Canary Islands

Hundreds of thousands of Irish visit the Canaries every year, and we wanted to find out why the Canary Islands are such a  favourite destination with Irish tourists?

As a results we had to know the reason so Alison spoke to Travel Editor Pól Ó Conghaile.

Pól is the Travel Editor with the Irish Independent, and offered up his Dummies Guide to the Canaries!

WHY ARE THE CANARIES SO POPULAR?

Climate: The Canaries sit 1,500km south of Spain in a subtropical climate that averages 22-24 degrees.

Due to this it is Sunny in winter, and the summertime.

LANZAROTE

This is Ireland’s favourite - almost 50pc of Irish visitors go to Lanzarote.

TENERIFE

Furthermore, Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canaries, and many Irish would be familiar with the resorts of Playa de Los Americas (in the south) and Porto de La Cruz (north).

FUERTEVENTURA

It’s not as developed as Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and can be windy, but Fuerteventura has got some of the best beaches.

FOOD – CANARIAN CUISINE

The most famous local fare are Canarian ‘wrinkly’ potatoes – papas arrugadas – which are cooked in saltwater which evaporates leaving a small layer of white dust on the skin. The small ones are the tastiest, and they’re served with red (hot, paprika) and green (coriander) ‘mojo’ sauce.

LA GOMERA

Finally, La Gomera is a laid-back little island, just 40 minutes by hydrofo il from Tenerife.

However, the contrast could not be more marked.

It’s like a tiny eco-kingdom, where low-rise hamlets, ferny rain forests and ancient laurels.