I am considering a week-long vacation to the Canary Islands in April 2013 with my husband and 1 year-old daughter. We have been living in Italy for the past 2 years so we have seen much of Europe already. We are in search of a warm and relaxing trip with some beach bumming but also a bit of natural and historical sightseeing and as well. I was thinking Lanzarote and Tenerife would be good options for this. What are the opinions on the Canary Islands? Are they worth seeing? Are the beaches nice? I have been to Hawaii several times and I am from California so I am worried that I will be unimpressed with the beaches. So far i haven't been very impressed with Europe's beaches. I have been to both the French and Italian Riviera and the Amalfi Coast and I enjoyed all of these places very much, but not because of their beaches. I also don't really like the fake beaches where they just truck in a bunch of sand and dump it by the water. Are the beaches on the Canary Islands like that? Also, anyone foresee any difficulties with traveling there with a 1 year old? And does anyone have any better suggestions for a beachy European vacation? Thanks!
Posted by
Columbia, MO, USA
249 posts
Crete-the beaches are sandy, and the water is much better (read warmer) than California's. Great island for exploring as well.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
While I love the Greek islands,, they will be barely open and water will still be cold in April .
Allison, go on tripadvisor.com Canary island forums.. tripadvisor has forums for each destination , more specific . I loved the beach in Tossa De Mar Spain, but according to locals its not really beachy time till May, so seems like you will have to go a bit south
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4049 posts
The Canaries, for the most part, are big chunks of rock with strips of beach and agricultural plots clinging to the edges. All winter, charter jets shuttle hordes of shivering Northern Europeans onto the beaches. Think of the Costa del Sol or Florida. The weather and beaches are the major draw; history, arts, and other such cultural features are a far distant factor. That said, these resorts are a pleasant retreat. By April the tourist trade may have gone down a bit and the temperatures could be a bit higher but not suffocating, paricularly since the islands are known for their breezes and winds.
Here's a trivia point to show off: The name refers to the Latin words Canariae Insulae, meaning "Island of the Dogs" or so says Wikipedia. The birds were named for the islands, not vice versa. Since the islands were known to Western Europe back to ancient times, this is not the only explanation.