Things to Do in Canary Islands

With its steep rocky cliffs, forested trails and trickling waterfalls, the wild landscape of the Masca Valley is among Tenerife’s most beautiful, and the remote gorge offers a thrilling backdrop for a hiking expedition. 

One of Tenerife’s leading museums, located in the capital of Santa Cruz, the Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre (Nature and Man Museum) is a fascinating addition to the itinerary for those interested in the unique geological and anthropological history of the Canary Islands. This is the place to learn about the formation of the islands’ rugged landscape and how they were reshaped through a series of ancient volcanic eruptions, as well as discovering their distinctive native flora and learning about modern-day conservation efforts.

The museum’s top attraction is an exhibit devoted to the life and culture of the Guanche, the aboriginal people who inhabited Tenerife before it was taken over by European conquerors. Of particular interest were the peculiar funeral rituals undertaken by the Guanche and there is a sizable collection of Guanche mummies and skulls on display, preserved by an ancient process of soaking the bodies in pine resin and salt and leaving them to dry in the sun. A wealth of additional archeological finds are also on display, including primitive ceramics, fossils, a megalodon shark tooth and items belonging to the Guanche Kings.

One of a string of sandy beaches and bays lining Lanzarote’s southern coast, Papagayo Beach (Playa de Papagayo) lies within the Monumento Natural de Los Ajaches Natural Park and is largely regarded as one of the island’s most beautiful beaches. A horseshoe-shaped bay cocooned between sea cliffs and blessed with swaths of pale gold sand, Papagayo is a top choice for swimming, snorkeling and water sports.

Tenerife’s Loro Park is one of the island’s biggest attractions and makes an easy day trip from Gran Canaria. Home to over 200 penguins and 350 species of parrot (the largest collections of both animals in the world), the park has an enormous variety of animals including sharks, alligators, jaguars and silverback gorillas.

There’s a lot to see at Loro Park and you’ll easily fill a day. Visit Planet Penguin (the biggest replica of the Antarctic continent ever constructed) or watch the antics of the killer whales in the Orca Ocean. Plants lovers will enjoy the Orchidarium - home to more than 1,000 orchids year round. Kids are also well catered for at Kinderlandia – an African-style village and jungle dedicated solely to their enjoyment.

At 12,198 feet (3,718 meters) above sea level, Mount Teide is the highest peak in the Canary Islands and all of Spain. The towering peak in Tenerife tempts visitors with the chance to stand atop a volcano and look out over the nearby islands of La Palma, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, and El Hierro — if the clouds cooperate. Adventurous travelers opt for an intense five-hour hike to the summit, while many other visitors prefer to ride the Teide cable car to the observation deck just shy of the mountain's highest point.

An extraordinary collage of rocks, caves and lava tubes looming over Lanzarote’s west coast,  the coastal cliffs of Los Hervideros rank among the island’s most unusual geological attractions. Formed during the 18th-century eruptions of the Timanfaya volcanoes, the dramatic coastline is now adorned with sharp rock columns, oddly shaped archways and natural rock sculptures, created as the hot lava met with the icy waves.

Mundo Aborigen is a reconstruction of an ancient Canarian village inhabited by the Guanches (the orginal population of the Canaries).

Located in a scenic area overlooking the Barranco de Fataga, the island’s biggest gorge, Mundo Aborigen recreates the lives of the Guanches through life-size figures depicted in various scenes of domestic life.

Following a trail through the park, visitors learn about the guanches culture and religion as well as their everyday activities such as growing crops, tending to animals and taking part in rituals.