Leisure with children
The Canary Islands are very well prepared to welcome tourists traveling with children of all ages. The best in this respect are Tenerife and Gran Canaria, although Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are also starting to invest in attractions for the little ones (for more information, see the chapters for each island). In addition to having fun on the beach, you can spend time in water and nature parks. Besides, such attractions await little tourists, like riding a horse, camel rides, submarine cruises and water sports lessons.
In many places (museums, park, ferry crossings) children up to years 12 they get big discounts, and the little ones to 4 years very often do not pay at all. The restaurants have a special menu for children, and most hotels employ animators who provide games for children.
Active recreation
Sea, mountains and great weather, which allows you to stay outdoors all year round, They attract many amateurs of active leisure to the Canary Islands.
Golf
The Canary Islands have a long tradition of golfing – it is on Gran Canaria that in 1891 r. the first Spanish golf course was opened. Over the past decade, the archipelago has turned from a pioneer to a golfing hub – was built here 24 by (nine each in Tenerife and Gran Canaria. three in Fuerteventura, two in Lanzarote and one in La Gomera). Some only have 9 dimples, but some as much as 18. Most of the fields were designed by world-class architects and set in breathtaking scenery (the field on La Gomera is exceptionally beautiful – on the cliff, overlooking Tenerife and Teide). Prices depend on the season: in the period X— IV, the game fee (green fee) is approx. 80-100 €, in summer (V-DC) prices are falling more or less 0 half. The fee for renting a melex is approx. 30-40 €, and sticks approx. 25 €. Most clubs also offer individual golf lessons for beginners. You can read more about golf courses in the individual chapters and on the website www.turismodecanarias.com.
The archipelago golf courses are also subject to environmental criticism, who are opposed to using large amounts of water for their livelihood. The owners fight back the attacks, translating, that they only use recycled water to irrigate their fields.
Diving and snorkeling
In the relatively warm and calm waters off the coast of the Canary Islands, you shouldn't expect a Red Sea or Caribbean experience., however, you can come face to face with hundreds of sea creatures (e.g.. rays, shreds, barakudy, sea turtles, colorful tropical fish) and see many species of colorful underwater plants.
There are several diving clubs in virtually every resort (diving dub), however, in some places there are more of them due to the perfect diving conditions. These include the neighborhood of Los Gigantes (Tenerife), Puerto Mogan (Gran canaria) i Puerto Calero (Lanzarote). Divers' favorite spot is Mar de Las Calmas off the southern coast of El Hierro, valued for exceptionally warm and calm water. Persons, who want to go under the water, should report to one of the diving clubs (addresses in the guide section), where you can sign up for expeditions and courses (individual lessons on offer, lessons for children and PADI courses).
Some clubs also offer underwater safaris and sunken ship wreck expeditions.
The cost of a single dive into the water with equipment rental is approx. 30 €, and an individual lesson with an instructor approx. 60 €.
Persons, which a few meters under water do not feel very comfortable, may decide to go snorkeling, that is, watching the underwater world with a mask and a tube or on a trip in a boat with a glass bottom.
Surfing, windsurfing
Suffing and windsurfing are possible on most of the islands – these very popular sports are of great interest to the locals, as well as tourists. The best surfing spots are usually the beaches on the northwest coast. There are nurseries in particularly convenient places for surfing. Surf enthusiasts can rent boards there.
Wandering Canary Islands is a paradise for hikers, which are attracted to the islands by the extraordinary diversity of landscapes and well-prepared trails. All the islands of the archipelago either already have, or they are just finishing preparing the route network. The most beautiful hiking trails are in the Teide national parks in Tenerife, Garajonay on Gomera and Caldera da Taburiente on La Palma. Hikers most often go to La Gomera and La Palma, where off the trails there is a good tourist infrastructure, however, there are no bustling resorts. Interesting and spectacular routes can also be found in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, where agritourism farms located far from resorts await those who are reluctant to mass tourism. In fact, the island governments have been doing a lot in recent years, to switch from mass tourism to an equally profitable one, and much friendlier ecological tourism.
There are companies on many islands, which organize day hikes and multi-day guided trekking. The expeditions take place in groups of 10-16 people, and in price (30-50 €) guide care is included, transport from the hotel to the starting point and back, and sometimes lunch or provisions. Real guides are an additional advantage of the expeditions, from which you can learn a lot about the island. The guides are usually young islanders, who used to work in national parks, and now they have decided to start their own businesses and promote a slightly different type of tourism. The addresses of the companies are given in the chapters on the individual islands.
Each, who is in the Canary Islands, decides to go on the trail, should remember to stock up on a suitable map (more information in the individual chapters), as well as to take water and clothing that protects against cold and moisture. The islands lack natural water sources, therefore, the option of drinking water from the stream is simply not available. In turn, the proverbial eternal spring prevails mainly on the southern coast of individual islands, and it's just cool in the mountains – what else can be expected at the top of Teide (3718 m n.p.m.) or Alto de Garajonay (1487 m n.p.m.)? In addition, in the Canary Islands you can meet the phenomenon of horizontal rain (tooth. geography).
Swimming
Swimming is one of the most obvious attractions on the islands. The tourist can choose between the popular and bustling beaches full of golden sand and black volcanic beaches sandwiched between the rocks, which are often almost uninhabited. For that, where nature has not created beaches, islanders taking advantage of the natural shape of the coastline, they built swimming pools with sea water (puddles).
Most of the bathing areas are extremely clean, safe and guarded by a lifeguard.
One must not forget about basic precautions, as the locals say, no beach is dangerous, if a person respects the ocean and knows a little about it. The most important thing to be careful about is the often deserted beaches on the northern side of the islands – the waves are usually higher there, and the underwater currents are stronger.
Whale and dolphin watching
Boat trips to observe whales and dolphins are a popular pastime – some of them have a glass bottom, so during the trip you can also see the underwater world. Most of these trips are made on 50-100 passenger ferries or catamarans.
The price of the trip includes lunch (usually paella), sangrfa and soft drinks, as well as a break to swim in the sea. Persons, who want to take such a trip in a more intimate atmosphere, should inquire at the port for private organizers- usually they are sailors and fishermen, who offer cruises on multi-seater boats.
sailing
On individual islands of the archipelago there are many perfectly prepared marinas (bearings in chapters on individual islands), and the sailing conditions are good all year round. Due to the extraordinary popularity of the Canary Islands among sailors, it is better to book a place in the marina at least one day in advance.
Yachts can be charter on site, however, it is definitely better to book in advance online (www.azymutczarter.com.pl, www.topsailingcharter.com). You have to pay for a weekly charter of a 6-seater yacht 1,2-2,5 thousand. €. If someone wants to use the services of a skipper, must add extra 150 € per day.
Rower
Bicycles lovers should definitely visit the Canary Islands. The mountainous terrain will be a challenge for many cyclists. Gran Canaria is rated the highest in terms of the attractiveness of cycling routes, big enough, that it is impossible to repeat any route during a week's stay, and the demanding in terms of condition La Gomera and La Palma.
As for the rest of the islands – is said to be, that Tenerife is too crowded, El Hierro is too small, while the relatively flat and windy Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are not interesting from a cycling point of view (but perfect for less skilled cyclists).
Many people cannot imagine riding a bicycle from a rental company, however, because two-wheeled transport is not cheap, you should consider renting two wheels on site.
There are many such points on the islands, which simultaneously deal with the organization of one thing- and multi-day bicycle trips of varying difficulty (ok. 40 €). The cost of renting a bike depends on the selected model and is approx. 8-15 € per day.