 THE CANARY ISLANDS - Spain/España
Read reviews from the Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands (Islas Canarias) (28° 06'N, 15° 24'W) are an archipelago of the Kingdom of Spain consisting of seven islands of volcanic origin in the Atlantic Ocean.
 The Canary Islands are located off the northwestern coast of Africa (Morocco and the Western Sahara). They form an autonomous community of Spain. The name derives probably from a north African tribe (the Canarii) or possibly the Latin term Insularia Canaria meaning Island of the Dogs, a name applied originally only to the island of Gran Canaria. It is thought that the dense population of an endemic breed of large and fierce dogs was the characteristic that most struck the few ancient Romans who established contact with the islands by the sea.
The islands and their capitals are:
Gran Canaria (capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria);
Tenerife (capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife);
Lanzarote (capital Arrecife);
La Palma (capital Santa Cruz de La Palma);
La Gomera (capital San Sebastián de La Gomera);
El Hierro (capital Valverde);
Fuerteventura (capital Puerto del Rosario).
The nearest island is 108 km from the northwest African coast.
The islands form the Macaronesia ecoregion with the Azores, Cape Verde, Madeira, and the Savage Isles. The Teide volcano on Tenerife is the highest mountain in Spain, and the third largest volcano on Earth. According to the position of the islands with respect to the trade winds, the climate can be mild and wet or very dry. Several native species are laurisilva forests.
Four of Spain's 13 national parks are located in the Canary Islands, more than any other autonomous community:
Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente on La Palma,
Garajonay National Park on La Gomera,
Teide National Park on Tenerife,
Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote.
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