Canary Islands 7 Days Travel Guide
The Canary Islands get stereotyped as package holiday destinations—all-inclusive resorts, sunburned British tourists, beaches. That exists. But these Spanish islands off Africa’s coast also have volcanic landscapes, forests that look prehistoric, stargazing so good there’s an international observatory, and beaches that range from black sand to golden dunes.
Seven islands, each different. This guide focuses on Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Gran Canaria—the three that give you the range. You won’t see everything. But you’ll climb Spain’s highest mountain, walk on Mars-like lava fields, and understand why people winter here.
Best Time to Visit Canary Islands
Year-round: 18-26°C, eternal spring climate. Winter (Nov-Mar): 18-22°C, popular with Europeans escaping cold, occasional rain. Spring/Summer (Apr-Aug): 22-26°C, dry, perfect. Autumn (Sep-Oct): 24-28°C, warmest water temperatures. Honestly, any time works.
Day 1-2: Tenerife South and Teide
Most international flights land in Tenerife Sur (South). The south is drier, sunnier, where resorts cluster. The north is greener, wetter, more Spanish.
Skip the beach resorts around Los Cristianos. They’re fine if that’s your thing, but you didn’t come to the Canaries for all-inclusive buffets.
Drive straight to Teide National Park (90 minutes). Mount Teide is Spain’s highest mountain (3,718m) and an active volcano. The landscape is otherworldly—volcanic rocks, hardened lava flows, colors from red to black to yellow. NASA trained astronauts here because it looks like Mars.
Take the cable car to 3,555m (€35 round-trip). The views are insane—seeing the entire island, neighboring islands, the Atlantic stretching to Africa. To summit the final 163m requires a free permit (book months ahead online). Without the permit, you stay at the upper cable car station. Still worth it.
Morning is best—clouds fill the caldera by afternoon. Or go for sunset when permitted (special evening cable car hours in summer).
The park has hiking trails at lower elevations. The Roques de García trail loops through bizarre rock formations (3.5km, easy).
Lunch: Pack food. The only restaurant is at the cable car station and it’s mediocre and expensive.
Afternoon: Drive to Masca village (45 minutes from Teide). Tiny village clinging to a gorge, dramatic scenery. The road to get there is twisting and narrow—not for nervous drivers. The Masca Gorge hike descends to the coast (5km down, then boat back or 5km up—brutal). Many companies offer hiking tours.
Evening: Stay in Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast. It’s the original resort town, old-fashioned, more Spanish. The black sand beaches are small but the town has character. Lago Martiánez is a seawater swimming pool complex designed by César Manrique—worth a visit.
Day 3: La Gomera Day Trip
Take the ferry from Los Cristianos to La Gomera (50 minutes). La Gomera is the small, green island—subtropical laurel forests, dramatic cliffs, traditional villages.
Rent a car on La Gomera or book an organized tour. The island is tiny but roads are winding.
Garajonay National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site—ancient laurel forest that looks Jurassic. Hiking trails crisscross the forest. Even a short walk shows you vegetation that seems prehistoric.
Valle Gran Rey is the hippie valley—beaches, palm trees, laid-back vibe. Hermigua Valley is agricultural—bananas and palms.
La Gomera is famous for its whistle language (Silbo Gomero), used to communicate across valleys. UNESCO recognized it as cultural heritage. Demonstrations happen in some restaurants.
This is a full-day trip. Return ferry evening.
Day 4: Fly to Lanzarote – Volcanic Art
Fly from Tenerife to Lanzarote (1 hour). Lanzarote is the weird one—volcanic landscapes, César Manrique’s art integrated into nature, bizarre beauty.
César Manrique was a local artist who insisted development respect the landscape. He designed much of Lanzarote’s aesthetic—white buildings with green or blue accents, art integrated into volcanic formations. His influence saved the island from ugly development.
Start at Timanfaya National Park. The volcanic eruptions of 1730-36 buried a quarter of the island in lava. The landscape is still barren—no plants, just volcanic rock in red, black, orange.
Guided bus tours are mandatory in most areas (€12, included with park entry). They drive through lava fields to demonstration sites where guides pour water into the ground and it boils instantly. They grill meat over volcanic heat. It’s touristy but impressive.
The Fire Mountains (Montañas del Fuego) area is Mars-like. Bring sunglasses—the light reflecting off lava is intense.
Lunch: El Diablo restaurant in the park cooks meat over volcanic heat. The food is decent, the method is unique. Or drive to Yaiza village nearby for better restaurants.
Afternoon: Drive the coastal road through La Geria wine region. Vines grow in volcanic ash in semicircular stone walls protecting them from wind. The landscape is unlike any wine region—black ash, green vines, white walls. Stop for wine tasting. The white wines (Malvasía) are excellent.
Day 5: Lanzarote North – Art and Caves
Jameos del Agua: César Manrique converted a lava tube into an underground garden, concert hall, and pool. It’s beautiful, surreal, and hosts blind albino crabs found nowhere else on Earth. Entry €10.
Cueva de los Verdes: Another lava tube, this one natural. Guided tours walk you through 1km of the 6km tube system. The formations, colors, and acoustics are remarkable. Entry €10.
Both caves are close together in the north. Do them the same morning.
Lunch: Arrieta or Punta Mujeres fishing villages have simple restaurants serving fresh fish.
Afternoon: Mirador del Río, César Manrique’s viewpoint built into a cliff. Glass windows look over the strait to La Graciosa island. The views are stunning. Entry €5.
Or relax at Famara Beach—long, wild, golden sand, popular with surfers. The village of Caleta de Famara is low-key with beach cafes and surf shops.
Evening: Stay in Arrecife (capital) or Costa Teguise. Arrecife is functional, not beautiful, but has good restaurants. Castillo de San José has a modern art museum in a fortress.
Day 6: Fly to Gran Canaria – Dunes and Diversity
Fly to Gran Canaria (30 minutes). Gran Canaria is called a miniature continent—diverse climates and landscapes on one small island.
The Maspalomas Dunes are the highlight—massive sand dunes by the sea, looking Saharan. Walk into the dunes away from the tourist beach. The sand, the silence, the light—it’s beautiful.
The resort areas around Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés are huge, impersonal, beach-and-bar operations. They exist, they’re popular with European package tourists, you can skip them unless beaches are your priority.
Drive into the interior. Roque Nublo is a volcanic rock formation at 1,813m—hiking trail takes 90 minutes round trip, views over the entire island.
The mountain villages—Tejeda, Artenara, Teror—are traditionally Canarian. White houses, church plazas, local life unchanged by coastal tourism.
Lunch: Try Bodegón Vandama in Tejeda or El Refugio in Roque Nublo area. Local food—papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes with mojo sauce), goat cheese, stews.
Afternoon: Barranco de Guayadeque is a ravine with cave houses—people still live in them, restaurants operate in them. It’s unusual and photogenic.
Day 7: Gran Canaria North – Las Palmas
Las Palmas is Gran Canaria’s capital—the biggest city in the Canaries, often overlooked by tourists heading straight to resorts. It’s worth a day.
Vegueta is the old town—colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, Casa de Colón museum (Columbus connection to the Canaries). The neighborhood has cafes, tapas bars, Sunday morning market.
Las Canteras Beach runs 3km along the city—urban beach with a natural reef creating calm water. Locals swim here, surf at the far end, walk the promenade. It’s pleasant and functional.
Lunch: Tapas in Vegueta or seafood along Las Canteras promenade.
Afternoon: Explore neighborhoods, visit the Museo Canario (archaeology), or relax at the beach.
If you have extra time, drive to Puerto de Mogán—small fishing village turned resort, canals and bridges earned it the nickname Little Venice. It’s cute, touristy, pleasant for a walk.
Island Hopping Logistics
Inter-island flights are quick (30-60 minutes) and cheap (€30-60). Binter Canarias is the local carrier. Ferries also connect islands but take hours.
Each island needs a rental car for proper exploration. Public buses exist but are slow and don’t reach remote areas.
Canarian Food
Not mainland Spanish food. Canarian cuisine has African and Latin American influences.
Must-try: Papas arrugadas con mojo (wrinkled potatoes with spicy red or green sauce), gofio (roasted grain flour, pre-Hispanic origin), sancocho (fish stew), ropa vieja (chickpea stew), almogrote (cheese spread from La Gomera).
Fresh fish is excellent. Wine from Lanzarote and Gran Canaria is underrated.
Money Reality
The Canaries are moderate. Budget €10-15 for lunch, €20-30 for dinner at good restaurants. Rental cars €25-40/day. National parks €10-12 entry.
Resorts are expensive and all-inclusive. Avoiding them saves money.
Nearby Destinations from Canary Islands
Combine your Canary Islands trip with:
Final Thoughts
The Canary Islands get written off as cheap beach destinations for package tourists. Parts of them are exactly that—soulless resorts, all-inclusive mediocrity, sunburn and sangria.
But you’ll also climb a volcano higher than anywhere in Spain, walk through prehistoric forests, see landscapes that trained astronauts, and swim in water that stays warm year-round because these islands sit in the Atlantic off Africa’s coast.
The Canaries are weird, volcanic, surprisingly diverse, and way more interesting than their reputation suggests.