Whats the best Canary Island?

Question

I'm going to the Canarys in October and want to know what Island will be the best for a week out there. I want to know the Island with the best weather, and the Island with the most fun (peacefull fun) not clubbing as I'm not a clubber.

There is La Palma, I know nothing about - If you do would you be able to explain?

Hierra - I've never even heard of this island.

Tenerife - All I know is they have volcanic weather.

Gran Canaria - Heard they have sand dunes like a desert, pretty amazing.

Fuerteventura - Naked beach is all I've heard from this island.

Lanzarote - Heard of the name a lot, but nothing about it.

So could you expline any of these islands you know, their strong points and weak points and also the weather. Thanks!

Answer 1

Not Lanzarote, its always windy.

El Hierro Island, its small, and there are not many tourists, but it is a beautiful natural reserve.

Answer 2

the sea's too cold in fueteventura it's on the atlantic but lanzarote' good for tourists and Tenerife is a realy good chill outnut i don't know about the other two islands sorry.  

Answer 3

El Hierro is the most westward island the only thing beyond is the east coast of America its a small island with very little tourist industry and can only be reach via Tenerife, 3-4 hour journey by sea.

La Gomera is the small island close to Tenerife with a small tourist industry and a very layed back slow pace of life, its not an easy island to travel around as the main road around the island is high on the mountain with roads down to the coast, again it can only be accessed via Tenerife, 1 hour by sea.

Tenerife, I spent holidays there for many years and live there for several years. In my opinion theres something for everyone, from the harsh hot desert enviroment of the south where the main tourist area is to the green lush of the north, in between is the highest mountain in Spain Tenerifes dormant volcano Mount Teide where you can travel on the cable car up the mountain, at over 3000m you are looking down on the clouds.

There are lots of safe beaches, lots of places to go and things to do, Los Cristanos is popular with the British and if you don't what clubs you aviod an area called Veroncas at Playa de las Americas, if you want a quieter area you go to Porto Santiago or Los Gigantes.

Gran Canaria, very mountainous in the centre, has the bigest beach I have ever seen at Maspalomas, if you go into the middle its like being lost in a desert and it moves around like a desert with the winds shifting the sand dunes, a down side for me is that I find the local Spanish a bit agressive.

Lanzarote, on my one visit to the island I did find it a bit windy but if you decide to go you must visit the national park, "Parque Nacional de Timanfaya", the land scape is amazing its like being on the moon,  they do a demonstration on how hot the earth is just below the surface and you will see in the cafe where they use a volcanic vent to heat a giant barbaque.

Its generally year round good weather on the Canary Islands, the end of July can sometimes be extremely hot and even paradise can get some bad weather during the winter months, it never lasts long though.

Answer 4

I live in Tenerife and its my favourite island.... here's a quick run down on the rest though (lived in Lanzarote too!)

La Palma - if you love exploring nature and walks in the woods then this is the best island to go to, very green and very peaceful.  A hikers paradise but there's no night life here if that's what you're looking for.  

El Hierro - Again, a small island with not a lot of tourism, another island to go to if you want some peace and quiet.  A biosfere reserve island with a spectacular rainforest.

Tenerife - Not sure about volcanic weather...all the islands are volcanic and strangely enough, all in the Atlantic!  It's been tidied up a lot over the past few years with lots of five star hotels popping up.  Venture out of the tourist resorts and its a beautiful island.  Known as the island of contrasts the south is desert like and the north green and lush.  Plenty of nightlife if you want it unlike El Hierro and La Palma.  If you have a family there's plenty to do here too unlike the smaller islands.

Gran Canaria - again one of the bigger islands with nice sand dunes but like all the Canaries you either love it or hate it and I hate it as there's so much concrete sprouting up there.  Big g*y scene there and the scenery isn't as nice as Tenerife.  it's a lot flatter with not as nice mountains and forests as Tenerife.

Fuerteventura - if you want to relax this is the place to go!  The longest of the islands it takes about four hours to get from one end to the other.  Corralejo in the north is still quite Canarian and has a lovely atmosphere and for a day trip, you can get the ferry from here to Lanzarote (only takes 15 minutes).  The beaches are amazing and if you want to chill on a beach, great place but not much other scenery and the night life isn't that great.  The newer resorts in the south are starting to take off now but Corralejo is the best place to go.

Lanzarote - Lived there for five years and believe me, have had enough!  Not a lot to do once you've visited the Cesar Manrique attractions.  The beaches aren't great and it can be windy.  Night life isn't up to much either and its mega expensive!  A pint in Tenerife starts from 1.50€ and in Lanzarote 3€ so be prepared to take some spending money if you go here.  It's a low island so there's not much breathtaking scenery.

There's also La Gomera which again is a nature reserve with a gorgeous rainforest.  A lot of hikers go here and its stayed stuck in the past.  A gorgeous island with some nice drives but no night life.

Depends on what you're looking for but hope that helps!  Enjoy your holiday whichever one you go to :o)