The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, are rugged volcanic isles known for their black- and white-sand beaches. Tenerife, the largest island, is dominated by the sometimes-snowy active volcano Mt. Teide, which has its own astronomical observatory and is part of Teide National Park. Tenerife hosts a huge pre-Lent Carnival in the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Despite being associated with package vacationers, the Canary Islands have a cerebral side if you know where to look. Begin on Tenerife, where you’ll swap garish resorts on Playa de las Américas for a pastel-colored hacienda in La Laguna. The best natural beaches on the island are just a short drive away in El Médano, on the island’s windswept south-east coast. Lanzarote’s north coast, with its warm waters and golden beaches, is equally tranquil. Famara beach is the most beautiful, with velvety sand and big swells popular with surfers. The sun shines even brighter on subtropical Gran Canaria, and wild sand dunes dominate the south. A memorable beach vacation could simply be spent wandering through Maspalomas – the undulating dunes of this beach resemble the dunes of the Sahara.