In the middle of nowhere seven exotic but unimaginable islands can be found. Each one has its own looks. These amazing islands are known for their beaches as well as for their good climate.
To start with, the Canary Islands consists of seven islands which are called Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma y El Hierro. These subtropical islands were first inhabited by the Guanches. They lived in natural caves which they also used to bury the dead. The burial caves are very high up in the mountains. I once fell off the mountain trying to get to one.
The Guanches managed to defeat many European attacks for over a century. However, in 1483 they were invaded by the Spanish. From this point onwards they have been part of Spain although they geographically belong to Africa. They are so near to Africa that sand gets blown by the wind from the Sahara desert onto the islands. This has caused the formation of huge dunes of white sand.
All Spanish explorers have stopped at the Canary Islands for food, water and other resources. A clear example is Christopher Columbus. He stopped four times in his voyages at the Canary Islands, when he was on his way to explore the unknown world.
When the new world was discovered, apart from gold, plants such as potatoes and corn were brought back to Europe. Now they are part of our traditional diet. For example we eat papas arrugadas, which are oiled potatoes sprinkled with salt. Another traditional food is gofio. This is corn flour. We also cultivate sugar cane to make rum and tobacco to make cigars.
Agricultural products are grown all year around as these islands have the perfect weather and climate conditions. Crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and especially bananas are very popular in the Canary Islands. However, the number of people cultivating and growing all of these crops has decreased due to tourism. The land used for growing crops is slowly being converted into land for building hotels. Bit by bit, people are forgetting how to grow crops and instead learn and use their time for building businesses.
Nowadays, these seven islands receive a lot of tourism. Annually, 2.2 million visitors come by. Gran Canaria, the most populous island, receives tourists from all parts of the world. Many of them go to the southern part of the island as it tends to be warmer than the north side.
All seven islands have splendid long beaches with constant mild temperatures. Their amazing landscapes vary from brilliant warm beaches to very high mountains next to the sandy paradises. Many resorts have been built for tourists to enjoy their stay. Also, the Canary Islands have four national parks. One of them which is situated in Tenerife (Teide National Park), is the most visited and oldest park in all of Spain. Teide is 12,198 feet tall, the highest volcano in Spain.
The Canary Islands are volcanic. Lanzarote has a National Volcanic Park as its surface is similar to Mars’. Astronauts train there before going to the moon. Two years ago, an underwater volcano erupted off the coast of El Hierro. Where I live, in Gran Canaria, just down the street from my house there is a huge volcanic crater. It is called La Caldera de Bandama.
In Gran Canaria, the three main touristic beaches are: Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas and Meloneras. Playa del Inglés has a big variety of facilities such as mini golf and all types of restaurants (Italian, Indian etc.). Maspalomas has exquisite restaurants and many amusement parks such as Aqualand, Palmitos Park, Holiday World and Kartings. Meloneras has luxurious facilities. It is mainly composed of hotels and beaches of fine sand.