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The Canary Islands are Spain’s tropical paradise not only for Spaniards living in mainland Spain but for the thousands of foreign tourists who pack the islands resorts all year round. With the best weather conditions for all kinds of outdoor activities, there is nothing you can’t do while on your holiday here.
 The Islands consist of sub-tropical vegetation and volcanic semi-deserts, cliffs, gorges and sand dunes, and despite being Spanish territories they are much closer to northwest coast of Africa than to mainland Spain, which is why they all share an eternal spring climate.
Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro all make up this glorious holiday hotspot where you can be sure to enjoy its great resorts with beautiful beaches and lots of leisure facilities
Climate
The climate is perfect anytime of the year. Summer sunshine is guaranteed on all the islands. At other times of year however El Hierro and La Palma can be cool, with a west European spring-like climate. Both Tenerife and Gran Canaria have a north-south divide with parched southern shores and cooler, slightly wetter northern climes. However, by European standards rainfall is low throughout the islands. Its capital, Las Palmas was once declared as the city with the best climate in the world by the scientific community. The average temperatures in the summer months are between 26 ºC and 28 ºC (79 – 82 °F), often exceeding 30 °C (86 °F), and in the winter months between 22 ºC and 24 ºC.
Currency
 The Canary Islands introduced the Euro as legal tender in January 2002. Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents.
Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5.
Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
You will always require your passport to change money and banks will always charge a commission fee. Most hotels, travel agents and exchange offices will also change your money but at a higher rate than the bank. International traveller's cheques are widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, visitors are advised to take traveller's cheques in Euros or Pounds Sterling. Remember, you should keep the bank receipt listing the cheque numbers separate.
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted.
ATMs are available in most towns.
Bank hours.
Most banks usually open from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 13.00 or 14.00 hrs. Some banks change their opening hours one day in the week and open in the afternoon instead. Post Offices are open from 09.00 to 14.00 hrs and close an hour earlier on Saturdays.
Communications
In case of an emergency the local authorities can be contacted through the following numbers.
Emergencies – All islands – 112
Ambulance - 061
Police Station – 091
Hospital Insular – 928 44 40 00
Red Cross – 928 22 22 22
Fire fighters – 080
International telephone calls can be made from almost anywhere in the Canary Islands by using coins, phone cards and sometimes credit cards. Code for The Canaries is the same as Spain (34) followed by a nine digit number usually starting with 928. Calls made from bars, restaurants and hotels are usually more expensive than normal street booths. The cheap rate for international calls is the night tariff from 22.00 to 08.00 hrs and all day Sunday.
Internet.
There are many internet cafés on the Islands, access costs around 5.00 Euro per hour.
Shopping
 The islands are known for their duty-free shopping, which means bargains on electrical goods, cameras, jewellery, perfume, tobacco and spirits.
Traditional hours are Mon-Sat 0900-1300 and 1600-2000. Large shopping centers are open all day and Sunday too. Many goverment offices will open only in the mornings. Apart from the major tourist resorts, shops are closed on Sundays. Museums have very varied opening times and churches are totally unpredictable. Theme parks and gardens are generally open seven days a week, but even these close for public holidays.
Religion
Almost 96 per cent of the inhabitants of the Canary Islands are Roman Catholics, who are very tradition conscious, which can be witnessed on big religious feast days and particularly during the ‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week before Easter), when extensive celebrations take place all over the islands.
 Accommodation
The level of accommodation varies from simple studios to 10-bedroom gated villas. The large selection of self-catering apartments and holiday homes are available to rent either direct from the owners or via online rental directories. Hotels tend to be block booked especially in the large resorts. Guest houses which just provide bed and board are not so easy to find, particularly in tourist zones. There are a small but increasing number of places that offer rural tourism within the islands' interiors, typically staying in renovated older properties set in rural locations.
Cuisine
 If you like fish, you will feel in paradise here. Among the most typical regional recipes are caldereta de pescado (a kind of fish soup) and ‘Sancocho Canario’, the most typical of all Canary dishes, which is a salt fish and potato stew served with papas arrugadas, gofio and mojo sauce, you will find a wide variety of international recipes of fish and seafood. Paella, more properly called Paella Marinera is one of the mainland Spanish influences that have firmly made its mark on the cuisine of the Canary Islands. A typical Canarian dish is potatoes boiled in their jackets and served with one of the mojo varieties, possibly preceded by a salad including bananas, coriander leaves and avocado, as well as the usual tomatoes and green salad. In the main resorts, restaurants offer the full range of international cuisine, Spanish dishes and a limited choice of local delicacies. Often restaurants and bars, particularly at the cheaper end of the scale, simply cater for the tastes of particular holidaymaker's nationalities. British-oriented, and to a lesser degree, German-oriented establishments are common in the main resorts.
 Nightlife
All the major Canarian resorts are well equipped with bars and nightclubs. The resorts also stage Canarian folklore and flamenco shows.
As the only major city Las Palmas offers a full range of cultural activities including theatres and more sophisticated nightclubs. In Lanzarote Puerto del Carmen is the most lively after-dark resort, however it is on a small scale compared to Tenerife and Gran Canaria. On the other islands peace and quiet predominate.
Public Holidays
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan Epiphany.
19 Mar San Jose.
9 Apr Maundy Thursday.
10 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labour Day.
30 May Canaries Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
15 Sep Day of the Communities.
12 Oct National Day.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
6 Dec Constitution Day.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
Driving
The speed limit for motorways is 120kph (80mph).
In built-up areas it's 50kph (30mph) and on other roads it's 90kph (56mph).
Front and rear safety belts are compulsory.
 Drink driving is a serious offence. The legal limit is just 0.25%, equivalent to less than one pint of beer or two glasses of wine.
Two red hazard triangles and a reflective vest or jacket must be kept in all vehicles, not in the boot. Parking laws are rigorously enforced and towing is prevalent.
Car hire
Several major car hire companies are represented at the two airports and in the main urban centres. Drivers must be over 21 to hire a car and you will need a passport, driving licence and credit card.
Motorcycles:
You must be at least 18 to ride motorcycles over 75cc and crash helmets are compulsory.
Capitals
Gran Canaria (capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria);
Tenerife (capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife);
Lanzarote (capital Arrecife);
La Palma (capital Santa Cruz de La Palma);
La Gomera (capital San Sebastián de La Gomera);
El Hierro (capital Valverde);
Fuerteventura (capital Puerto del Rosario).
The nearest island is 108 km from the northwest African coast.
Things to know
Four of Spain's 13 national parks are located in the Canary Islands, more than any other autonomous community:
Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente on La Palma,
Garajonay National Park on La Gomera,
Teide National Park on Tenerife,
Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote.
Watch out for sunburn, regardless of what time of the year you visit. Remember you are very close to the Sahara and you might burn quickly.
Violence against tourists is very unusual, however pickpockets and bag snatchers can be a problem. Beware of people brushing up close and don't leave bags and camera equipment unattended.
Tap Water is safe to drink but not recommended as it tends to be desalinated seawater.
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