It´s Carnival time in the Canary Islands this month. As a wave of celebration engulfs these seven specks of Spain. Located just off the coast of West Africa.

And whilst the revelry may not be as raucous as Rio, Carnival is still a big noise on islands such as Lanzarote. Spanning weeks of serious partying and effectively closing many businesses and local government offices down. As workers swap their desks for costumes and masks.

Carnival was first introduced to the Canary Islands by the Spanish conquistadors in the 15th Century. As they swept west from Lanzarote to subdue the indigenous Guanche population of the seven islands. And was a tradition that had in turn been inherited from the last days of the Roman Empire.

The purpose of Carnival was to allow people to blow off steam and let down their hair before the onset of Lent. Which spelled 40 days of sacrifice and deprivation. And as such can in fact be viewed retrospectively as a form of social safety valve. Not least as the fiesta also cut across social divisions – allowing all classes to mix on an equal footing behind the cover of costumes.

Today, Carnival in the Canaries retains a strong Latin American influence. Thanks to the fact that the islands were once an important staging post on the trade routes between the Old World and the New. Acting as a place where Spanish galleons transporting Inca gold and silver could off load and refuel. Before transporting African slaves back to South America in the opposite direction. Making the Canaries a melting pot of cultural influences.
continue reading "Carnival Time In the Canary Islands"

For a small island – measuring just 58km long by 34 km wide - Lanzarote has long been hugely popular with overseas visitors.  Thanks to this speck of Spain’s idyllic location – just seventy miles off the coast of Africa.  And on the same line of latitude as parts of Florida, Mexico and the Bahamas.  Creating a fantastically clement year round climate that has in the passed earned Lanzarote the sobriquet of the Island of Eternal Spring. 

Add in over ninety great beaches, a unique set of tourist attractions and bearable four hour flights to Lanzarote from both the UK and Ireland and it’s no wonder that the island has become a year round favourite with sun starved Northern Europeans. 

Lanzarote was first conquered by the Spanish crown back in the 1400´s – under the aegis of as Norman noble called Jean de Bethencourt.  For centuries the island was an important staging post between the New World and Spain – with galleons regularly transporting Inca gold and silver via the Canary Island.  Leading to endless incursions from English privateers such as Raleigh and Drake. 

This state of affairs forced the Spanish crown to militarise and reinforce the island during the 1600 and 1700´s – which helped to consolidate Lanzarote´s position as an important outpost of the Empire and further cement the island to Spanish rule. 
continue reading "Lanzarote Volcanic Treasure"

Gran Canaria lies in a part of the Atlantic known as Macaronesia, which includes the archipelagos of Madeira, Salvajes, Azores and Cape Verde. The closest point on the African coast lies approximately 210 kilometres away, while Cadiz, the closest port on the European continent, lies 1,250 kilometres away. Within the archipelago, Gran Canaria lies between Fuerteventura and Tenerife, lying at a distance of 83 kilometres to the west of Fuerteventura and 62 kilometres to the east of Tenerife.

Being of volcanic origin, Gran Canaria´s 1,560 square kilometres of surface area and 236 kilometres of coastline encompass a great many of the varied landscapes that are found in the archipelago.
continue reading "Where is Gran Canaria Located?"

Travel Link Partners ( Travel Related Sites Only)

• Holiday Villas in Lanzarote - Lanzarote guide with tourist information, news and reviews. In-depth island information and tourist guide.
• 2TheEurope Directory - Your online Europe travel  guide and directory built to serve travel industry.
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• Travel Benidorm - Benidorm travel guide offering essential tourism information includes maps, top attractions, guide to hotels in Benidorm.

We added 2 new page on our Gran Canaria blog. The first one is:

Map of Gran Canaria (include informations and map) and the second one is:

Weather in Gran Canaria  (include weather forecasts and weather news)

We will edit that 2 pages and we will add more detailed informations  like maps, satellite views.

 This image reminds me to a Mexican paint. Really nice colours and details in the cactus.
and the slightly blur background make them stand out even more, nice composition.

http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/69892/gran_canaria_007a.jpg

Teror, a charming little town with some of the best examples of colonial-style mansions, life has always been dominated by the 18^th century Basilica de la Virgen del Pino (Madonna of the Pine Tree) - the third church on this spot - which in 1515 was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The main features of the large triple-nave interior of the Basilica are the vast Baroque altar with the richly clothed, wooden carved figure of the Virgin, surrounded by votive gifts and symbols, many religious statues created by Luján Pérez and five of the most significant Rococo paintings on the island.The legend has it that in 1481 a vision of the Virgin Mary had appeared to some shepherds on the top of a pine tree and since then Nuestra Señora del Pino (Our Lady of the Pines) played an important role in the history and the everyday life of the people of Gran Canaria. When in 1914 the Pope Pius XII proclaimed her patron saint of the island, the small town of Teror, with its sanctuary, became the religious capital of the island.

Every year, on the 8^th of September, the Fiesta de la Virgen del Pino (Feast of Our Lady of the Pines) is celebrated and numerous pilgrims from all over the island come to Teror to pay reverence to the saint. This feast is not only the biggest event in the region – it is also the most important religious festival on the island’s calendar and the celebrations usually go on for one week.
continue reading "Teror"

Gran Canaria, along with Tenerife, is located in the centre of the Canary Islands’ archipelago. The ‘round island’ – so called because of its circular shape – is 47 km (29 miles) wide and covers an area of 1,532 sq km. Its highest peak, Pozo de Las Nieves (1949 m/6431 ft above sea level), is situated right in the centre of the island.Gran Canaria belongs to an area of the Atlantic Ocean, known as ‘Macaronesia’, which includes the Canary Islands as well as the archipelagos of Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde and part of Morocco. The nearest point on the African coast is approx. 210 km (131 miles) away, while Cadiz, the closest port on the European continent, lies about 1250 km (781 miles) north of Gran Canaria.

If you need more statistic about Gran Canaria, please visit http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/istac/

There are many tourist offices (‘Oficinas de turismo’) spread all over the island providing tourists with information on any matters related to the island’s culture, events, places of interest and anything you can think of.

Airport
Llegadas Comunitarias - Puerta A. Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria
+34 928 574 117 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Calle León y Castillo 17 
+34 928 219 600Agaete
Calle Nuestra Señora de las Nieves 1
+34 928 554 382

Artenara
Camino de la Silla
+34 928 666 102

Arucas
Plaza de la Constitución 2
+34 928 623 136

Firgas
Plaza de San Roque (Casa de la Cultura) 3 
+34 928 616 120

Gáldar
Calle Tagoror 2
+34 928 895 855

Ingenio
Calle Ramón y Cajal (Biblioteca Municipal) 1
+34 928 780 076
continue reading "Tourism Information Offices"

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