Which Canary Island should you choose for your holiday?
Almost everyone is sure right up until the moment of booking: they want to go to the Canaries. And that's where the real doubt kicks in, because it isn't one place, it's eight islands and each one plays a different game. Choosing badly won't ruin a trip (that's hard to do here), but choosing well turns it into the exact trip you wanted. Volcanoes, white-sand beaches, misty forests or star-filled skies: the right island depends on what kind of traveller you are. We compare them one by one and, at the end, leave you a quick guide to help you decide.
The 8 Canary Islands: which one is yours?
A look at each one, from the largest to the smallest, so you can find the one that fits your trip.
Tenerife: the most complete
If it's your first time or you want a bit of everything, Tenerife is the safe bet. It's the largest and most varied island: in a single day you can have breakfast by the sea, climb the Teide (Spain's highest peak, 3,715 m) and have dinner in a city that's alive. It has golden and black beaches, the laurel forests of Anaga, charming villages and a capital, Santa Cruz, with museums and great food. It's the one that forces you to give up the least.
Gran Canaria: a continent in miniature
They call it that for a reason: within a few kilometres you go from the dunes of Maspalomas to the inland mountains crowned by the Roque Nublo, and from there to a proper city, Las Palmas, home to one of the best urban beaches in Europe (Las Canteras). It's the choice if you want city and beach at once, atmosphere and nightlife, without giving up nature. Very convenient for families thanks to its amenities.
Lanzarote: art and volcanic landscape
Lanzarote looks like another planet. The Timanfaya National Park, the lava fields and the sunken vineyards of La Geria coexist with the legacy of César Manrique, the artist who taught the island to build without breaking the landscape. It's the choice for anyone after aesthetics, design and surroundings unlike anywhere else. Less picture-postcard beach, far more character.
Fuerteventura: beach in its purest form
Here the sand takes centre stage. Fuerteventura has the longest, whitest stretches of sand in the archipelago, from the dunes of Corralejo to the endless beaches of the south. The near-constant wind has turned it into the surfing and kitesurfing mecca of the Canaries. If your plan is beach, turquoise sea and a laid-back pace, this is your island.
La Palma: the Beautiful Island
Green, rugged and spectacular. La Palma is hiking in its purest form: ravines, the vast Caldera de Taburiente and humid forests. And at night, one of the clearest skies in the world, with the Starlight certification that makes it ideal for stargazing. For lovers of nature, hiking and astrotourism, there's no rival.
La Gomera: forest and silence
Small and surprising. Its heart is the Garajonay National Park, a laurel forest and World Heritage Site wrapped in mist and crossed by memorable trails. Here they still speak the silbo gomero, the island's whistled language. For hikers and anyone seeking real disconnection, without the crowds.
El Hierro: the end of the world (in the best sense)
The smallest, most remote and most peaceful. El Hierro is a top-class diving destination (the Mar de las Calmas, a marine reserve) and a world example of sustainability, with its commitment to renewable energy. If what you want is silence, seabeds and the feeling of having escaped the world, this is the place.
Bonus: La Graciosa, the mini-island
A secret the Canarians know well: north of Lanzarote, La Graciosa (the eighth inhabited island since 2018) has barely any paved roads. Untouched beaches, sandy streets and the slowest of paces. It's not a week-long destination, but as a day trip or short getaway it belongs to another era.
Choose by your kind of trip
First time or "a bit of everything" → Tenerife or Gran Canaria
With children → Tenerife or Gran Canaria (amenities, calm beaches)
Hiking and nature → La Palma or La Gomera
Dream beaches and wind sports → Fuerteventura
Art and volcanic landscape → Lanzarote
Stars and astrotourism → La Palma
Diving and total disconnection → El Hierro
A different, peaceful getaway → La Graciosa
When to go and how long to stay
The Canaries boast of "eternal spring", and it's true: they're good to visit all year round, with mild temperatures even in winter. But there are nuances worth knowing. The eastern islands (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura) are drier, flatter and windier; the western ones (La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro) are greener, more humid and mountainous. And within each island, the north tends to be cloudier and greener, and the south drier and sunnier. A local trick: if you wake up to clouds in the north of Tenerife or Gran Canaria, cross to the south and you'll probably find sun.
As for time, one island per week is the sensible rule if you want to get to know it at a relaxed pace. The big ones (Tenerife, Gran Canaria) fill seven full days; the small ones (La Gomera, El Hierro, La Graciosa) can be enjoyed in three or four, or as a day trip from a neighbouring island. If it's your first trip, don't try to see them all: choose one, or combine a big one with a small one, and leave the rest for a return visit, because you'll be back.
Two tips you'll be grateful for: on the mountain islands the weather changes fast with altitude, so always carry a warm layer even if you're on the beach; and to climb the Teide in Tenerife you need a free permit if you want to set foot on the summit, well worth booking in advance.
How to get around between islands
Switching islands is easy and many travellers combine two in a single trip. By air, the internal flights of Binter connect all the islands in journeys of 25-40 minutes. By sea, the ferry companies Fred. Olsen Express and Naviera Armas cover the most common routes, ideal if you're travelling with a car. Combining a big island + a small island (for example Tenerife + La Gomera, or Lanzarote + La Graciosa) is usually the winning formula.
There's no island better than the rest: there's an island that's better for you. On islas24 you'll find each one with its beaches, viewpoints, routes and events, so you can compare at your own pace and put together the trip you really fancy. Decide what kind of traveller you are, and the island almost chooses itself.
