Canarians say that spring reigns on their home islands all year round. Due to favorable climatic conditions throughout the year – the air temperature fluctuates around +25 degrees, and the water temperature is 22-24 degrees, the Canary Islands are attractive for tourism all year round. Tourists are attracted to the islands by a calm beach holiday and beautiful landscapes. For lovers of outdoor activities, the Canary Islands are an ideal place. You can dive into the depths of the sea with scuba gear, go sailing on a board or view the islands of the archipelago on a yacht. The islands have a well-developed tourist infrastructure. Resorts are diverse: from expensive to luxurious. The local population is friendly, the level of service is quite high.
According to eshaoxing.info, the Canary Islands can be visited throughout the year; all year round there are all conditions for relaxing in seaside resorts and walking in the mountains. But the peak season starts from the end of July and ends at the beginning of October, and then a huge number of people come here at the end of February for the Carnival de Tenerife, which lasts until mid-March.
The official and spoken language is Spanish. The Canarians speak Castilian, but much softer and faster than the Spaniards on the mainland. In addition, the Canarian vocabulary is very rich in “canarisms”, which came mainly from the Guanche language, which sometimes creates additional difficulties in communication. But, as a rule, this is observed only in provincial small towns.
Geography in Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean, 1500 km southwest of the coast of the Iberian Peninsula and 100 km from the coast of Africa – at the latitude of Morocco and Western Sahara. There are 13 islands in the Canaries archipelago. In the center is the largest – the island of Tenerife (2057 sq. km). To the west there are three islands: Gomera (378 sq. km), Hierro (277 sq. km) and Palma (728 sq. km). To the east of Tenerife are the larger islands: Gran Canaria (1532 sq. km), Fuerteventura (1730 sq. km) and Lanzarote (795 sq. km). Between the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote is the tiny island of Lobos, and north of Lanzarote are five very small islands: the island of Graciosa (the only one inhabited), the island of Alegranza, the island of Montaña Clara, the island of Roque del Oeste and the island of Roque del Este.
Located in an arc from the southwest to the northeast, stretching for more than 500 km, in clear weather, the archipelago is visible from the African mainland to the naked eye. Fuerteventura, the closest island to the mainland, is separated from Cape Yuba by a strait about 115 km wide. If you approach the Canaries from the ocean, you can see from afar, as a rule, the peak of Teide (3718 m) shrouded in clouds.
It is believed that the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were formed about 20 million years ago as a result of powerful volcanic eruptions, then Gran Canaria appeared, then, about 12 million years ago, Tenerife and Gomera, and, about 3 million years ago, Palma and Hierro. Despite their common volcanic origin, the islands vary greatly in landscape, flora and fauna.
Climate in Canary Islands, Spain
The geographical position of the islands, the influence of the trade winds and the proximity of the so-called Canarian cold current led to a mild climate and a more moderate air temperature compared to the average annual temperature of these latitudes.
The climate of the Canaries, located at the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer, is considered one of the healthiest in the world. The climate of the archipelago is tropical trade winds, moderately hot and dry. Its softness and constancy defines the ocean. The islands are characterized by an extremely uniform temperature distribution. From May to November daytime temperatures range from +22 o C to +27 o C, and from December to April from +17 o C to +21 o C.
The water temperature is even more constant. It never drops below 20 degrees.
The uniqueness of the climate of the Canary Islands is explained by the fact that they are under the influence of the Azores high all year round, which means that they are in the area of high atmospheric pressure. This provides a large number of sunny days and little rainfall.
The amount of precipitation varies from island to island and depends on the geographical position of the island and the height of its relief. The eastern islands (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote), located closest to Africa, as well as the southern regions of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, are quite arid. In Tenerife, on average, there are seven rainy days in winter, 2-3 in spring and autumn (6-7 in October-November), in summer: in June and July, it usually does not rain, and in August there is no more than one rainy day. From the African coast, the Harmattan wind comes in waves to the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, which brings the heat and sand of the Sahara. The main wind prevailing on the islands is the trade wind, which blows for a total of six months and almost constantly in summer.
The climate of the archipelago is significantly influenced by the cold Canary Current, which runs along the islands from north to south. For Canarians, this is due to the need to use heating in winter and the opportunity to enjoy the coolness of the coast in summer. In January, snow lies on the mountain peaks of the island, which is not surprising at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level.
Best time to visit: The Canary Islands can be visited throughout the year, there are all the conditions for relaxing in seaside resorts and walking in the mountains all year round. But the peak season starts from the end of July and ends at the beginning of October, and then a huge number of people come here at the end of February for the Carnival de Tenerife, which lasts until mid-March.
