The Fortunate Isles, as the Canaries are known, are often combined with the Garden
Island of Madeira to give a sun-soaked cruise holiday even in the depths of a British
winter.
Cruises to the Canaries
You will either fly out to join your ship in an island such as Tenerife or depart
directly from a UK port like Southampton.
Fly-cruises tend to be of seven nights duration while those sailing from the UK
will be ten days or more.
Either way, there will be plenty of time to relax and enjoy all the on board facilities
and activities as your ship takes you into an oasis of sea, sand and superb scenery,
completely away from it all.
The Islands of the Canaries
As the archipelago of 13 volcanic islands – six of which are uninhabited - lie just
71 miles from the nearest point on the African coast, they are blessed with a temperate
climate year-round, so make an ideal winter cruising destination.
Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote feature on most itineraries, while the small
isle of La Palma is included in some.
Funchal, the picturesque capital of Madeira, positioned to the north of the Canaries,
is regularly included as part of a Canaries cruise, enabling you to trade Spanish
culture for Portuguese for a day.
A cruise to these Atlantic islands may also include visit to mainland ports including
Agadir in Morocco, Vigo in northern Spain; the Portuguese capital of Lisbon or Cadiz
for the Andalucian capital of Seville.
Renowned for its scenic beauty, Gran Canaria has a bustling capital in Las Palmas
and fabulous beaches on the south of the island at Maspalomas, famous for its dunes
which cover more than 600 acres.
La Palma is largely undiscovered so is well worth exploring. Reputedly the most
beautiful of all the islands in the Canaries chain, it is known as the Green Island
due to its flora and fauna and forest pines.
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and arguably most well-known of the Canary Islands due to
its popularity as a mainstream holiday destination. From sandy beaches to the towering,
snow-capped Mount Teide – at 12,195 ft the highest mountain in Spain – Tenerife
has much to offer visitors of all ages. From family water parks to botanical gardens
and volcanic landscapes, there’s no shortage of activities to indulge in.
Expect the unexpected in Lanzarote, where you can take a camel ride around an extinct
volcano crater or investigate an underground lake and caves.