Canary Islands

The capital city: of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Population: 1.84 million.
People: Spanish, North African, small Latin American and northern European communities
Language: spanish, Castilian
Climate: The Canaries bask in an eternal-spring climate
Area: A group of Spanish islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa.

The most in-your-face activity in the islands is beach-lazing, but you don't have to look hard for more active pastimes. Mountain bikes are readily available, and the islands lend themselves to cycling. Plenty of tracks in the country are fine for hiking, and by the coast conditions for surfing and windsurfing are excellent. For windsurfers, the Bahía de Pozo Izquierdo is the best beach on Gran Canaria, which is the windiest of all the islands. The swimming is generally better in summer, as the Atlantic has powerful swells in winter. Go snorkelling or scuba diving and you might see rays, grouper, barracuda, turtles, tropical fish and the occasional shark. Deep sea fishing and sailing are good for those with a little more money to spend, and the fishing off Gran Canaria is excellent.

The Canaries have been part of Spain since 1479 and are a major tourist center.

Largest cities: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Mas Palomas
Animals: Blue chaffinch - a bird with a taste for pine cones.
Island canary - the yellow bird named after the islands.
Laurel pigeon - meet the pigeon who loves eating fruit.
Loggerhead turtles - the ocean dwellers with a tough exterior.
Wall geckos - the reptiles with sticky feet.

Sports:
- Windsurf paradise
- Marlin paradise
- The adventure of the sea
- By land, sea and air
- On land
- Riding the skies