The sunseeker’s guide to the Canary Islands

This Spanish archipelago is the place to head for a burst of winter warmth – but which is the best island for you? Helen Ochyra helps you choose

A bell tolls in a church tower hidden behind swaying palms as locals order another cortado (espresso with milk) and settle in for a chat in the village square. A surfer eyes the foaming whitecaps offshore, then jogs down the smooth golden sands to catch the waves. A hiker shields her eyes from the rising sun as she reaches a volcano’s summit and breathes in fresh mountain air with the faintest tinge of sulphur.

These may, perhaps, not be scenes that you would expect from an archipelago more often associated with the groaning buffets of pack-them-in hotels or the raucous nightlife of boozed-up Brits abroad. But times have changed, and so have the Canaries.

It is time to accept that the Canary Islands have shaken off their outdated, unfair reputation and to focus instead on what makes them such a popular holiday spot with people from every walk of life.

Take the beaches, for example. Some of them are lively with holidaymakers, of course, but others are quiet and secluded; the sort where you will make the day’s first footprints. Then there is the landscape, its staggering variety taking in volcanoes, subtropical rainforests, arid lava flows and lush banana plantations.

There is also incredible food, from simple grilled fish to Michelin-starred tasting menus you will be talking about for months. Not to mention charming villages with cobbled streets and hanging balconies, rooftop cocktail bars with Atlantic views and wine so delicious it will have you checking the post-Brexit customs rules to see what you can bring home.

Value-focused travellers have long known that the Canaries offer excellent bang for your buck and wonderful winter sun, but in recent years a more discerning holidaymaker has started to discover this archipelago and a raft of chic hotels and stylish villas has opened up to accommodate them.

This is evident in a recent poll by Telegraph Travel which shows that the islands are a firm favourite with Britons. Many are planning a holiday this year – and it is time to join them. Here is our guide to finding the right Canarian island for you.

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