A group of volcanic islands off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. There are seven large islands: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, la Gomera and el Hierro. The islands are popular tourist destinations due to their extensive beaches, and many reefs, capes and bays. Inland are arid volcanic lanscapes of plateaux, cones and craters, the most important being the volcanically active Teide which at 3,718 m high is Spains largest mountain and a World Heritage site. There are no major rivers and rainfall is scarce.

Central Canary Islands:
Tenerife is the Canaries largest island with extensive beaches in the south, the Teide National Park in the centre of the island and lush vegetation in the north. Nearly half the island is protected due to its natural and scientific biodiversity.
Gran Canaria is the most populated island with white sandy beaches and dunes of Maspalomas in the south and the spectacular urban beach of Las Canteras in the northern capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Typical of the Canary Islands topography, in the centre lie the highest points: the Roque Nublo (1,813 m) and the Peak of Snow (1,949 m).

Eastern Canary Islands (province of las Palmas):
Lanzarote boasts 213 km of coastline and the Timanfaya National Park, part of Lanzarotes Biosphere Reserve, where volcanic ash and lava run into the sea. Lanzarote is rich in Mediterranean historical heritage and natural diversity and a popular destination for watersports, golf and beach life, especially the resorts of Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca or Puerto del Carmen.
Fuerteventura is famous for its watersports, especially windsurfing, scuba diving and sailing. Its beaches of fine sand and dunes beside turquoise waters rich in biological diversity attract huge numbers of visitors to the several tourist centres such as Corralejo, Costa Calma, Morro Jable and Sotavento and to the nature reserves of Corralejo, Islote de Lobos and Jandía.

Western Canary Islands:
La Palma is a biosphere reserve and known as the "pretty island": a national park and two natural parks reflect the high ecological value of the island. The rich coastal features, woodlands, exuberant vegetation and outstanding volcanic beauty, in particular the Parque Nacional de Caldera de Taburiente (with a crater 8km wide), the Parque Natural de Las Nieves and Cumbre Vieja Natural Park, attract many people to the island.
La Gomera has a sheer mountainous landscape with the natural treasures of the Majona Nature Reserve and the World Heritage National Park of Garajonay; ideal locations for outdoor sports such as hiking and mountain bike trails. The capital, San Sebastián de La Gomera, boasts excellent tourism facilities with daily crossings to the neighbouring island of Tenerife
El Hierro is the westernmost and smallest of the major islands, with only 10,558 inhabitants.and declared a Reserve of the Biosphere in 2000. Its capital, Valverde is quiet city 700m above sea level, surrounded by beautiful natural spaces and lush countryside. Monacal, in the north, has abundant vegetation and two natural swimming pools on the coast.

High employment, beautiful coastal landscapes and a highly developed tourism industry make the Canary Islands a popular choice for those searching for property, whether for use as a home or a holiday rental. On this page you can search for property for sale and rent on Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, la Gomera and el Hierro.

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