Complete Guide to Canary Islands (2025)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, commonly known as Las Palmas, is the capital city of Gran Canaria island in the Canary Islands, situated on the Atlantic Ocean. It holds the distinction of being the capital and the largest city in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, and ranks as the ninth-largest city in Spain with a population of 383,308 as of 2010. Additionally, it stands as the fifth-most populous urban area in Spain and is the ninth- or tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the country. Located in the northeastern part of Gran Canaria, approximately 150 km off the coast of Morocco, Las Palmas enjoys a hot desert climate moderated by the Canary Current, resulting in consistently warm temperatures year-round. With an average annual temperature of 21.2°C, Las Palmas is renowned for its exceptional climate, described by climatologist Thomas Whitmore from Syracuse University as “the best climate in the world”. Established in 1478, the city served as the de facto capital of the Canary Islands until the seventeenth century. It is home to the Canarian Ministry of Presidency, half of the ministries and councils of the Canarian government, and the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is a major city and the capital of both the island of Tenerife and the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It also shares the title of capital of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz has a population of 206,593 within its administrative boundaries, and the urban area extends beyond the city limits, encompassing a population of 507,306, with 538,000 in the greater urban area. It is the second-largest city in the Canary Islands and the main city on Tenerife, with nearly half of the island’s population living in or around it.

Situated in the northeast quadrant of Tenerife, Santa Cruz lies 210 kilometers off the northwestern coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The nearest point on mainland Spain is 1,300 kilometers away. From the 1833 territorial division of Spain until 1927, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands. In 1927, a decree ordered that the capital be shared, a status that remains today.

Santa Cruz’s port is a vital communications hub between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, with cruise ships arriving from many nations. The city serves as the focal point for domestic and inter-island communications in the Canary Islands. It is home to the Parliament of the Canary Islands, the Canarian Ministry of the Presidency, half of the Ministries and Boards of the Canarian Government, the Tenerife Provincial Courts, and two courts of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. Several faculties of La Laguna University are located in Santa Cruz, including the Fine Arts School and the Naval Sciences Faculty.

The harbor is one of Spain’s busiest, crucial for commercial and passenger traffic, and a major stopover for cruise ships en route from Europe to the Caribbean. The city is renowned for hosting one of the world’s largest carnivals, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which aspires to become a World Heritage Site and is the second largest in the world.

Key landmarks in Santa Cruz include the Auditorio de Tenerife, the Santa Cruz Towers, and the Iglesia de la Concepción. The city hosts the first headquarters of the Center UNESCO in the Canary Islands. Recent years have seen the construction of numerous modern structures, giving Santa Cruz the sixth tallest skyline in Spain, behind Madrid, Benidorm, Barcelona, Valencia, and Bilbao.

In 2012, the British newspaper The Guardian included Santa Cruz de Tenerife in its list of the five best places in the world to live, alongside the Cihangir district in Istanbul; the district of Sankt Pauli in Hamburg; the north coast of Maui in Hawaii; and Portland, Oregon. Notably, 82% of the municipal territory of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered a natural area, largely due to the presence of Anaga Rural Park. This makes Santa Cruz the third-largest municipality in Spain with the highest percentage of natural territory, after Cuenca and Cáceres. The city holds the status of a global city.

Arrecife is a city and municipality in the Canary Islands, located in the central-eastern part of Lanzarote, and has been the island’s capital since 1852. The city derives its name from the rock reef that lines its beach. It also lends its name to the nearby Arrecife Airport. The municipality has a population of 61,351 and covers an area of 22.72 square kilometers. Arrecife lies south of Teguise and east of San Bartolomé, with the Atlantic Ocean to its southeast. As a port town on the east coast, Arrecife is served by ferries to other islands, as well as Europe and mainland Africa. The LZ1 road connects Arrecife to the northeast of the island, the LZ2 road links the capital to the southwest, and the LZ3 road functions as the city’s beltway. The tallest building in Lanzarote, the Arrecife Gran Hotel, is located on the seafront next to the harbor.

Puerto de la Cruz, located in the north of Tenerife, is the oldest and one of the most popular seaside resorts in the Canary Islands. I wanted to discover what makes it so special.

Originally serving as the port for La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz is renowned for its rugged coastline of black volcanic rocks, which surround the iconic Lago Martiánez swimming pools. These pools were designed by the famous Spanish artist and architect César Manrique in 1977. I began my exploration of Puerto de la Cruz along the seafront but chose to venture away from the artificial lagoons, opting instead to walk along the stunning natural coastline.