva, on the road between La Oliva and Corralejo. The area has the best restaurant on the entire island (this is why I suggest staying here), and is completely immersed in the desert! When you open your window or step outside, you will feel like you are in the desert, completely, and will therefore live more the desert-like vibe of the island!
You can find villas of this kind (link), for a very reasonable price (the one I picked is a random one in the area, but you can find many more…they all have the same characteristics, find your favorite one!)
We stayed there fore more than one night because the surroundings were very beautiful… but if you are tight on time, then move on :).
✿ Have dinner at Casa Marcos
This is one of the best restaurants on the island (together with El Horno, Il Gatto Rosso, and Mahoh, which I will also recommend later on in this article with more details).
The island has very high-quality meat, and Casa Marcos knows how to cook it at best! Don’t forget to also eat local cheese. Goats are very popular on the island, both for their cheese and meat.
Day 5:
Fuerteventura
Corralejo & Isla De Lobos
✎ See Popcorn beach
I did not see this beach, mainly because it’s very touristic and all it has is popcorn shaped stones on the beach. If it’s something you wish to see, you can do it on this day as it’s very close to Corralejo.
✿ Have lunch in Corralejo
There are multiple places I would recommend to eat in Corralejo.
The best is definitely El Anzuelo (El Sombrero), they have the freshest fish, especially the octopus was amazing! We liked it so much we went even twice!
Others are:
Gregorio El Pescador
Tapas Oscar
Tanta Luna
Rompeolas
✿ Take a ferry to Isla de Lobos
Lobos Island is an islet just north of Fuerteventura. It’s very small but hides some savage gems! It’s also very local, with white houses and colourful details.
✿ Relax at Playa de la Concha
You can walk from the port to the main beach, Playa de la Concha, known for its clear waters.
✿ You can keep walking until Montaña La Caldera
Trails cross a landscape of salt marshes and hornitos (small volcanic mounds) and lead to volcanic Montaña La Caldera.
✿ If you want to grab something to eat or drink, go to Chiringuito Lobos Antoñito El Farero
✿ Get back to Fuerteventura and have dinner at El Horno or Locanda il Gatto Rosso
As mentioned before, these are among the best restaurants on the island.
If you want to eat local food, go to El Horno. If you are into Italian food, but very very good quality ingredients coming from Italy and cooked by an Italian couple, then you should really try Il Gatto Rosso, you won’t regret it.
I wish you could stay on this island for longer only to try all these amazing restaurants.
LANZAROTE
Day 6:
Lanzarote
A tour of Cesar Manrique gems.
Take a ferry from Corralejo to Playa Blanca (Lanzarote).
Make sure to do it in the very early morning, you will need the full day to do today’s visit!
✿ First of all, where to sleep?
Lanzarote is full of beautiful villas and hotels to be honest. We stayed at VIK Coral Beach cause you could have your own little villa but inside a large structure of many other villas.
A little intro to today’s experience…
César Manrique was a multifaceted artist and visionary of the 1900s. Born in Arrecife, Lanzarote, he was always a great lover of beauty, nature, and above all his island.
Manrique set to work from the north to the south of the island, along its coasts and inland, on top of volcanoes and underwater. In Lanzarote, traces of the artist's passage can be found everywhere. Here you will not find any of his work completely disconnected from its origins, lava, and nature.
MAKE SURE TO DO ALL THESE VISITS BY 5PM, WHEN EVERYTHING CLOSES!
✿ Jardín de Cactus
Guatiza, a small village between volcanoes, is famous for its vast expanses of Prickly Pears, cultivated to obtain cochineal. Cochineal is a small insect used to obtain the natural red dye. Today, this technique has been replaced by chemically produced additives.
César Manrique decided to further enhance this landscape by presenting the Jardín de Cactus. After the ticket office, you enter a large amphitheater, with cacti instead of actors. Thousands of cacti of all sizes and from all over the world have found their ideal home here, mingling with the black landscape of volcanoes and the blue sky.
The small white mill is located on the highest terrace of the garden; from here there is a unique panorama of the entire garden and the surrounding volcanoes.
There is also a small bar in the garden where you can taste the cactus burger.
✿ Take a picture in front of Casa Carmelina and see the Piscinas Naturales de Punta Mujeres
This is NOT from Cesar Manrique, it’s just a cute house you will find along the driving to the next spot!
It’s situated here, on the shore of Punta Mujeres.
✿ Jameos del Agua
And a panoramic lunch!
Manrique's most famous architecture on Lanzarote!
Jameo del Agua and Cueva de Los Verdes are part of the same volcanic tunnel, more than 6 km long, formed during the
At the time, the island's inhabitants used the Jameos to dispose of rubbish; today they are areas of high natural and artistic value.
You will see the volcanic tunnel with a large pool of seawater inside. Inside the basin, one can see the presence of many white dots resting gently on the dark bottom. These are the individuals of the world's only species of albino, blind crab, and they only live here.
Following the path, one next comes to a garden with a large white-painted pool and finally to a concert hall carved out of the lava.
I suggest you to have lunch here, the panoramic restaurant is beautiful!
✿ Cuevas de Los Verdes
The continuation of the volcanic tunnel that ends at Jameo del Agua arrives at Cueva de los Verdes. The volcanic tunnel originated after the eruption of Monte de la Corona. Today, the underground tunnel can be visited through a guided tour, lasting about an hour, which will take you on a discovery of the volcanic bowels.
✿ Mirador del Rio
The view is blurred by the beauty and vastness of this place. The viewpoint overlooking the strait of El Río, which divides the island of Lanzarote from La Graciosa, is one of the most beautiful vantage points.
At Mirador del Río, the panorama is affectionately framed by one of César Manrique's most beautiful works; the lava and lime architecture inside houses a bar-restaurant with a huge window looking out over the ocean, the sky and La Graciosa.
✿ Missing the sea? Take a break from Cesar Manrique tour and stop by Caletn Blanco!
Next is…
✿ César Manrique Foundation (Fundación César Manrique)
In Tahíche is this small architectural jewel built in the middle of the lava flow originating from the eruptions of the 1700s.
Above five jameos, air bubbles trapped in the lava, Manrique developed his white house-museum.
The Foundation also houses a swimming pool carved out of lava rock, a garden decorated with cacti and mosaics, a bar to relax in, and an exhibition of the works of César Manrique, Picasso, Miró, and many other artists.
A visit to the Foundation is a must during your holiday in Lanzarote, even if only for a coffee.
✿ Museo Lagomar
Nazaret is a small village not far from Teguise. Right here is one of the houses built, and formerly inhabited, by César Manrique. The Lag-O-Mar house, however, has a fascinating history.
The architecture has a lime swimming pool set among the lava, a cocktail bar built inside a volcanic conduit, a modern restaurant, a museum, and luxury flats.
You can drink a mjoito by the pool!
✿ Wine Tasting in La Geria ( & sunset)
On your way back home, pass and stop by La Geria (passing on this main road, LZ-30 ) to view one of the most amazing places on the island and do some wine tasting with sunset!
La Geria is one of the most characteristic and unique agricultural landscapes of Lanzarote and the entire archipelago. Its origin lies in the need to exploit the vast expanses covered by the sands (lapilli) emitted by the volcanic eruptions of Timanfaya.
The appearance of the area is impressive: situated on the edge of gullies and covered in black volcanic ash, the vineyards of the La Geria valley seem to have been transplanted here from another planet (no kidding!).
The inhabitants of Lanzarote found an indigenous way to cultivate vines on this arid and hostile terrain, digging more than ten thousand funnel-shaped cavities in the thick layers of picón (coarse volcanic ash) and planting plants inside them, one per cavity. THE ONLY 2 PLACES THEY DO THIS TECHNIQUE IN THE WORLD ARE LANZAROTE AND ACORES (IN PORTUGAL!), SO RARE…
The procedure is that once the vines are planted, the hole is covered again with soil and thick layers of picón, as the porous volcanic granules retain moisture at night to nourish the plants. They also built low semi-circular walls around them to protect them from constant winds and desiccation.
This unique method of cultivation results in a flourishing wine industry, renowned for its excellent wines, which can be tasted and purchased in numerous local wine cellars. In fact, this area produces the majority of Lanzarote's excellent wines, 75% of which are made from the Malvasia grape. Today, the Malvasia grape produces a wide variety of quality white, red, and rosé wines, ranging from very sweet to very dry, but this 'nectar' is best known as an amber-colored, very sweet, and richly flavored wine, praised by Shakespeare hundreds of years ago.
You should stop at Bodega La Geria (it’s one among other bodegas doing wine tasting on this road, I loved this one cause you can see the sunset from here, with the sun disappearing behind the volcano in front!). They will give you something to eat too, mainly cheese!
✎ Looking for a place for dinner? You can head to Puerto del Carmen and choose a restaurant on the road Avenida las Playas.
Day 7:
Lanzarote
Volcano & Gulf
✿ Parque Nacional de Timanfaya
To visit the park, you need to go on guided tours, you can’t just drive yourself here! You need to drive up to this point here, leave your car and get on a guided bus. The bus will do the tour through the park, and leave you at the restaurant (more about it after).
If it weren't for the intense blue of the sky, many photos taken in Timanfaya could pass for landscapes from the planet Mars. The volcanoes and unspoiled lava fields of this 5,000-hectare national park off the west coast of the island of Lanzarote are one of the most picturesque visual spectacles in the Canary Islands. Untouched by human hands, neither vegetation nor climate has had time to alter the pure beauty of this jet-red land included in a Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
The statues you see in my pictures below are souvenirs they sell at the end of your tour, where the restaurant is (I will talk about the restaurant in the next point). They are Los NaviosDel Mojon: they are crafted by local women in Lanzarote and are considered fertility symbols. They have a tradition linked to marriage, read more in my picture!
✿ Have lunch at El Diablo (another creation from Cesar Manrique)
Among the volcanoes of the Timanfaya National Park and surrounded by an extraterrestrial landscape, the El Diablo restaurant welcomes visitors to Islote de Hilario.
The architecture with large windows and dark walls blends in with the surrounding landscape, recalling the man-nature relationship so dear to Manrique.
The dishes on offer, mostly meat, are cooked using the heat emitted by the soil, which in this area of Lanzarote is still geothermally active. In short, El Diablo is a sustainable restaurant with spectacular views of the volcanoes of Montana del Fuego.
In front of the restaurant, they do live shows using the heat emitted from the soil, beautiful!
The restaurant opens around 1230, so don’t go there before otherwise you’ll need to wait!
✎ Take a ride on Camels or Quads.
The reason why I am not recommending this (✎ ) is that I became very sensitive when it comes to animal exploitation. I know camels are used to walking in deserts, but I don’t like seeing them being treated in a certain way.
Also, I love riding horses, camels and other animals when they are “free”, you also enjoy the experience more… but here they are all strained and chained one with the other in a queue, so it’s not even a great experience!
On the other hand, I know they also do buggies rides here, check it out!
✿ Are you a hiking fun? Don’t lose your chance to hike to Caldera Blanca.
Whilst the tour in the National park is restricted to guided bus tours, you can hike in complete freedom to Caldera Blanca!
✿ Leave the volcanos and get to El Golfo
In Lanzarote, there is a lake-like crater filled with trapped seawater that has a striking green hue. Why? It’s because of the unique kind of algae that grows here. It’s an unusual sight, especially against the rich blue background of the ocean and is worth the hike to find.
✿ Have dinner at Restaurante Costa Azul
A beautiful location right on the coast beach, with a beautiful terrace, and frsh fish! It was a very romantic plae to stop by for our dinner, so I strongly suggest it!
Sleep one more night in Lanzarote, then thenext day you are ready to take the ferry back to Fuerteventura (Corralejo). Then drive to the Fuerteventura airport, you will leave your rented car here & fly back home!
I will see you soon in a next episode about the Canary Islands, I am probably heading to Gran Canaria next!