Property in the Canary Islands

Poised on the edge of the tropics west of Morocco, the Canaries enjoy plentiful sunshine, pleasantly cooled by the trade winds. The Canaries have extraordinary volcanic landscapes unlike any other part of Spain and contain no fewer than four national parks. There are seven islands. Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote are the largest. Housing can be found on all the islands.

The landscape of Tenerife is amazing. The scenery ranges from lava desert to forest, from sand dunes to volcanic mountains. It has beaches, banana fields, and at the centre of the island is the highest mountain in Spain , the snow capped volcanic Mount Teide forming a wilderness of weathered, mineral tinted rocks. A single road passes through the area, passing a hotel, cable car station and a visitor's centre. Artificial grey sand fronts beach resorts on the southwest coast clustered around the resort of Playa de las Americas . Los Cristianios, an old fishing port, lies close by and has developed into a pleasant town along the foothills of a barren landscape. Perhaps a better location is on the north coast near the older resort of Puerto de Ia Cruz. It is wetter, greener and away from the maddening crowds.

The capital of Gran Canaria, yet another fine city, is Las Palmas . Playa del Ingles is a holiday area of high-rise hotel and apartment blocks best avoided. Puerto Rico and Puerto del Morgan on the other hand are attractive, unique, pretty places, quite the opposite to the brash concrete holiday resorts.

Lanzarote is sparsely populated with more goats than people. There is no water. No industry apart from tourism. Solitude, sun worshipping and water sports in a place where time has no meaning.