These seven islands in the Atlantic Ocean offer mountainous terrain, black-sand beaches and a mild climate year-round. The ports most commonly visited are Las Palmas on the Grand Canary Island and Tenerife. At Las Palmas, tourists will want to visit the duty-free shops and explore the narrow streets and plazas by horse-drawn carriage. At Tenerife, excursions visit the 200-year-old botanical gardens in Puerto de la Cruz, Lago Martianez with its saltwater pools and lagoons, and the world's largest collection of parrots at Loro Parque
The Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands consists of two provinces, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, whose capitals (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife) are co-capitals of the autonomous community. Each of the seven major islands is ruled by an island council named cabildo insular.
The international boundary of the Canaries is the subject of dispute between Spain and Morocco. Morocco does not agree that the laws regarding territorial limits allow Spain to claim for itself sea-bed boundaries based on the territory of the Canaries, because the Canary Islands are autonomous. In fact, the islands do not enjoy any special degree of autonomy as each one of the Spanish regions is considered an autonomous community. Under the Law of the Sea, the only islands not granted territorial waters or an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are those that are not fit for human habitation or do not have an economic life of their own, which is clearly not
the case of the Canary Islands.
The economy is based primarily on tourism, which makes up 32% of the GDP. The Canaries receive about 10 million tourists per year
The city was founded on June, 24th, 1478 with the name "Real de Las Palmas" by Juan Rejón, head of the invading Castilian army, before engaging in war with the local Guanches (aboriginal people of the Canary Islands). In 1492, Christopher Columbus anchored in the Port of Las Palmas (and spent some time on the island) on his first trip to the Americas. He also stopped on the way back to Spain.
Today, a museum is named after him - Casa Colon in the Vegueta area of the city.
Las Palmas is today a cosmopolitan city.
It has three beaches (Las Canteras, Las Alcaravaneras and San Cristobal) and a big sea-port (Puerto de la Luz harbor) - a very important on during the 70s and early 90s (that benefited greatly from the closure of the Suez Canal during the Arab-Israeli wars).
Due to its situation as nexus of three continents and its importance as a touristic spot, many foreign workers have migrated and settled in the city. Merchants and traders from Africa, China, Russia and the Middle East mingle with each other in the streets of the city's business centers
Santa Cruz is popular for its wide commercial offer, including zona Centro (Central part) - Pedestrian calle Castillo, San José, del Pilar, Viera y Clavijo Zona Rambla (Rambla area) or Rambla de Pulido, calle Ramón y Cajal, and the big shopping centres and department stores in Avenida de 3 Mayo, plus the big malls in Añaza on the southern suburbs. The most upmarket and high street shopping is located alongCalle del Pilar and nearby Parque Bulevar Shopping Centre, where many designer shops can be found. International and local brands of shops and restaurants, such as Zara, Mango, H&M, Ordning&Reda, El Corte Inglés, Ikea, C&A, McDonalds or Burger King are much present on the island.
Auditorio de Tenerife, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.
Not only the wide range of shops makes the city attractive but the lower prices found in many items, such as tobacco, alcohol, electronic devices, beauty products, sunglasses or even food or coffee. They are indeed much lower than in most cities of Western Europe including Spain, due to the very special and much lighter taxation on goods enjoyed on the Canary Islands.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a beautiful port situated in Tenerife, the largest of the western islands in the Canary archipelago. Around its important port are wide avenues, squares and exotic landscaped areas, not forgetting some beautiful examples of modernist architecture.
Every year, the island capital dresses in its best to welcome the Carnival, declared to be of international tourist interest and one of the most spectacular in Spain.
Contact Address:
Calle José Murphy, 12 38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Tenerife)
Tel. +34 922244358 / Fax + 34 922274417 A mélange of works and artists
The museum has fourteen rooms and is primarily devoted to paintings.
Some of the ones on display here include Ribera's "Saint Joseph", the "Portrait of Fernando Viscaí" by Joaquín Sorolla, and the "Nava Triptych" from the 16th-century Flemish school. The museum also exhibits works by painters from the Canary Islands, such as Gaspar de Quevedo, Cristóbal Hernández e Quintana and González Méndez, to name a few.
Municipal Museum.
Museum subject matter: Fine Arts.
Information for visits Open: Tuesday to Friday, 10am-8pm. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 10am-3pm. Closed: Mondays, 1 January, 1 and 22 May, and 25 December.
Tenerife's Mount Tiede is Spain's highest Summit. The Worlds third largest Volcano that last erupted in 1909. At 3717.91 metres (12198 ft) forms the highest peak in Spanish Territory. There are two calderas that are Tiede national parks, but the access to the summit is very strictly controlled
The magnificent snow capped mountain and divides the island, and is only 90 minutes from the beach!! When visiting Mount Tiede take with you a wind jacket, obviously being so high up it can get a bit chilly and very windy!! Also in case of rain!!! Sometimes on the guided tours of Tiede they will make a barbeque over the steam that leak out from the plumes
. . . it is definitely a 'must see' on your holiday 'to do' list!!! You can book a guided tour in advance (this is recommend, if not going with an excursion) by phoning: 0034 922 290129 or 0034 922 290183
A Must for all visitors to the island. The Tour takes you up through the breathtaking scenery of pine forests and lava flows to the spectacular dormant volcano El Teide, which last erupted in the 16th Century and stands proud in the crater of a much larger but long extinct volcano which forms the Las Cañadas National Park.
Enjoy spectacular views of El Teide
A Cable car is available to the summit of Mount Teide from where spectacular views of Tenerife and neighboring islands can be enjoyed is an optional extra.
Duration: 5 hours approx - Adults: 24 Euros - Children 12 Euros
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Las Palmas and Tenerife, Canary Islands
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