Happy Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a group of islands situated south-west of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean, with Africa at the north-west. These islands are blessed with a Mediterranean climate of 18º to 24º C all year round with fine sand beaches to a holiday maker’s delight. It is truly a paradise with a consistently mild temperature made up of seven islands, namely: Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, El Hierro and La Gomera.

There are also some smaller sized islands, namely: Alegranza, Roque del Este, Graciosa, Lobos, Montaña Clara and Roque del Oeste. The reason which makes these islands an adventure for its visitors is that each island’s landscape is so uniquely different from one another that they always hold some surprise for the tourists hopping from one island to another.

Many names have been labeled on the Canary Islands by the Romans and the Greeks, such as ‘Happy Islands’, ‘Atlantida’ and ‘Garden of the Hesperides’. Some historians hold the belief that the legendary Atlantis is in this location. The Guanches form the islands’ original inhabitants with their fair skin and lankiness.

History of Canary Islands

History records show that Christopher Columbus ported here in 1496 while on his New World discovery trip, when the Canary Islands belong to the Spanish kingdom. Because of its strategic location, the Canary Islands play an important role in maritime navigation activities among Asia, Europe and America.

Gastronomy Delight

The Islands’ cuisine is a mixture of conventional Spanish tastes and African influences with some Latin-American input. There is an amazing selection of fish with fresh vegetables and fruits for unlimited recipes for you to savor.

A very popular recipe such as Papas Arrugadas may seem to be just some salt water boiled potatoes in their jackets to be served with special Mojo spicy sauce which is a mixture of oil, chili-peppers, paprika and garlic. Every cuisine chef guards his Mojo sauce recipe jealously, creating many variants. These sauces compliment any local dish, enhancing the flavor and taste.

A very traditional recipe offered here is the Guanches’ staple diet, gofio. This special flour made from various roasted cereals is popularly used in various recipes, from appetizer to desserts.

For the fish lover, you are in paradise as the abundant species of fresh fish and seafood will whet your appetite, especially when the local recipes couple with the enticing Mojo sauce.

As for the vegetarians, there are plenty of tasty and healthy vegetarian recipes for enticing your taste buds. A favorite among the locals, and perhaps even tourists, is the simple hot pot chick peas, the Potaje de Berros. Some of these islands also formulate their own cheese such as the popular smoked cheese.

With the wide range of exotic fruits easily available here, these provide the primary ingredients for mouth-watering desserts for the sweet-toothed. Simple desserts such as Platanos Fritos which are basically fried bananas are very popular among the locals.

Do not forget to get a sip or two of the islands’ fine selection of wines, particularly the Honey Rum or the Malvasía which comes from Lanzarote as well as El Hierro’s superb red wines.