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This Jewish proverb summarizes beautifully how important motherhood is for the Jewish and Christian tradition. It's to be expected that a culture that regards mums so highly has a special day to celebrate them: the 4th Sunday in Lent, better known as Mothering Sunday. Though it's originally a Christian festival, people of the most varied backgrounds are keen to join in on this tradition because, as Thackery put it: "Mother is the name of god on the lips and hearts of all children." In 2012, this joyful day will take place on the 18th of March, so it's time to start thinking about ways to pamper your own mum, the mother of your children or, if you are blessed with children of your own, yourself.

Continue reading... "God could not be everywhere so he created mothers"

When the architect Cesar Manrique, born on Lanzarote, recognized the tourist potential of his island, he successfully argued for strict measures to protect Lanzarote's fragile environment and culture, resulting in the law that all new buildings on the island must be low rise and traditional in design. That means that the walls must be white, the exterior woodwork green or plain varnished wood or blue by the sea. The visual effect is absolutely astonishing.

Continue reading... The landscapes of Lanzarote

The longest beaches in the Canaries are found on Fuerteventura, which features up to 50 km of fine white sand and 25 km of black volcanic shingle beaches. With temperatures rarely falling below 18 degrees Celcius (64F) or rising above 24 degrees Celcius (75F), this island is a paradise all year round for everyone who loves sun, beaches and water sports. Flights to Fuerteventura are equally popular among couples and families because this beautiful island offers them a wide variety of both water sports and inland activities such as off road motor biking and quad biking, followed by laid-back evenings without the temptations and inconveniences of all-night raves.

Continue reading... The beaches of Fuerteventura

1. Celebrate the Carnival. The dates vary from year to year, but it's usually in February or March. The most impressive fancy dress parades and processions of elaborately decorated floats can be found in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... Top 25 Things to do in the Canaries

There is only one great classical music festival during winter in Europe: The Canary Islands Music Festival. With the start of 2012, the 28th edition of this festival took off. Unsurprisingly, this festival is a reason for music lovers from around the world to book flights to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and the other islands.

Continue reading... Bach on the Beach

Although almost half of Gran Canaria is under protection from the Red Canaria de Espacios Naturales Protegidos, there are plenty of places on the other half of the island where tourists can pore over the local flora. If you've booked flights to Gran Canaria to admire the pine forests, extensive palm tree groves and laurel woods, we've got a list of our favourite botanic hotspots for you.

Continue reading... The unique flora of Gran Canaria

There are as many lovely ways to celebrate the year's end as there are families celebrating it. True party animals may have booked flights to Sharm el Sheik, Ibiza or the Canaries to start 2012 dancing to the tunes of world famous DJ's. Others may seek the party a bit closer to home, singing Auld Syne Lang and watching the fireworks at Trafalgar Square or even waiting for the countdown and popping the champagne at their own homes.

Continue reading... Happy New Year!

Ask most people where they've been to in the Canary Islands and the chances are they'll say Tenerife. The largest of the Islands, Tenerife is a perennial favourite with UK travellers, offering a tantalising mix of quality beach resorts, a lush interior full of unique flora and fauna, deserts, volcanoes and sleepy villages. Tenerife manages to package everything into one island, and with flights to Tenerife plentiful from most UK destinations, it's easy to get to as well.

Continue reading... Tenerife a must-see in Spain

There are a lot of fiestas and other events that take place within Fuerteventura and these are popular with a wide range of people. The Fiesta in Honor of our lady of the Immaculate Conception takes place during April and it is an annual event. There is people from all over the world that enjoy taking part in this fiesta and the range of other events that take place in this area and this is why flights to Fuerteventura are so popular. There are a lot of people that enjoy taking part in this fiesta and celebrating the lady of Immaculate Conception. There is something to suit all ages within this fiesta.

Continue reading... Fiesta in Honor of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception

Cooking within the Canaries is a very simple and straightforward process and this is certainly the case for Fuerteventura. Before this area became popular with tourists it was actually just a hide away, which had a small population. This cuisine within this area is based mainly around vegetables, fresh meat and fish. All of these foods are cooked in a no nonsense way which is practical. There are a lot of tourists that enjoy using the cheap flights to Fuerteventura in order to enjoy the weather and also the local cuisine.

Continue reading... Eating Out in Fuerteventura

The Casa de Colon is very popular tourist attraction, which is located within Gran Canaria. This attraction is very popular with a vast array of people and a lot of these tourists make the most of the regular flights to Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... Casa de Colon in Gran Canaria

Safari diving within the Canaries is carried out a number of specialist dive centers and the staff members within these centers are all trained to a very high standard. These dive centers are all committed to delivering a high level of safety and they offer specialist training. The safari dives cater for people of all levels and qualifications, therefore they are suitable for divers of all abilities including non divers, children and also disabled divers. These dive centers are popular with tourists from all around the world and they make use of the regular cheap flights to Canaries.

Continue reading... Safari Diving in Canaries

The Canaries are located just off the coast of north-western Africa and this area is good for sun, sand and sea. Another good thing about the Canaries is that it has some spectacular scenery. The nightlife within the canaries is varied therefore there is something available to suit all tastes. There are a lot of people that enjoy cheap regular flights to Canaries every year in order to enjoy the beaches and nightlife.

Continue reading... Nightlife in The Canaries

There is a lot on offer within the Canaries for people that love relaxing on the beach and these beaches are within a number of diverse destinations. The islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are home to golden sandy beaches. The islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife are home to some beaches that are classed as being blue flag. The area of La Palma is home to plunging cliffs, which are dramatic and there is also some quite coves. All of these beaches are very popular with people from all across the world and they enjoy the cheap flights to Canaries.

Continue reading... Beaches in the Canaries

The popular attraction that is known as the Wine Museum is one of the oldest cellars that are owned by El Grifo wineries. These cellars were built on top of the volcanic lava that was left by the eruption that happened during the eighteenth century. Reports show that this winery was actually built during 1775 and this actually makes it the oldest winery in the Canaries. This is a very popular attraction with people that enjoy the cheap flights to Lanzarote. The current owners have owned the property since 1880.

Continue reading... The Wine Museum in Lanzarote

The island of La Palma is located in the north west of the Canaries and the island covers and area of about seven hundred and six kilometers squared. The island of La Palma is commonly referred to as Isla Bonita that means beautiful island. This island is the fifth biggest amongst the canaries, which is made up of seven different islands. This island is home to population of eighty six thousand and this grows dramatically during the main holiday season. This island is very popular with tourists and they enjoy the regular flights to Canaries. The capital of this island is Santa Cruz de la Palma.

Continue reading... A Guide To La Palma in the Canaries

The Octopus Aqua Park is situated in Tenerife and it is a very popular tourist attraction. Tenerife is a very popular tourist destination and a lot of them make the most of the frequent flights to Tenerife. Tenerife is one of the seven islands that make up the Canaries and it is actually the biggest of the islands.

Continue reading... Octopus Aqua Park in Tenerife

While you are planning your holidays and booking your flights to Fuerteventura, be sure to spare 8 to 10 days for it. The climate here is often compared to Mexico and Florida as they lie along the same latitude as Fuerteventura. At no other destination in the Canaries are seen such huge sand dunes and elaborate sandy beaches.

Continue reading... The Archaeological Museum of Betancuria in Fuerteventura

Las Palmas is set amidst magnificent scenery comprising of two vast bays and picturesque beaches named Playa de las Alcaravaneras and Playa de las Canteras. Las Palmas was founded in 1478 and it boasts of significant cultural and historical heritage especially in a district called Vegueta. Vegueta happens to be the oldest part of the island. The place was even proclaimed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990. There are several airlines that provide flights to Las Palmas including Thomas Cook. You can always look for some discounts offered when planning your vacation to Las Palmas.

Continue reading... Santa Ana Cathedral in Las Palmas

Spain has not really been known for pyramids but as you arrive via flights to Tenerife airport, head straight for a town called Guimar to view some of these amazing tombs. Guimar is a coastal town located towards eastern end of Tenerife. In case you need a break from the same old beaches and wish to take dive in the historical mysteries, Guimar will definitely offer you an amazing one. Most researchers, archaeologists and anthropologists have been bewildered by these pyramids since they were uncovered and identified as pyramids in 1991. The place opens for visitors everyday from 9.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. The only days it is closed is December 25th and January 1st every year.

Continue reading... The Guimar Pyramids

The Innovation Summer in the Sun dance music festival will take place on 7th August this year. This popular music event has been held each year since 2006, initially in a night club but growing in size each year. This year the event takes place at MagMa, Costa Adeje.

Continue reading... Dance Music Festival in Tenerife

Between the 15th and 25th of August, the patron saint of Lanzarote's Capital Arrecife is celebrated in style. During the daytime, much of the activity is concentrated around the El Charco area itself, where traditional island sports such as Canarian sailing and wrestling are celebrated and a new Miss Lanzarote is elected annually. The whole event then culminates in an impressive fireworks display on the main beach promenade on the night of the 25th.

Continue reading... Festa de San Gines and the Juego del Palo

The capital of the Canary Islands, Las Palmas, plays host to the International Festival of Theatre, Music and Dance. The festival is in its fourteenth edition from 8 July to 14 August and has been gaining in strength and recognition every year. Las Palmas is a candidate for the prestigious award of European Capital of Culture for 2016, spurring large investments in everything cultural happening within the city.

Continue reading... Paving the way to becoming European Capital of Culture

Considered one of the major fiestas in Tenerife, the Festival of the Virgin de Candelaria, the patron of the Canary Islands, occurs every year on August 15th, and the festivities are attended by over two million visitors annually.

Continue reading... Virgin de Candelaria, patron of the Canary Islands

The world's biggest optical telescope will celebrate its first birhtday. In July 2009, the Gran Telescopio Canarias was completed on the island of La Palma.

Continue reading... Biggest Telescope in the World celebrates 1st birthday

Jazz lovers will feel right at home in the Canaries this month, because the Heineken Jazz Festival (also known as Festival Canarias Jazz and Mas Heineken) will be hosted on Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria from 9th to 18th July 2010.

Continue reading... Canary Jazz

Tenerife is an island known for its spectacular events. Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is one of such events. This carnival attracts millions of people from everywhere being one of the best celebrated events in Spain. If you are looking for lively entertainment and the time of your life, now is not the time to miss this carnival. Since this is a very popular event, it might be a good idea to book flights to Santa Cruz de Tenerife in advance. This time of the year is a ideal for getting great deals on flights and cheap hotels.

Continue reading... Don't be left out of the parade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival

This year's must see concert of the Canaries is the 'Fuerteventura en Musica 2010', which will take place on the 2nd and the 3rd July on the beach in El Cotillo Lagoon across from Azzurro, on the north west corner of Fuerteventura.

Continue reading... Fuerteventura Music Festival

Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler is rumoured to be giving a concert on Tenerife later this summer.

Continue reading... Tenerife Not In Dire Straits

Visitors to Gran Canaria during May and June will have the opportunity to see some of the world's best known operas performed on the island as part of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's 43rd Festival of Opera.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria Operas

The usual influx of visitors to Crete over the Easter period took place as expected but there were some subtle changes to normal behaviour that has got local tourism authorities thinking hard.

Continue reading... Crete Holiday Season Kicks Off

Earlier this year, the inhabitant of Madeira worked together with determination to recover quickly from the destructive storms that hit parts of the island during February. After showing so much resilience, the annual Flower Festival on Madeira during April provided an opportunity for them to put recent events behind them and look forward to another great summer.

Continue reading... Madeira's Flourishing Flower Festival

Everyone is asking when the severe winter weather in the UK, the harshest for the past 30 years, is finally going to let up. But the UK shouldn't feel too bad, because there are plenty of other European countries that have experienced equally poor weather. Countries like Belgium and Germany have also been suffering under very cold, wet and snowy conditions for several weeks now.

Continue reading... Storms Force Tenerife Events To Be Postponed

One of the nicest settings to appreciate art on the island of Lanzarote is the International Museum of Contemporary Art (MIAC). This interesting museum is housed in the old Castle of San Jose and was opened in 1975. The building itself is an unusual semi-circular structure built over 300 years ago to protect the town from invasion from the sea. This castle is situated to the northern side of Arrecife harbour and a similar building, the Castle of San Gabriel, sits on a sea wall at the other end of the town.

Continue reading... Art and Music in March on Lanzarote

The humble almond is a stranger to British shores but across the Mediterranean, it is grown widely especially in locations with warm, dry weather for most of the year. This includes many parts of Greece, Cyprus and the Balearic Islands. In the Canaries, Christmas is a time when the shelves of supermarkets become stocked with all kinds of almond-based delicacies including the traditional Turron, a type of nougat.

Continue reading... Almond Walks on Mallorca

After losing to a dominant Barcelona in their home game against the Spanish champions on 10th January, Tenerife's footballing heroes were up against it once again at the end of February when Spain's second most powerful team Real Madrid headed across the Atlantic to take on the home team. Despite dropping further and further down Spain's equivalent of the UK Premier division as the season goes on, Tenerife's local football fans are making the most of the promotion they gained last year to welcome some of the world's best footballers to their doorstep.

Continue reading... More Big Football On Tenerife

One of the biggest carnivals on Gran Canaria has the green light to go ahead having been given assurances by its local mayor that proper finances would be available.

Continue reading... Maspalomas Carnival Get Go Ahead

Most people choose to fly to Tenerife for their holidays, but for the 3000 passengers on one of the world's biggest cruise ships, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was a stopping point on their sea voyage that started in Barcelona during December 2009 and had already visited Casablanca before leaving the Mediterranean to head for the Canaries.

Continue reading... Tenerife Welcomes World's Biggest Cruise Ship

Due to there location, several thousand miles from the European mainland and the balance of resident and tourist population, the islands of the Canaries rarely benefit from visiting pop stars and celebrity performers. Premier music concerts featuring big stars are few and far between on the islands. In the past performers like Rod Stewart, Gloria Estefan and Elton John have all played on Tenerife. Even Michael Jackson included Tenerife in his "Dangerous" tour during 1993, when 45,000 people watched him on stage in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Continue reading... Celebrity Musicians in Tenerife

The Spanish music style of Flamenco is the kind of music played during traditional dances with performers dressed in stylish costume. The ladies wear long flowing skirts while the men dress in outfits that symbolise the attire normally associated with bullfighting. But in Spain, Flamenco is better known as a form of music rather than a dance. The castanets, or palillos as they are known locally, are small-hand held percussion instruments usually played in pairs.

Continue reading... Shake Out Your Castanets in The Canaries

There may have been a big freeze across northern Europe at the beginning of January but the attractions for tourists soaking up the sun in Gran Canaria were added to on 8th January when the Canary Islands Music Festival started in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... Canary Islands Music Festival Schedule

If you go to the Canary Islands for a winter break, don't be surprised to find the locals with a healthy appetite for watching football. The islands currently have several successful teams, one that competes in the top Spanish League and others that play more locally.

Continue reading... Canaries Football Spotlight

Tree blossom brings a welcome boost of colour to UK trees in spring, but for Mediterranean islands like Mallorca and Menorca, as well as the islands of the Canaries, spring blossom arrives a little earlier in February thanks to the almond trees.

Continue reading... Almond Blossom In February

Since beach volleyball became part of the Olympics in 1996, its popularity has boomed. In October last year, Tenerife hosted a top level mens tournament at Siam Park.

Continue reading... International Volleyball in Tenerife

One of the more unusual sporting events on Lanzarote this year saw over 700 competitors setting off on the 23rd January from the African coast and racing the 100 miles or so to Lanzarote. The cash prize for the first one home was a healthy 6000 Euros, so competition was fierce with only the very fittest and fastest in with a chance of winning.

Continue reading... Race to Lanzarote

Ask anyone to name the islands in the Canaries and most would, without much trouble, come up with the main four islands of Tenerife , Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. After all that's where most of the holiday companies and airline operators provide services for. However there are actually 8 main islands, the others being La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa, the smallest of the inhabited islands of the Chinijo Archipelago off Lanzarote.

Continue reading... La Gomera In The Canaries

While much of Britain still experienced cold, snowy weather and temperatures in Scotland plummeted to as low as minus sixteen, we thought a round up of the weather in our key winter sun destinations would warm you up a little.

Continue reading... Festive Weather Round Up

The Spanish islands of Mallorca, Menorca and the Canaries are not the only places to hold their carnivals in the early part of the year. The town of Rethymno in Crete also stages a spectacular carnival programme that runs throughout the whole of February.

Continue reading... February Carnival in Crete

During January Tenerife hosts the Festival de Musica de Canarias, a celebration of classical music that first started in 1985.

Continue reading... Music Festival in Tenerife

The small island of La Gomera, one of the less well known of the Canaries that lies just off the west coast of Tenerife, is the start point for a rowing challenge that calls itself the 'World's Toughest Rowing Race'.

Continue reading... Rowers depart Canaries on Marathon Journey

For many the Christmas period presents the perfect opportunity to take a short break and get away for a little rest and relaxation. For some a cosy chalet in snow covered mountains is the ideal break while others yearn for some warm sunshine. Being only a short flight from the UK, Lanzarote offers the combination of convenience and value for British tourists seeking some warmer weather.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Christmas

The Canaries version of the WOMAD Festival took place from 12th to 15th November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... WOMAD Festival in Gran Canaria

The islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote are no strangers to the international film industry. Tenerife hosts an international film festival, the next edition of which happens in June 2010 and the islands have also been used numerous times in films such as The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and also several episodes of Dr Who.

Continue reading... Film Crew in the Canaries

With the Canary Islands being surrounded by Atlantic Ocean you would expect much of their commercial and leisure activities to involve water, but that is not always the case. However during October this year a group of hardy athletes tackled a challenging journey across the waters between two of the islands.

Continue reading... Lanzarote to Fuerteventura Swim

The Canary Islands International Jazz Festival was in full swing this year kicking off with a series of great performances where the beach at Telde on Gran Canaria and Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast of Tenerife both played host for opening night concerts.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria and Tenerife Open Jazz Festival

The smaller island of Gomera, off the coast of Tenerife hosted its first Gomera Rock festival in August this year.

Continue reading... Tenerife Gomera Rock festival

The eastern most island of the Canaries, Lanzarote is a place of spectacular natural beauty. This unspoilt volcanic island will bowl you over with its extraordinary rock formations, mountains, seascapes and desert plains. With so much to enjoy here, Lanzarote is a superb beach break for a relaxing or active holiday.

Continue reading... Lanzarote - Part 1

Starting on the 3rd of July 2009, the 18th Canaries Jazz Festival kicks off with performances on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Acts from all over the world are playing during the week long festival and on the second day concerts are taking place on 4 different islands in the group.

Continue reading... Canaries Jazz Festival

With a lush and dramatic landscape and so much to do both on sea and land, Fuerteventura possesses riches to attract both the budget and discriminating traveller all year round.

Continue reading... Fuerteventura - The Canary Islands - Part 1

Keen to showcase the natural and raw beauty of the their islands, the Canary Islands Tourist Board has sponsored a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. The tourist board responsible for promoting the Canary Island Archipelago is working hard to maintain the strong ties between the island group and visitors from the UK. Tourists from the UK have always formed the majority of visitors to the seven Spanish islands located off the North African coast which include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

Continue reading... Canaries come to Chelsea

The Tenerife Tourist Board has just released a stunning new promotional video for the island that features time-lapse photography to great effect. The video, which is one of a series covering the Canaries, showcases many of the economic, traditional and natural features of the island. Initially focusing on the bustling urban areas the video moves to the countryside in the second half and illustrates the amazing natural beauty of the island.

Continue reading... New promotional video from Tenerife

A varied mix of over forty events are planned across the seven islands, featuring cultural performances of music, film and theatre, sporting competitions and traditional celebrations.

Continue reading... Plans Announced for Canaries Celebration Day

The island of Fuerteventura in the Canaries has its own unique mix of wildlife dictated largely by its climate. The weather is rarely cold on Fuerteventura and warm dry days are the norm almost all year round. It is because of this that the island has a very limited number of animals living wild. There is however a zoo on the island at Oasis Park that is home to 200 species but hardly any are native to the island.

Continue reading... Find the Wildlife in Fuerteventura

Mount Teide in Tenerife is the spectacular high point of the island. In fact, as well as being the highest point of the Canary Islands, it is also the highest mountain in the whole of Spain which is all the more remarkable when you consider that Spain is also home to the Pyrenees. In the Pyrenees, which strech from the Atlantic coast across to the Mediteranean between France and Spain, there are almost fifty peaks higher than 3000m but none are as high as the 3718m peak of Mount Teide.

Continue reading... Tenerife High Point

Having seen the excitement caused by the UK concert series announced by Michael Jackson recently, it's interesting to see other pop stars popular with previous generations still performing at concerts around the world. The Canary Islands have attracted various stars in the past including Elton John and Rod Stewart is the latest to announce a concert date on Tenerife as part of the Canarias Live Sun Festival in May this year. The concert will take place at the Campo de Golf, Costa Adeje in Tenerife.

Continue reading... Canarias Live Sun Festival