Spain Canary Island holidays: a guide to the Canary Islands

Rather than one destination, think of a handful of very different islands that share a climate. Six appear on this page: Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, which carry direct UK flights, plus La Palma and La Gomera, which draw far fewer travellers. Seeing all the Canary Islands in one trip is ambitious; most British visitors pick one and settle in.

The landscape is volcanic. Off Corralejo lies Lobos Island, an uninhabited volcanic island now protected, while Adeje gives access to the Barranco del Infierno protected area. On Tenerife you will also find history: San Andrés Castle, the Castillo de San Juan Bautista and the Castillo de San Cristóbal around Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the Castillo de San Felipe in Puerto de la Cruz.

Tenerife is the most popular island. In the south, Playa de las Américas and Adeje are the classic holiday resorts, with Siam Park water park nearby, while Los Gigantes is smaller and quieter. In the north, Puerto de la Cruz has Loro Parque, the Lago Martiánez pools and an archaeological museum, and the island capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife adds the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre and the beach at Playa de Las Teresitas.

On Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise are the main resorts, with Arrecife, the capital, home to the Castillo de San José. Gran Canaria's resort is Maspalomas, known for its lighthouse and Palmitos Park, with Telde close to the airport. On Fuerteventura, Corralejo looks out towards Lobos Island, and Costa Calma is the base for the wild beach at Cofete.

For family friendly Canary Islands breaks, southern Tenerife and Maspalomas put the big attractions within easy reach. If you want the quietest Canary Island, La Palma and La Gomera see only a fraction of the visitors, though neither has direct UK flights listed here.

The temp in Canary Islands resorts stays mild all year. Measured at Adeje on Tenerife, daytime highs run from about 20°C in February to 28°C in August, and nights rarely fall below 13°C. July is almost completely dry, and summer evenings stay around 20°C to 22°C.

Eleven months count as good months to go; only February sits in the shoulder season, at around 20°C with six rain days. A trip to the Canary Islands in March brings highs of about 22°C, though it is also the wettest month on the record, with 39mm over five days. Christmas in the Canary Islands means roughly 21°C by day and 15°C at night, which is why winter sun is the main draw for British travellers. Expect school-holiday weeks to be priced higher than term time.

Four airports have direct flights from the UK. Lanzarote airport is the quickest of all: Arrecife is five minutes away, Puerto del Carmen six and Costa Teguise ten. From Tenerife South it is 14 minutes to Playa de las Américas, 15 to Adeje, 30 to Los Gigantes and 37 to Puerto de la Cruz.

Gran Canaria airport sits seven minutes from Telde and 24 minutes from Maspalomas. Fuerteventura airport is 27 minutes from Corralejo and 42 from Costa Calma. With transfers this short, even a long weekend in the Canary Islands is realistic, though the flight itself makes a week or a fortnight the usual choice. Ferry ports at Corralejo, Playa Blanca and Arrecife link the islands by sea.

Most British travellers book these islands as a package: flights from a UK airport, a hotel and the transfer to your resort in one booking. Board basis matters here, from self-catering to all inclusive, so check what is covered when you compare. On this page you can compare package deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach side by side.

If you prefer to arrange things yourself, you can also check hotel prices, compare car hire for exploring beyond your resort, and browse tours and tickets for attractions such as Siam Park, Loro Parque or trips towards Lobos Island.