Lanzarote is famous for its massive British package holiday resorts, but its true history is defined by violent pirate raids and volcanic survival. This guide uncovers how a 1970 runway extension turned a desperate frontier into Europe’s ultimate tourist machine.
Lanzarote’s 1730 volcanic eruptions buried a quarter of the island in lava. Discover how to skip the manufactured tourist traps and hike into blasted craters, explore subterranean magma tubes, and witness the island’s brutal Martian landscape.
How one visionary artist used political leverage in the 1960s to ban high-rise resorts, mandate whitewashed villages, and turn the volcanic island of Lanzarote into a massive, strictly controlled architectural art project.
La Palma trades all-inclusive resorts and white sand beaches for fresh volcanic wreckage, second-gear hairpin turns, and sea-cave villages. Here is what to expect from the most aggressive, vertically extreme island in the Canaries.
Hermigua is La Gomera’s quietest valley: cliffs on every side, a village officially among Spain’s prettiest with nobody in it, concrete cranes left standing in the sea, and a rockfall road to the north coast’s best beach. Worth it if you rent a car, don’t mind the silence, and like knowing why a place looks the way it does.
Alojera is an isolated, untamed village on La Gomera’s west coast. Known for its dramatic cliffs, black sand beach, and the Charco de Alojera natural pool, it is the ultimate escape for travellers seeking raw nature and authentic Canarian culture.
Skip the busy resorts for Vallehermoso, the wild heart of northern La Gomera. Here is what to expect from the sleepy town square, dramatic volcanic landscapes, and a rugged pebble beach where agriculture matters more than tourism.
Valle Gran Rey is La Gomera’s most dramatic destination, but reaching it requires an intense, hour-and-twenty-minute drive across the island’s mountainous spine. This guide covers the terrifying 1,500-metre descent, the misty peaks, and the rugged black sand beaches waiting at the bottom.
San Sebastián de La Gomera is a deceptively sleepy Canary Island capital hiding a brutal 15th-century history. This guide explores Christopher Columbus’s final supply stop, the Torre del Conde fortress, and where to find the best coastal views of Mount Teide.
Skip the ferry. For £50, the 15-minute Binter Canarias flight to La Gomera offers an eye-level view of Mount Teide and the best island-hopping experience in the Canaries.
Fuerteventura’s east coast offers an authentic alternative to the tourist-heavy west. From the quiet black sands of Pozo Negro to the street art of Gran Tarajal, here is why you should explore the island’s overlooked shoreline.
If you want to escape the busy tourist resorts, North Fuerteventura’s interior villages offer a brilliant, authentic alternative. Hike the Calderón Hondo volcano, explore the sacred mountain of Tindaya, and visit historic former capitals like La Oliva.
