Useful information on the Canaries, including all the useful things to know before leaving for a trip or a holiday in this archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean belonging to Spain.
Canary Islands in a nutshell
- Capital: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Area in sq km: 7447 sq km
- Population: 2,000,000 (first half 2007)
- Catholic religion
Where are
The Canary Islands are an archipelago made up of seven main islands and 6 smaller islands.
Located in the Atlantic Ocean, facing the north-west coast of Africa, the islands are all of volcanic origin and belong politically to Spain, as an autonomous community made up of the two provinces of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro are the largest islands and correspond to the peaks of an underwater volcanic mountain range located in the Atlantic Ocean.
On the island of Tenerife there is the highest peak in Spain, the Pico de Teide or Pico de Tenerife, an inactive volcano that reaches 3718 meters above sea level.
The Canary archipelago, together with the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde, form the ecoregion of Macaronesia, which in Greek means islands of the blessed, a term used by ancient Greek geographers to indicate some islands located beyond the Strait of Gibraltar .
Over 40% of the Canaries' surface is protected by national or natural parks, in order to preserve the natural variety and beauty of the archipelago.
No rivers flow on these islands and most of the drinking water comes from the desalination plants.
To underline the extraordinary transparency of the sky in the Canaries, which allows an exceptional astronomical observation, in fact in these islands there are two prestigious European astronomical observatories: the Roque de Los Muchachos in the island of La Palma and that of the Teide in the island of Tenerife .
Climate
The Canary Islands have a subtropical climate, regulated by the trade winds, with temperatures that suffer from modest seasonal variations.
The Azores anticyclone almost constantly guarantees stable and slightly rainy weather, especially in the months from April to September.
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In winter the average temperatures range from 18 ° to 20 ° C and in summer they reach 26 ° / 27 ° C. Therefore these islands enjoy an ideal climate.
Population
The Canary Islands were already inhabited when the first Europeans landed there in the early part of the fourteenth century.
The men who inhabited these islands were the Guanche, a peaceful population who did not know navigation and who spoke different languages depending on the island they belong to.
After a resistance that lasted for a century, the Guanche were subjected to Spanish rule.
Time zone
The time zone of the Canary Islands is one hour behind Italy.
Spoken language
The official language of the Canaries is Castilian Spanish.
Economy
The Canarian economy is mainly based on tourism, tropical agriculture, construction activities and services.
The pivotal activity is the tourist one to which construction and service activities are linked, while agriculture and fishing represent traditional activities.
The crops are favored by the very fertile volcanic soil, but disadvantaged by the scarcity of rains.
Artificial irrigations overcome the inconvenience by favoring the cultivation of bananas, tomatoes, avocados, papayas, mangoes, flowers and ornamental plants, products intended for export.
The Canaries, although they are politically within the European Union, are outside its customs territory.
When to go
In the Canaries, the climate is pleasant throughout the year. As for sea water, especially for swimming, summer is better.
Requested documents
To enter the Canary Islands, Italian citizens need an identity card valid for expatriation or a passport.
Phone
- The international code to call from Italy to the Canary Islands is: 0034
- The international prefix for making calls from the Canary Islands to Italy is 0039
GSM cell phones work regularly. The Internet is widespread.
Electricity
The electric current is 220V 50 Hz. European type electrical outlets.
Currency
In the Canaries, the official currency is the euro. The main credit cards are widely accepted.
How to get
plane
All the islands of the Canary archipelago have an airport intended for connections to the continent and to the other islands.
The airports of the islands of El Hierro and La Gomera mainly manage connecting flights between the islands, while the airport most used for international flights is the Tenerife Sur - Reina Sofia airport.
From Italy Meridiana fly operates flights from Milan Malpensa, Bologna and Verona to Tenerife and from Milan Malpensa, Verona, Milan Bergamo, Bologna to F. Ventura.
The Neos company offers flights from Bologna to Fuerteventura and Tenerife, from Verona to Las Palmas and Lanzarote, from Milan Malpensa to Tenerife.
With Air Europa you fly from Rome to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife and from Venice to Fuerteventura.
The Iberia airline offers flights to the Canary Islands via Madrid.
Vaccinations
No vaccinations are required to visit the Canary Islands. We only recommend not to drink tap water.
Public health care is guaranteed to all citizens of the European Union, on a temporary visit to a member country, by the European Health Insurance Card.
