THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Josephine QuinteroStuart Butler

Tenerifep115

Fuerteventurap70

Lanzarotep92

GranCanariap38

La Gomerap157

La Palmap173

El Hierrop194

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings

and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z ................. 252Transport ........................ 259Language ........................ 263Index ................................ 278Map Legend .................... 287

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

The language of the Canary Islands is Spanish (español), which many Spanish people refer to as Castilian (castellano) to distinguish it from the other tongues spoken in Spain – Catalan (català), Galician (galego), and Basque (euskara).

Spanish pronunciation is straightforward as there’s a clear and consistent relationship between what’s written and how it’s pro-nounced. In addition, most Spanish sounds are pronounced the same as their English counterparts. The kh in our pronunciation guides is a guttural sound (like the ‘ch’ in the Scottish loch), ny is pronounced as the ‘ni’ in ‘onion’, and r is strongly rolled. Those familiar with Spanish might notice the Andalusian or even Latin American lilt of the Canarian ac-cent – ‘lli’ is pronounced as y and the ‘lisp’ you might expect with ‘z’ and ‘c’ before vowels sounds more like s while the letter ‘s’ itself is hardly pronounced at all – it sounds more like an ‘h’– for example, Las Palmas sounds more like Lah Palmah. If you follow our coloured pronunciation guides (with the stressed sylla-bles in italics) you’ll be understood just ne.

Spanish nouns and the adjectives that go with them are marked for gender – fem inine nouns generally end with -a and masculine

BASICSHello. Hola. o·laGoodbye. Adiós. a·dyosHow are you? ¿Qué tal? ke talFine, thanks. Bien, gracias. byen gra·syas Excuse me. Perdón. per·donSorry. Lo siento. lo syen·toYes./No. Sí./No. see/noPlease. Por favor. por fa·vorThank you. Gracias. gra·syasYou’re welcome. De nada. de na·da

My name is …Me llamo … me ya·mo …What’s your name? ¿Cómo se llama Usted? ko·mo se ya·ma oo·ste (pol)¿Cómo te llamas? ko·mo te ya·mas (inf)Do you speak (English)?¿Habla (inglés)? a·bla (een·gles) (pol)¿Hablas (inglés)? a·blas (een·gles) (inf) I (don’t) understand.Yo (no) entiendo. yo (no) en·tyen·do

language

iPhone phrasebooks at the Apple App Store.

Language

24-language-cni5.indd 263 20/09/2011 15:31

PAGE

36

PAGE

251

p2084Accommodation

00-title-page-canary.indd 100-title-page-canary.indd 1 5/10/2011 3:12:27 PM5/10/2011 3:12:27 PM

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to the Canary Islands ........................... 217 Top Experiences ........ 6Need to Know ................. 14If You Like ........................ 16 Month by Month ............. 19Itineraries ........................ 21Outdoor Activities ......... 24Travel with Children ...... 30Regions at a Glance ....... 33

YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT

Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions

to help you put together your perfect trip

UNDERSTAND THE CANARY ISLANDS

The Canary Islands Today .............................. 228History ............................. 230Island Cuisine ................. 237Canarian Arts & Culture 241Life on a Volcano ............ 246

History There is a delightful whi of mystery concerning the origins of the Canary Islands, including those that believe that the archipelago is, in fact, part of the remains of the legendary sunken continent of At-lantis. More plausible, though similarly intriguing, is that the islands represent the tiniest part of huge volcanoes beneath the sea. Furthermystery concerns the rst inhabitants, the indigenous Guanches, who were gradually driven out by waves of marauding invaders.

The rst major conquest was led by French adventurer, Jean de Bé-thencourt at the beginning of the 15th century. Eager for fame and glory, but short on troops and provisions, he received the backing of the Castil-ian crown and what had started as a private French enterprise became a Spanish imperialist adventure. The last island to fall was Tenerife in 1496, marking the end of the 94-year struggle to take the islands from the

roud, but ill-equipped Guanches. The conquistadors showed no respect for the indigenous o ulation

and many were sold into slavery or succumbed to Euro ean diseases. Today little remains of the Guanche culture, aside from the

hi tli l f L G d l f l

18-history-cni5.indd 230 20/09/2011 15:26

6

Life on a Volcano Many people think of the Canary Islands as consisting of little but at, featureless sun-baked semi-desert, and while there are areas where this image rings true anyone who knows the islands well will speak in excited tones about the sheer variety of landscapes, climates and ora and fauna contained within this unique archipelago.

Volcanic Landscape Formation of the Islands The seven islands and six islets that make up the Canary Islands archi-pelago are little more than the tallest tips of a vast volcanic mountain range that lies below the Atlantic Ocean. Just babies in geological terms, the islands were thrown up 30 million years ago when tectonic plates collided, crumpling the land into mammoth mountains both on land, as in the case of Morocco’s Atlas range, and on the ocean oor, as in the case of the Cape Verde islands, the Azores and the Canaries. These Atlantic is-lands are collectively referred to as Macronesia. After the initial creation, a series of volcanic eruptions put the nal touches on the islands’ forms

The Islands Today The seven main islands have a total area of 7447 sq km. Their size may not be great, but packed into them is just about every imagina e kind of landscape, from the long, sandy beaches of Fuerteventura and

unes of Gran Canaria to the majestic Atlantic c i s of Tenerife an

La Palma is the steepest island in the world, relative to its height and

overall area.

21-life-on-a-volcano-cni5.indd 246 20/09/2011 15:29

A Dramatic Landscape The Canary Islands boast near-perfect year-round temperatures, which means whether it’s summer or winter you can enjoy the dramatic and varied landscape here that you usually have to cross continents to experience. Marvel at the subtropical greenery of La Gomera’s national park; the pine-forested peaks in Gran Canaria’s mountainous interior, or the tumbling waterfalls of La Palma. Then contrast all this lushness with the extraordinary barren atlands anking Tenerife’s El Teide, the

surreal play of colours of Lanzarote’s lava elds and Fuerteventura’s endless plains,

punctuated by cacti, scrub and lots (and lots) of goats.

Be a Good Sport It is this very diversity of landscape, coupled with those predictable sunny days, that makes outdoor activities so accessible and varied here. Hike the signposted footpaths that criss-cross the islands, ranging from meandering trails to trudging up moun-tains and across volcanic elds; scuba dive in enticing warm waters, marvelling at over 350 species of sh (and the odd ship-wreck or two); kick back with a glass of champagne on the deck of a cata maran cruiser; or pump up that adrenalin by catching the wind and the waves on a kite-board or windsurf board. For the slightly less energetic, there are camel rides, rounds of golf, horse treks and boat rides.

welcome tothe Canary Islands

00-welcome-to-cni5.indd 2 20/09/2011 15:12

“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

PAGE

2

PAGE

227GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP

Learn about the big picture, so you

can make sense of what you see

The Canary Islands may share the same archipelago, but in every other way they are truly diverse. If you love the outdoors there are some stunning natural landscapes and scope for scenic strolls or more arduous hikes, particularly in Gran Canaria, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera. Beaches are on every island but Fuerteventura has, arguably, the best of the bunch, and is a hot and happening destination for watersports as well. Something darkly different? That has to be Lanzarote: its black volcanic lava fields forming the ideal backdrop for some dramatic sculpture and architecture. History buffs have plenty to ponder here as well, particularly in Gran Canaria, which digs deep into its past with some truly extraordinary archaeological sites.

Gran Canaria Mountains Archaeology Beaches

Mountains The mountainous interior is ruggedly beautiful and fabu-lous to explore, either by car or by taking one of the hi-king trails. Laurel and pine forests, volcanic craters and cool mountain reservoirs all contribute to this spectac-ular scenery, especially dur-ing the springtime when the almond trees create a blush of pink-and-white blossom on the landscape.

Archaeology The ancient Guanche history of the island is vividly brought to life at the excellent Cueva Pintada (painted cave) museum in Gáldar, the nearby Cenobio de Valerón 350-plus small caves and several fascinating museums.

Beaches Superb stretches of sand range from the cityside strip at Las Palmas to the pristine desert-like landscape of Maspalomas. Add to this windswept black-stone beaches, rocky, surf-lashed coves and tourist strips with

regions at a glance

08-regions-at-a-glance-cni5.indd 33 20/09/2011 15:12

El Teide Magni cence 1 Start o gradually with a gentle hike around the base of Tenerife’s El Teide (p140), kidding

yourself that you are enjoying a stroll around the surface of the moon; it really is that extra-ordinary. The trails take you deep into an alien landscape with red, yellow and brown craters resembling giant prehistoric molehills and contrasting with bizarre volcanic rock formations and pebble-like lapilli. Top it o by taking the cable car to the summit for the ultimate heady experience: wrap up warm, though, it can get pretty chilly up there in the clouds.

17 TOP EXPERIENCES

01-top-experiences-cni5.indd 6 20/09/2011 15:13

Top Events

Carnaval, February–March

San Juan, June

Festival de Música de Canarias, January–February International Jazz Festival, July

Gay Pride, May

month by month

January A popular month to visit the Canaries as, overall, the southern coastal resorts are still warm enough for beach days. Northern regions and inland are cooler and Tenerife’s El Teide can be snow-capped.

�z Festival de Música de

C i

and best in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (p47) and Santa Cruz in Tenerife (p125). Expect carafe-loads of esta spirit in the streets.

March Enjoy springtime flowers, particularly on the hillsides of El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. During Easter week, expect tourist crowds

traditional goodies from all the islands here.

April The sun still shines brightest on the southernbeaches, although evenings are cooler and there can be showers, particularly on Tenerife.

�z International Film Festival

The annual Las Palmas de

04-month-by-month-cni5.indd 19 20/09/2011 15:13

Looking for other travel resources?

LONELYPLANET.COMFor travel information, advice, tips & digital chapters

MAGAZINEFor travel stories, inspiration & ideaslonelyplanet.com/magazine

EBOOKSGuidebooks for your readerlonelyplanet.com/ebooks

APPSLocation-based guides for the streetlonelyplanet.com/mobile

twitter.com/lonelyplanet

facebook.com/lonelyplanet

lonelyplanet.com/newsletter

STAY IN TOUCH lonelyplanet.com/contact

AUSTRALIA Locked Bag 1, Footscray, Victoria 3011%03 8379 8000, fax 03 8379 8111

USA 150 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607%510 250 6400, toll free 800 275 8555, fax 510 893 8572

UK Media Centre, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ%020 8433 1333, fax 020 8702 0112

Paper in this book is certified against the Forest Stewardship Council™ standards. FSC™ promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Get the right guides for your trip

COUNTRY & CITY• The original• Comprehensive• Adventurous

DISCOVER• Best-of• Photo-packed• Inspirational

Comprehensive• Adventuroous

& CI& CITYTYOUNTRY TRY TRTR &&The originalThe origina

YY

PHRASEBOOKREGIONAL• Cultural• Day trips & itineraries• In-depth

SHOESTRING• Big trips,

small budgets• Multicountry

canary-islands-5-cover.indd 2canary-islands-5-cover.indd 2 5/10/2011 3:10:29 PM5/10/2011 3:10:29 PM

GRAN CANARIA . . . . 38LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40AROUND LAS PALMAS . . . . 51Telde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Ingenio & Agüimes . . . . . . . .52Barranco de Guayadeque . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Temisas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53San Bartolomé de Tirajana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53Fataga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Tejeda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Around Tejeda . . . . . . . . . . . .55Vega de San Mateo . . . . . . .56Santa Brígida & Caldera de Bandama . . . . . . . . . . . . .56THE NORTHWEST . . . . . . . . 56Teror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Arucas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Around Arucas . . . . . . . . . . .59Moya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Santa María de Guía . . . . . .59Around Santa María de Guía . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Gáldar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Agaete & Puerto de las Nieves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Aldea de San Nicolás . . . . . .62Around Aldea de San Nicolás . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62PLAYA DEL INGLÉS & MASPALOMAS . . . . . . . . . . . 62AROUND PLAYA DEL INGLÉS & MASPALOMAS . . . . . . . . . 66Puerto Rico & Arguineguín . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Puerto de Mogán . . . . . . . . .67Mogán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Around Mogán . . . . . . . . . . 69

FUERTEVENTURA . . . . 70PUERTO DEL ROSARIO . . . . 72THE CENTRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Betancuria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Around Betancuria . . . . . . . .77Antigua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Around Antigua . . . . . . . . . .78Pájara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Caleta de Fuste . . . . . . . . . . .79Around Caleta de Fuste . . 80THE NORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Road to La Oliva . . . . . . . . . 80La Oliva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Corralejo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82El Cotillo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85THE SOUTHEAST . . . . . . . . . 87Tarajalejo & Giniginamar . .87La Lajita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87PENÍNSULA DE JANDÍA . . . 88Costa Calma . . . . . . . . . . . . 88La Pared . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Playa de Sotavento de Jandía . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Morro Jable . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Around Morro Jable . . . . . . . 91

LANZAROTE . . . . . . . .92ARRECIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94AROUND ARRECIFE . . . . . . . 99Costa Teguise . . . . . . . . . . . 99Tahiche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Teguise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100San Bartolomé & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102THE NORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Guatiza & Charco del Palo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Arrieta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Malpaís de la Corona . . . . .103Orzola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Minor Canaries . . . . . . . . . .104THE NORTHWEST . . . . . . . 105Mirador del Río . . . . . . . . . .105Guinate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Haría . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106La Caleta de Famara . . . . .106Tiagua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107INLAND & WEST COAST . . 107La Geria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Parque Nacional de Timanfaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Yaiza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110El Golfo & Around . . . . . . . . 110THE SOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Puerto del Carmen . . . . . . 110Puerto Calero . . . . . . . . . . . 112Playa Blanca . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Punta del Papagayo . . . . . . 114

TENERIFE . . . . . . . . . 115SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119THE NORTHEAST . . . . . . . . 126La Laguna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126San Andrés & Around . . . .129Taganana & the Anaga Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

Look out for these icons:

o Our author’s recommendation S A green or

sustainable option F No payment required

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

Punta del Hidalgo & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Tacoronte & El Sauzal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130THE NORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Puerto de la Cruz . . . . . . . . 131La Orotava . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136Icod de los Vinos . . . . . . . .138Garachico . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139THE CENTRE . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Parque Nacional del Teide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140Vilaflor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143THE NORTHWEST . . . . . . . 144Punta de Teno . . . . . . . . . . .144Santiago del Teide . . . . . . .144Masca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144Los Gigantes & Puerto de Santiago . . . . . . . . . . . . .145THE EAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Candelaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146Güímar & Around . . . . . . . . 147El Médano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147THE SOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas & Costa Adeje . . . . . . . . . . . . .149Las Galletas. . . . . . . . . . . . .155

LA GOMERA . . . . . . . . 157SAN SEBASTIÁN DE LA GOMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158PARQUE NACIONAL DE GARAJONAY . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

THE NORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Hermigua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165El Cedro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166Agulo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Las Rosas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Vallehermoso . . . . . . . . . . . 167Around Vallehermoso . . . .168THE SOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . .168Playa Santiago . . . . . . . . . .168Alajeró & Around . . . . . . . .169Valle Gran Rey . . . . . . . . . . . 170

LA PALMA . . . . . . . . . 173SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174AROUND SANTA CRUZ . . . 181Los Cancajos . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Breña Alta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181THE SOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Villa de Mazo . . . . . . . . . . . .182Parque Ecológico de Belmaco . . . . . . . . . . . . .184Playa Blanca . . . . . . . . . . . .184Fuencaliente . . . . . . . . . . . .184THE CENTRE . . . . . . . . . . . . 185El Paso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente . . . . 187Los Llanos de Aridane . . . .189Puerto Naos . . . . . . . . . . . .190THE NORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191San Andrés & Los Sauces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Charco Azul . . . . . . . . . . . . .192

Los Tiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192Barlovento . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193Parque Cultural La Zarza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193

EL HIERRO . . . . . . . . . 194VALVERDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195THE NORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199El Mocanal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199Echedo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199Tamaduste & La Caleta . . 200Puerto de la Estaca & Las Playas . . . . . . . . . . . 200Mirador de la Peña . . . . . . 200San Andrés & Around . . . .201Isora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201THE SOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202El Pinar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Hoya del Morcillo & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202La Restinga . . . . . . . . . . . . 203EL GOLFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203Las Puntas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204Around Las Puntas . . . . . 204Tigaday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205La Frontera . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Los Llanillos & Sabinosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206LA DEHESA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Reyes . . . . 207El Sabinar & Beyond . . . . 207

ACCOMMODATION 208

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Josephine Quintero Coordinating Author; Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote Originally from England and a UC Berkeley graduate, Josephine has lived in Andalucía, Spain, since 1990, when she was abruptly ousted from her previous home in Kuwait by Saddam Hussein’s troops. After a stint of ghostwriting for Marbella-based crooks and celebs, she joined Lonely Planet and has since written numerous titles, including contributing to the last four editions of the Spain country guide

and working as co-author on Canary Islands 4. For Josephine, this is a job made in heaven as she enjoys nothing more than exploring the mainland and beyond, including the Canary Islands, where highlights this trip included walking in the lush mountainous interior of Gran Canaria and falling in love with mojo sauce – all over again.

Stuart Butler Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro Stuart’s fi rst childhood encounters with Spain, in the national parks of Andalucía and the beaches of northern Spain, made such big impressions that as soon as he was old enough he waved goodbye to his native England and moved to the Spanish-French border regions. From his Basque Country base he travels across the country in search of food, waves and mountain trails, and the Canaries tick all these boxes. When not

writing for Lonely Planet he hunts for unchartered surf on remote coastlines. The results of these trips appear frequently in the world’s surf media.

Read more about Josephine at:lonelyplanet.com/members/josephinequintero

Read more about Stuart at:lonelyplanet.com/members/stuartbutler

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9835th edition – January 2012ISBN 978 1 74179 164 8© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got three days or 30, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.

One WeekGran Canaria Round Trip

Immerse yourself in the capital: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Start off scuffi ng sand with a gentle stroll on Playa de las Canteras, fl anked by bars, restaurants and buskers. Spend the afternoon being a kid at heart twiddling knobs at the science museum. Pass the second day wandering the cobbles of historic Vegueta with its

youthful energy and inspiring sights. Day three head for the ancient Roque Nublo volcano. Consider hiking the circuit then reward yourself sweetly with Tejeda’s famous almond treats. Next day, head south to Mogán, via the spectacularly scenic GC-605 road. After lunch in this picturesque town, take a short hop south to the Puerto de Mogán, with its quintessential Med-style yachting harbour, plus beach, boat rides and bars. Day fi ve, swing southeast to the shimmering sands of Maspalomas for a camel ride, followed by a swim and snooze on the sand. Continue northeast to the lush ravine of the Barranco de Guayadeque for a late lunch in a cave setting. Stay overnight in nearby Agüimes with its lovely pastel painted buildings and historic charm. Next continue north, via lovely Arucas, and return to Las Palmas.

2 1

PLAN YO

UR TRIP ITIN

ERA

RIES

Six DaysFuerteventura’s Finest

Start at Corralejo’s pretty harbour for a relaxing stroll or a little beach time. Continuing in seaside mode, head southeast, past the endless

shifting dunes on the FV-1 road. Wind up the day by enjoying a city stroll and dinner at one of capital Puerto del Rosario’s fi ne restaurants. Day two, continue south, stop-ping at pint-sized Pozo Negro, where the simple chiringuitos (seafood restaurants) serve freshly caught seafood and over-look the surf. It’s time for a break from all those blues, so wend your way inland to the pretty, small Pájara. Pop into the extraordi-nary church here and pray for a free room at the town’s lovely casa rural. Day three stop at Betancuria, where there is plenty going on to pass the time. Stop by the eye-catching church, visit quirky museums and dine in style at Casa Santa María – one of the island’s serious culinary stars. Next day, continue north via the rural gem of La Oliva to the low-key beachside town of El Cotillo. Day fi ve return to Corralejo via the hip, young surfi ng village of Lajares, with its eclectic retail and cafe choices. Stay overnight then hop on a ferry to unspoilt Isla de Lobos for a relaxing day of island strolls and sands.

Six DaysLanzarote Hot Spots

Arrecife deserves a full day: have a dip at the white sandy beach of Playa del Reducto before exploring the sights (and the shops). Eat like

a king at MIAC Restaurant, with its castle setting, and stay in town overnight. Next day head north for the cactus garden near Guatiza before the tour buses roll up. Carry on to the famous Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua caves, then backtrack and take the rest of the day off in simple seaside Arrieta. Day three head for postcard-pretty Haría with its traditional architecture and lofty palms. Then head south to Teguise, a great little town with innovative restau-rants and original shops. The next day it’s the seaside, and the beautiful beach resort of La Caleta de Famara to watch the surfers and enjoy a fresh fi sh lunch. Stay overnight in nearby Mozaga’s casa rural. Day fi ve visit the wineries in La Geria, ending up in the yacht harbour of Puerto Calero for cocktails at sunset. Day six explore the lava fi elds of the Parque Nacional de Timan-faya, joining the bus tour through the dra-matic Ruta de los Volcanes. Spend the night in the unspoiled small fi shing community of El Golfo and enjoy more good seafood overlooking the waves.

2 2

PLAN YO

UR TRIP ITIN

ERA

RIES

10 DaysTenerife & La Palma

On Tenerife, stay two nights in Puer-to de la Cruz, enjoying the shops, bars and beaches. Day three visit La Orotava, with its grand 17th-century

mansions. Still in historical mode, continue on to La Laguna’s superbly preserved tra-ditional quarter for an overnight stay. Next day, retrace your steps and head on to con-trasting Garachico and its simple fi sher-men’s cottages, plus nearby hiking trails. Day fi ve head for the extraordinary El Teide for a day of walking, gawping and camera snapping. Day six hightail it to Los Cristia-nos and catch the daily ferry to La Palma.

Spend a couple of nights in and around the capital Santa Cruz, exploring the old town, kicking back on Los Cancajos beach and taking a mini-pilgrimage to the San-tuario de la Virgen de las Nieves (you’re really here for the views). Continue north to explore the hilly, cobbled streets of San Andrés. Day eight visit the lush rainforest of Los Tiles before cooling off at the salt-water pools near Barlovento. Day nine hike through the stunning Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente. Continue south for a night at lively Puerto Naos before stuffi ng your hand-luggage with handicrafts from laid-back Villa de Mazo.

One WeekLa Gomera & El Hierroo

Spend the fi rst day on La Gomera exploring the backstreets, big streets and everything in between in weeny San Sebastián. The next day recover

from all that urban exhaustion with a dip (and a doze) at Playa Santiago. Day three head to the verdant north, stopping at tra-ditional Hermigua and postcard-pretty Playa de la Caleta. Next day continue south for a trek through a fern-fi lled rainforest up to the lofty peaks (and views) of the Alto de Garajonay. Drive beside the stunning Valle Gran Rey gorge until it reaches the sea. Stay overnight at La Playa, before re-turning to San Sebastián to catch the ferry to El Hierro.

Check out the low-key capital of Valverde, before heading south to the Ecomuseo de Guinea, a nature-cum-cultural treat. Dine on superb Canarian food at down-to-earth Tigady and stay overnight. Next day head for the natural pools at Charco Azul, before heading cross-country to the incredible Mirador de Isora, the lush pines of El Pinar and the famous off -shore scuba-diving sites at La Restinga.

2 3

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd