The Canary Islands (Spanish: Islas Canarias) are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean (Africa). The Canary Islands are one of the 17 autonomous regions of Spain. The Canary Islands consist of 13 islands. The 7 largest islands are: El Hierro (Ferro), Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife. The Canary Islands have two capitals: Las Palmas in Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz in Tenerife. See rrrjewelry for the culture of black Africa.
The Canary Islands are known as a sunny holiday destination. The islands together have a wide range of beautiful beaches, beach bars and water sports. The Canary Islands are also an ideal destination for diving due to the many species of fish and coral reefs. In addition, the islands of La Palma and El Hierro are known for their volcanoes. The last eruption was in 1971. There are also several lava fields from previous eruptions. There are also salt fields on some Islands. There, salt is extracted from evaporated seawater.
Where are the Canary Islands?
Travel information of Canary Islands
Official name: Canary Islands
Continent: Europe (political) and Africa (location)
Area: 7,447 km²
Capital: Las Palmas and Santa Cruz
Country code: ES, ESP
Population: 2,127,685 inhabitants (2018)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Highest point: 3,718 m (El Teide, Pico del Teide)
Distance (Amsterdam – Canary Islands): 3,177 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hours
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on the Canary Islands that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of the Canary Islands, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to the Canary Islands. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about the Canary Islands?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay on the Canary Islands at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
The Canary Islands have a subtropical climate. The temperatures are an average of 19 degrees in winter and an average of 25 degrees in summer.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for the Canary Islands can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of the Canary Islands can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to the Canary Islands. This avoids most of the precipitation and mass tourism.
Language
Spanish is the official language in the Canary Islands. In addition, a lot of English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Spain: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Tenerife (for all Canary Islands):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Spanish consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations to visit the Canary Islands.
Money and Currency
In the Canary Islands, payments are made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs on the Canary Islands can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on the Canary Islands are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -38% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (42% cheaper), food (35% cheaper), imported beer in catering (55% cheaper), cigarettes (51% cheaper) and public transport (59% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In the Canary Islands it is customary to tip. In most hotels and restaurants, a service charge is added to the bill. If this is not yet the case, the tip is approximately 10%.
Time difference
On the Canary Islands it is 1 hour earlier than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in the Canary Islands is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone of the Canary Islands can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In the Canary Islands you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in the Canary Islands.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within the Canary Islands.
Electricity In the Canary Islands you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in the Canary Islands can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
The water from the tap is slightly chlorinated and can therefore cause stomach and intestinal complaints.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to the Canary Islands can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from the Canary Islands can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from the Canary Islands end in.es.
Official websites of the Canary Islands: gobcan.es and hallocanarischeeilanden.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in the Canary Islands is 0034 or +34.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from the Canary Islands? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Canary Islands Telephone Directory .
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of the Canary Islands.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from the Canary Islands.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from the Canary Islands.
Holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays in the Canary Islands can be found on Lonely Planet.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in the Canary Islands in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on the Canary Islands, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report (travel story) about the Canary Islands?
At Waarbenjij.nu you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited the Canary Islands. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on the Canary Islands can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in the Canary Islands can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to the Canary Islands? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business on or do business with the Canary Islands, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about the Canary Islands, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in the Canary Islands? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, housing, scholarship, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to the Canary Islands.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0.3 for novice drivers up to 2 years old).
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…The Canary Islands is one of the 17 autonomous regions of Spain?
…The name of the Canary Islands literally means ‘island of the dogs’?
…All islands were created by submarine volcanic activity?
…The original population was formed by Guanchen?
…Bananas are an important export product from the Canary Islands?
… Carnival plays a major role in the Canary Islands?
