Canary Islands

PBS is currently running a fantastic series called "The 13 Wonders of Spain" in which each of the 13 UNESCO World heritage cities in Spain are profiled. An entire show is devoted to San Cristobal de la Laguna on the island of Tenerife. If you can find this program, you will be filled with ideas on how to spend your time in this stunningly beautiful historic paradise.

If you're looking for "authentic" there are places in the Canaries you should definitely avoid. First on my list of those would be Las Palmas on Gran Canaria...wall-to-wall nekkid northern Europeans roasting in the sun on the beaches, English and German spoken everywhere, a lot like Spain's Costa del Tourismo, with one expat bar and condo after another, package tours, packs of drunken football fans on cheap trips, etc. Just curious...why are you looking at the Canary Islands, and exactly what kinds of "adventure" are you seeking? I liked Lanzarotte (lots of dramatic volcanic terrain) and Fuerteventura (somewhat overun with German windsurfers but quite pretty). If you want real adventure, though, southern Morocco is just a short flight away (although southern Morocco might be more adventure than you or your 11 year old sister or mom need).

i enjoyed madeira; seemed to be mostly off the tourist track and with some great attractions all its own. Its a small island though, so not sure how much time you could spend without getting bored. (and they speak Portuguese not Spanish ). great wine

Of course, Madeira is along way from the Canary Islands (and everything else, for that matter). I'm sure it's interesting - really isolated. They speak Portuguese there because it's part of Portugal, not part of Spain like the Canary Islands (although to be honest, when I was in the Canaries, most of the locals insisted they weren't part of Spain, either).

I am also interested in the Canary Islands. It just sounds a lot more exciting than Hawaii or South Beach. (and I love an occasional long weekend in Miami). Plus, I'm certainly up for at least one day with nekkid Northern Europeans......after all, I travel to experience things I don't experience here.