The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, off the north-west coast of Africa. They form one of Spain’s seventeen autonomous communities: there are eight inhabited islands, the largest being Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and two capitals — Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Below we cover which islands make up the archipelago and how they differ, what the climate is like, how to get there and what to see. If you are thinking not about a holiday but about living on the islands, everything on residence permits, rent, taxes and choosing an area is gathered in the article moving to Tenerife.
Which islands belong to Spain
Spain has two large archipelagos. The Balearic Islands lie in the Mediterranean Sea east of Valencia and Barcelona: the inhabited ones are Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The Canary Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, about a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Madrid. Spain also owns small islands off the coast of Morocco — Alborán, the Chafarinas Islands and the rocks near Ceuta and Melilla — but nobody lives on them permanently.
There are eight inhabited Canary Islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa. The last was recognised as a separate island by the Canary Islands Statute of Autonomy in 2018; administratively it belongs to Lanzarote. The archipelago is divided into two provinces: Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro) and Las Palmas (Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Graciosa). Majorca is not part of the Canary Islands — it is a different archipelago in a different sea.
Which islands make up the Canaries and which to choose
Each of the eight inhabited islands has a character of its own.
- Tenerife — the largest island, the provincial capital, two airports, a sizeable Russian-speaking community. The choice for families and for those who need infrastructure.
- Gran Canaria — Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the largest city in the archipelago and capital of the second province; popular with remote workers.
- Lanzarote — volcanic landscapes, quieter and smaller, jobs mainly in tourism.
- Fuerteventura — long beaches and wind, surfing and kitesurfing, small towns.
- La Palma — a green, mountainous island and one of the best places in Europe for stargazing; in 2021 the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted here.
- La Gomera — unspoilt nature and trekking, Garajonay National Park with its relict laurel forest.
- El Hierro — the smallest of the seven main islands, peace and quiet and very few tourists.
- La Graciosa — the smallest inhabited island, off the north coast of Lanzarote, with no paved roads; reached by ferry from Órzola.
For a first trip and a packed holiday people usually choose Tenerife or Gran Canaria; for beaches and wind, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote; for nature and quiet, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. If you are choosing between the Canaries and the Mediterranean, compare with Majorca.
Climate of the Canary Islands
The Canaries are called the islands of eternal spring: in winter Santa Cruz de Tenerife averages 18 °C, in summer about 25 °C, and there are no sharp seasons. The ocean tempers the heat, and the trade winds bring clouds to the northern slopes, so the north of the islands is greener and more humid than the south. The eastern islands — Lanzarote and Fuerteventura — are the driest, and the western ones — La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro — the greenest. On the summit of Teide, Spain’s highest mountain, there is snow in winter. How people live through the winter on the islands and the mainland, and how homes are heated, is covered in our guide to winter in Spain.
How to get to the Canary Islands
The main way is by air. The major airports are Tenerife South and Tenerife North, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura; direct flights operate from Madrid, Barcelona and many European cities, and between the islands there are local airlines and ferries. Ferries run from Huelva and Cádiz on the mainland: the journey takes more than a day, but you can bring a car and belongings, so when relocating the ferry can be more convenient than flying.
Living in and moving to the Canary Islands
The Canaries are an ordinary part of Spain, so there is no separate “island” residence permit: people move here on the same grounds as to the mainland — the digital nomad visa, the non-working residence permit, work, study, family. What sets the islands apart is their own IGIC sales tax with a general rate of 7% instead of 21% IVA (Spanish VAT), a 75% discount on flights for registered residents (for non-EU citizens, only with long-term resident status) and rents that are already above the Spanish average. Businesses can use the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) with 4% corporate tax, subject to investment and hiring on the islands. Businesses can use the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) with 4% corporate tax, subject to investment and hiring on the islands. Which residence permit to choose, where to live on the island and what it costs are covered in the article moving to Tenerife, and all the routes in the overview Spanish residence permits. Where Russian speakers live on the islands is covered in the article Russians in Spain.
What to see and do
- Tenerife: Teide National Park with its cable car to the summit, the Masca gorge and village, the historic centre of La Laguna, and the Santa Cruz carnival — one of the largest in the world.
- Gran Canaria: the Maspalomas dunes, the old Vegueta quarter in Las Palmas.
- Lanzarote: Timanfaya National Park with its solidified lava fields, vineyards on volcanic ash.
- La Gomera: Garajonay National Park and hiking trails.
- Outdoor activities: diving, surfing and kitesurfing, whale and dolphin watching, mountain hiking.
- Food: papas arrugadas — potatoes cooked in sea salt with mojo sauce, fresh fish, goat’s cheese, local wines.
When is the best time to go to the Canaries
There are no sharp seasons on the islands, so you can go all year round. In winter people come for the warmth — this is the high season, especially over Christmas, New Year and carnival, and accommodation costs more in those weeks. In summer the south of Tenerife and Gran Canaria is hot and dry, but the ocean stops the air from getting as scorching as on the mainland. Spring and autumn are the quietest time: warm, fewer tourists and accommodation is easier to find. Swimming in the ocean is most comfortable in the second half of summer and in autumn, when the water is at its warmest. Several times a year the calima arrives — a dusty wind from the Sahara, and on those days the air turns hazy.
Food and festivals
Canarian cuisine is simple and relies on local produce. The signature dish is papas arrugadas: small potatoes boiled in very salty water and served with mojo sauces — a spicy red one and a green one with coriander. Also worth trying are gofio, a flour made from toasted grain that goes into soups and desserts, fresh fish, goat’s cheeses (majorero cheese from Fuerteventura has a protected designation of origin) and local wines: on Lanzarote the vines grow in hollows dug into volcanic ash.
The best-known festivals are the carnivals in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; they run for several weeks in February–March and draw hundreds of thousands of people. In summer and autumn almost every municipality holds romerías — rural festivals with processions in traditional dress. Canary Islands Day is celebrated on 30 May.
Frequently asked questions
Who do the Canary Islands belong to?
Spain. They are one of the country’s seventeen autonomous communities, with two provinces — Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas — although geographically the islands lie off the coast of Africa.
Where are the Canary Islands?
In the Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of Africa, opposite Morocco and Western Sahara. The flight to Madrid takes about two and a half hours.
How many inhabited islands are there in the Canaries?
Eight: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa, which has been considered a separate island since 2018.
Which is the largest of the Canary Islands?
Tenerife, which is also the most populated. It is home to the Teide volcano, Spain’s highest mountain.
What is the capital of the Canary Islands?
The community has two capitals that share this status — Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Do you need a visa for the Canary Islands?
The Canaries are part of the Schengen Area, so the rules are the same as for the rest of Spain: citizens of countries that need a visa require a Schengen visa. Details are in the article do you need a visa for the Canaries, Majorca and Ibiza.
Can you move to live in the Canary Islands?
Yes, on any basis for a Spanish residence permit: there is no separate island residence permit. How to move and where to live is covered in the article moving to Tenerife.
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