From the lush green jungles of Garajonay to the formidable mountain peaks of Mount Teide and the vast sand dunes of Maspalomas, the Canary Islands are a true nature lover’s paradise - incredibly colourful and diverse with brilliant contrasts in both land and climate.

Spain’s Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the Sahara Desert. There’s seven large islands in total - Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, la Gomera and el Hierro. The small islands include: Graciosa, Alegranza and Lobos.

“In the Canary Islands, there are more than 6000 species of invertebrates and 109 species of vertebrates, 20 of these latter species were introduced by man”. Scientists and scholars have been coming here since the 18th century - all fascinated by the huge number of ecological gems on the Islands.

It’s impossible to talk about a “typical” Canary Island landscape, as all the islands are so vastly different from each other. Take Fuerteventua and La Gomera for example - one a flat desert and the other a lush, green, mountainous island.

Within each island itself there can be vast differences in both landscape and climate, take Tenerife for example with its desert like south and lush green north. On the Canaries the scenery changes tremendously from one minuete to the next - there’s never a dull moment.

Natural Spaces
Since 1994, a large percentage of the Canary Islands have been under the protection of the Natural Spaces Act. The aim is simply to conserve the many unique natural assets and areas of ecological importance that the region has.

“Around 35% of the surface area of La Palma is protected by the Canary Island Nature Conservation Act”.

Spain has ten national parks and the Canary Islands are home to an impressive four of these - Las Cañadas del Teide, Garajonay, Caldera de Taburiente and Timanfaya.

It’s also home to numerous other areas that enjoy special protection status - parks, reserves, and sites of scientific interest.

Canarian landscapes
The Canary Islands are known for their beautiful beaches and spectacular volcanic scenery. Their volcanic past has dramatically shaped the landscape, leaving some curious looking craters, volcanic cones, volcanic rocks and tubes etc.

Along the various coastlines, you’ll find black volcanic beaches, endless white sandy beaches, impressive reefs, capes, bays and gigantic cliffs - Los Gigantes in Tenerife.

Tenerife is home to Spain’s tallest mountain - Mount Teide, which climbs to a staggering 3,718 metres and is often covered in snow. Other notable mountains include Blanca Mountain (2743 metres) and Viejo peak (3100 metres).

All throughout the islands, you’ll find a wealth of ecologically valuable areas and natural spaces both in the more populated islands and on the lesser known ones like El Hierro and La Gomera.

The Canary Islands belong to what’s known as a Macronesia - a name used to describe several groups of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, close to Europe and North Africa. This Macronesia also includes the Azores, Cape Verde and Madeira.

These islands groups contain large numbers of indigenous species and have often spectacularly diverse landscapes - which for the most part has been created by years of volcanic activity.

Known as the “Happy Isles” the Canary Islands are blessed with a very gentle climate. Thanks to the influence of ocean currents and the trade winds, it’s like perpetual springtime - never too hot and never too cold.

Investing in the Canary Islands
According t the Canary Islands tourist site, last year, “the number of incoming foreign tourists was 9,530,039”.

For many years now, the Canary Islands have been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe - largely because of its perfect year round climate, amazing beaches and excellent nightlife.

Although, property prices have dropped in some parts of Spain, the Canaries appear to be unaffected. With guaranteed sunshine all year long the Canary Islands are seen as a much safer long-term option especially for buy-to-let investors.

Since 2006, prices have dropped by up to 20% in some parts of Mainland Spain, while the Canary Islands have seen continual growth. There’s even reports of investors selling up on the mainland and reinvesting in the Canary Islands.