Canary Islands - A Great Vacation Paradise For Beach Bums!

Having a vacation with the family is a great thing to do. I will enjoy a holiday cruise anytime of the year. I especially like great beaches with the blue skies. Of course, it helps, when the people are friendly too.

When I travel for leisure, the Canary Islands off Spain is never far from my mind. You can get there by cruise. If you choose to do so, remember to go to a cruise-only travel agent or an online agency that specializes in cruise vacations. They probably can give you better cruise holiday deals.

You can also get there by air. All the islands have airports. Most international flights and those from mainland Spain goes to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote. You can also fly to the Canaries from most European cities. If you are flying from North America, flights usually go to Madrid, where you can get a connecting flight.

An unknown North African aboriginal group originally inhabited the Canary Islands. Later, in the 15th century, a Frenchman Bethencourt discovered the islands. Some popular Canary Islands destinations to explore are: Fuerteventura, Gomera, Grand Canary, Lanzarote and Tenerife.

If you want an all-out summer holiday with sand, beaches, and babes, the Canary Islands is a good choice for travel. There are numerous activities here. The mini golf course will give you hours of fun. There are also many tracks for biking and hiking.

One of my favorites is the Teide National Park. It is a marvel of nature with its stunning volcanic landscape. It is also home to Spain's highest mountain, the dormant volcano Teide. There are numerous walking trails and a cable car to the top of the volcano. Truly awesome!

You can't talk about the Canary Islands without talking about the Bahia de Pozo Izquierdo which is the best beach on Gran Canaria. It is great for windsurfing, deep sea fishing and sailing. When you snorkel or scuba dive, you will probably see grouper, barracuda, turtles, rays, tropical fishes and the occasional shark.

If you are at Gran Canaria, a hotel to stay is "ClubHotel Riu Vistamar". It is well maintained, and the service is good. Although the pool area can be crowded, the food more than makes up for it. You get pancakes, cereals, toast and even champagne for breakfast! On certain days, you'll even get smoked salmon. Quite frankly, I don't mind having it everyday! Remember to attend the 6:30pm dinner to enjoy the night entertainment too.

The Canary Islands has a population of 1.84m people, most of whom are Roman catholic. The weather is generally warm and sunny all year round. If you hate winter, this is the best place to be a lazy beach bum, and have nice and friendly people around you!