Canary Islands Eyewitness Travel

eyewitness travel guides ma p s canary be ac he s s port w ildlif e t our s mount The Guides that show you what others only tell you Santa Cruz Sa S de la Palma d an Sebasti Sa S S á n de la Gomera dd anta Cruz an San S S de Tenerife d LA PA AL ALMA AL HIERRO H L H EL EL LA GOM ME ERA E T ENERIF E The Canary Islands Area by Area L A G O MER A Pages 122 – 131 E L H IERR O P a g es 132 – 139 T ENERIFE P ages 9 6 –12 1 L A P AL M A Pages 140–151 s Palmas Las L L e Gran Canaria e de d d d A r u c a s Maspalomas Ma uerto del Rosario Pue P PP Arrecife re Arre CANARIA C GRAN FUERTEVE EN NTURA N LANZ NZA ZAROTE ZA O ISLA DE ALEGRANZA ZA ISLA DE MONTAπA CLARA A ISLA GRACIOSA A ISLA DE LOS I LOBOS 0 km 0 Mi l es 50 5 0 L ANZAROT E P ages 80–9 5 F UER T EVE NT UR A P a g es 66–79 G R A N C AN ARIA Pa g es 40–6 5 E YEWIT N ESS TRAVEL GUIDE S c a n a r y is land s [...]... R Y I S L A N D S THE CANARY ISLANDS THROUGH THE YEAR the fiesta, people abandon HE INHABITANTS of the their work to pray, dance Canary Islands are and join colourful parades deeply devoted to Fiestas in the Canary Islands tradition – a fact that is tend to last for several days, reflected in the numerous some for as long as two or religious feast days, or three weeks In the Islands fiestas, that... Canary Islands is shrouded in myth and legend Some believed the islands to be the lost land of Atlantis, which, according to Plato, was destroyed by an earthquake To others they were known as the Fortunate Islands, poised at the edge of the world, whose inhabitants knew no sorrow t It is believed that the first Egyptian geographer, Ptolemy, inhabitants of the Canary represented the islands as the Islands. .. northern slopes of the islands, where humidity is constantly high Limonium papillatum Pine woods occur at up to 2,000 m (6,560 ft) Their undergrowth consists mainly of shade-loving shrubs Canary samphire (Astydamia latifolia) is found on the coastal basalt rocks of the Canary Islands This native genus, with its distinctive fleshy, green leaves flowers from December until April Canary Islands holly is an... The male carries the spawn in his mouth I N T R O D U C I N G 18 T H E C A N A R Y Crafts of the Canary Islands Canary Islands are enthusiastic about keeping alive their strongly rooted tradition of local handicrafts These include embroidery, lace-making, basket-weaving, ceramics and woodcarving Different islands specialize in particular crafts: La Gomera is known for its basketware Ceramic candleholder... handicraft that to thrive EAVING IS the Canary Islands, and there are many established weavers’ shops still working in the islands today As in past centuries, simple handlooms are still used to produce carpets, which are based on traditional designs Long and narrow, often with randomly mixed colours, 20 I N T R O D U C I N G T H E C A N A R Y I S L A N D S Canary Islands Carnivals to the in Rio de O and... reveller, dressed as a pirate I N T R O D U C I N G 22 T H E C A N A R Y Sports in the Canary Islands conditions the Canary Islands a paradise for types of E make activities Theyear-round weatherallnaturally, sporting most popular are, XTREMELY FAVOURABLE water-based sports such as sailing and windsurfing, but the islands also play host to a variety of spectator sports including golf, international... GOLF 16 excellent TcoursesoninGranCanarygolf the Islands – Canaria, HERE ARE Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Gomera and Fuerteventura – and the all-year-round conditions make this an ideal choice for a golfing holiday The islands host such events as the PGA Spanish Open The Shell Wonderful World of Golf competition is a fun event held in Tenerife C AR R ALLIES car Athe Canary Islands ,and rallies are very popular... typical of a more advanced stage of evolution 13 I N T R O D U C I N G 14 T H E C A N A R Y I S L A N D S Flora of the Canary Islands HE FLORA OF THE Canary Islands is unique La Gomera, for example, is home to a rare ancient forest that is now a UNESCO world heritage site More than half of the islands 1,800 species are indigenous, and the unusual character of these exceptional plants has long attracted the... Formation of the Canary Islands islands, such the Azores the Cape Verde A Madeira,Canaries are andvolcanic origin.as of Islands, the LONG WITH OTHER ATLANTIC They emerged from the sea millions of years ago: Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are believed to be the oldest at between 16 and 20 million years old, with Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera appearing around 8–13 million years ago The remaining islands are... arrived the fall of the Roman Empire, here around 3,000 BC Europe forgot the Canaries Although scholars disagree for over 1,000 years about the origins of the islands early dwellers, CONQUEST OF THE CANARY ISLANDS one prominent theory is The Canary Islands that they were Neolithic people from the Cro- Idol from Tara – a statuette were rediscovered by Magnon era Typically from the time of the Guanches . eyewitness travel guides ma p s canary be ac he s s port w ildlif e t our s mount The Guides that show you what. 66–79 G R A N C AN ARIA Pa g es 40–6 5 E YEWIT N ESS TRAVEL GUIDE S c a n a r y is land s