The Canary Islands are a misunderstood place. For one thing, they are a Spanish archipelago even though they are off the coast of Africa. For another, they aren’t actually named after canaries (Tweety Bird is probably so pissed). The name Islas Canarias is derived from the Latin term Insula Canaria, meaning “Island of the Dogs”. Basically, the back story is that the original inhabitants worshipped an endangered species of monk seals, or sea-dogs, which is perfect for all you animal lovers out there.
Do you often find yourself bored? The Canary Islands consists of 7 large and small islands, so if one particular island doesn’t strike your fancy you can hop over to another. If you are itching for some big-city adventure, the Islands have two capital cities and one of the most spectacular February carnivals in the world that draws in over one million tourists every year.
Mount Teide is the third largest volcano in the world, so if you have an appetite for danger you should probably hike up to the top and sit on the edge. The climate is sub-tropical so the islands are basically never cold, and southern Tenerife is home to a famous 52 million euro waterpark called Siam Park (pictured below).
Lastly, in Puerto De La Cruz, you can find natural sea-salt swimming pools designed by architect/landscaper Cesar Manrique. So if you are looking for a scenic, exciting vacation full of adventure and dog worshippers, you might want to jet-set over the the Canary Isles.
Siam Park, Canary Islands
