THE average Spanish resident will spend between €500 and €1,500 on their holidays this year, with three in 10 set to increase their budget from last year and 16% reducing it.
Canary Islands: Top value-for-money destination with an extended summer
14/09/2019
HOME to idyllic beaches, volcanoes, caves and some of the best weather in the country, the Canary Islands is also the best value-for-money destination in Spain, according to recent research.
And best of all, while the Mediterranean, Balearic Islands and south coast are now sliding towards a mild autumn – great weather for being outside, but not so much for topping up your tan or swimming in the sea – summer in the Canaries carries on longer.
Its climate is closer to that of central or southern Morocco, given that the region is geographically closer to the African continent – only 100 kilometres by sea from its coast – than to mainland Spain. This has long made the Canaries a popular autumn or spring destination for sunseekers, and even in winter, it is pleasant enough to enjoy its outdoor attractions without needing extra layers.
Lanzarote is the most economical destination in the region, according to the portal Vacaciones-España.es – hiring a car for a week comes in cheapest at €126, although outside of high season you can probably get even better deals, since motor rental firms have to pay for storage in winter if their vehicles are not let out, so they are only concerned with covering their costs.
A two-course meal for two comes in at about €12 per head, and theme parks and other attractions suitable for children and adults can cost as little as €18 for a family unit.
Gran Canaria – and the Costa Blanca, the coast of the Mediterranean province of Alicante – are the second- and third-cheapest holiday hotspots in Spain, although as regular visitors to the country know, 'cheap' does not mean 'bargain basement'; food, entertainment and accommodation are of a similar quality nationwide.
Travelling around
Transport in Lanzarote offers the best value for money, according to Vacaciones-España.es, with the cost of a one-way airport bus averaging €1.40 per person – although the maximum you'd ever have to pay anywhere in Spain would by the typical €18.80 from Almería airport to the coast.
Lanzarote – along with the Balearic island of Ibiza – have the cheapest taxi fares from airport to the main coastal resort areas, largely because of the short distance, being under 15 kilometres, and the lower price of petrol on Spain's islands. Taxi fares are normally set by town or city councils or regional governments, meaning travellers can get a price for their destination before setting off.
For car hire, Gran Canaria is even cheaper than Lanzarote, at an average of €100 a week, and Fuerteventura is third-cheapest at an average of €130 for a week.
The Canary Islands only come in the most expensive when it comes to family theme parks – joining the Costa Blanca – water parks in Tenerife would set you back an average of €128 for a family unit and Aqualandia and Mundomar in Benidorm, Alicante province around €112. If theme parks are top of your list for holiday fun, you may be better off heading to the Granada province coast, known as the Costa Tropical, the coast of the province of Cádiz, known as the Costa de la Luz, or that of Málaga, the Costa del Sol, where a family unit can get in for around €70 in total. Grown-ups seeking watery fun without kids in tow are recommended to head to Ibiza, or to the coast of the province of Murcia – the Costa Cálida – where an adult ticket costs just under €20.
Still, price aside, many of these huge leisure complexes are worth the visit. PortAventura on the Costa Daurada (Tarragona province) continues to be the most expensive in Spain at €57 per head, although your ticket also lets you into Ferrari World and the water park Caribe Aquàtic on the same day, so in practice, less than €20 per person for each centre provided you squash them all into 24 hours.
What else is there to do in the Canary Islands?
As Lanzarote is the cheapest holiday destination in Spain overall – unless you're heading for a theme park – you have the perfect excuse to take a tour around some of the Canary Islands' most breathtaking sights: the Timanfaya National Park (second picture), an eerie, volcanic landscape that makes you feel as though you're on the moon, is home to the only known geysers in Europe outside of Iceland, and the Los Verdes caves (third picture) with their underground pools and fascinating volcanic rock formations are an absolute must. Playa Blanca, which literally translates as 'White Beach', is made from golden sand imported from the Sahara desert and is close enough for you to wander around the lively and varied street market in Teguise.
Gran Canaria is home to the provincial and regional capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – a massive city which is worth exploring for its architecture (fourth picture), lively dining scene and brilliant shopping – as well as some of the better-known holiday beach destinations of Playa del Inglés and Puerto Rico, the most upbeat and bustling, and the calmer Puerto de Mogán and San Agustín. Incredible natural scenery is easy to find – the Nublo rock (fifth picture), a splendid and unusual stone formation and viewing point, and the 'mini-desert' and dunes on the shores of Maspalomas.
Fuerteventura, the second-largest of the Canary Islands, is popular because its beaches are mostly white sand rather than volcanic, and because of its remote bays guarded by majestic cliffs. The desert-like Tindaya Mounain, with its 'wild west' appearance, ancient cave carvings, rambling routes and bird sanctuary, and Lobos Island, an uninhabited nature reserve and habitat for rare birds and the paradisical La Concha beach (first picture) should be top of your list on a visit there.
Tenerife, the biggest island in the region, needs little introduction – the Teide National Park, a volcano where you can walk into the crater and which is Spain's highest mountain at 3,718 metres – as high as the Andes – is in fact still active, but not expected to erupt for centuries. You can reach the summit by cable car, although if you're an experienced hiker, you could head for the Pico Viejo (literally, 'old peak') or go rambling in the Cinchado Rock area. Even non-ramblers should visit the latter, an iconic rock formation that resembles a series of towers and falls within the wider Teide National Park area. Although prices will be higher and crowds larger, visiting Tenerife during Carnival time – six weeks before Easter, so the date varies every year – is an explosion of colour, music, light and life that will send your senses into overdrive.
From Tenerife, you can take a ferry to the tiny island of La Gomera for the day – a rural, green enclave where natives still communicate using their ancient 'whistling' language.
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HOME to idyllic beaches, volcanoes, caves and some of the best weather in the country, the Canary Islands is also the best value-for-money destination in Spain, according to recent research.
And best of all, while the Mediterranean, Balearic Islands and south coast are now sliding towards a mild autumn – great weather for being outside, but not so much for topping up your tan or swimming in the sea – summer in the Canaries carries on longer.
Its climate is closer to that of central or southern Morocco, given that the region is geographically closer to the African continent – only 100 kilometres by sea from its coast – than to mainland Spain. This has long made the Canaries a popular autumn or spring destination for sunseekers, and even in winter, it is pleasant enough to enjoy its outdoor attractions without needing extra layers.
Lanzarote is the most economical destination in the region, according to the portal Vacaciones-España.es – hiring a car for a week comes in cheapest at €126, although outside of high season you can probably get even better deals, since motor rental firms have to pay for storage in winter if their vehicles are not let out, so they are only concerned with covering their costs.
A two-course meal for two comes in at about €12 per head, and theme parks and other attractions suitable for children and adults can cost as little as €18 for a family unit.
Gran Canaria – and the Costa Blanca, the coast of the Mediterranean province of Alicante – are the second- and third-cheapest holiday hotspots in Spain, although as regular visitors to the country know, 'cheap' does not mean 'bargain basement'; food, entertainment and accommodation are of a similar quality nationwide.
Travelling around
Transport in Lanzarote offers the best value for money, according to Vacaciones-España.es, with the cost of a one-way airport bus averaging €1.40 per person – although the maximum you'd ever have to pay anywhere in Spain would by the typical €18.80 from Almería airport to the coast.
Lanzarote – along with the Balearic island of Ibiza – have the cheapest taxi fares from airport to the main coastal resort areas, largely because of the short distance, being under 15 kilometres, and the lower price of petrol on Spain's islands. Taxi fares are normally set by town or city councils or regional governments, meaning travellers can get a price for their destination before setting off.
For car hire, Gran Canaria is even cheaper than Lanzarote, at an average of €100 a week, and Fuerteventura is third-cheapest at an average of €130 for a week.
The Canary Islands only come in the most expensive when it comes to family theme parks – joining the Costa Blanca – water parks in Tenerife would set you back an average of €128 for a family unit and Aqualandia and Mundomar in Benidorm, Alicante province around €112. If theme parks are top of your list for holiday fun, you may be better off heading to the Granada province coast, known as the Costa Tropical, the coast of the province of Cádiz, known as the Costa de la Luz, or that of Málaga, the Costa del Sol, where a family unit can get in for around €70 in total. Grown-ups seeking watery fun without kids in tow are recommended to head to Ibiza, or to the coast of the province of Murcia – the Costa Cálida – where an adult ticket costs just under €20.
Still, price aside, many of these huge leisure complexes are worth the visit. PortAventura on the Costa Daurada (Tarragona province) continues to be the most expensive in Spain at €57 per head, although your ticket also lets you into Ferrari World and the water park Caribe Aquàtic on the same day, so in practice, less than €20 per person for each centre provided you squash them all into 24 hours.
What else is there to do in the Canary Islands?
As Lanzarote is the cheapest holiday destination in Spain overall – unless you're heading for a theme park – you have the perfect excuse to take a tour around some of the Canary Islands' most breathtaking sights: the Timanfaya National Park (second picture), an eerie, volcanic landscape that makes you feel as though you're on the moon, is home to the only known geysers in Europe outside of Iceland, and the Los Verdes caves (third picture) with their underground pools and fascinating volcanic rock formations are an absolute must. Playa Blanca, which literally translates as 'White Beach', is made from golden sand imported from the Sahara desert and is close enough for you to wander around the lively and varied street market in Teguise.
Gran Canaria is home to the provincial and regional capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – a massive city which is worth exploring for its architecture (fourth picture), lively dining scene and brilliant shopping – as well as some of the better-known holiday beach destinations of Playa del Inglés and Puerto Rico, the most upbeat and bustling, and the calmer Puerto de Mogán and San Agustín. Incredible natural scenery is easy to find – the Nublo rock (fifth picture), a splendid and unusual stone formation and viewing point, and the 'mini-desert' and dunes on the shores of Maspalomas.
Fuerteventura, the second-largest of the Canary Islands, is popular because its beaches are mostly white sand rather than volcanic, and because of its remote bays guarded by majestic cliffs. The desert-like Tindaya Mounain, with its 'wild west' appearance, ancient cave carvings, rambling routes and bird sanctuary, and Lobos Island, an uninhabited nature reserve and habitat for rare birds and the paradisical La Concha beach (first picture) should be top of your list on a visit there.
Tenerife, the biggest island in the region, needs little introduction – the Teide National Park, a volcano where you can walk into the crater and which is Spain's highest mountain at 3,718 metres – as high as the Andes – is in fact still active, but not expected to erupt for centuries. You can reach the summit by cable car, although if you're an experienced hiker, you could head for the Pico Viejo (literally, 'old peak') or go rambling in the Cinchado Rock area. Even non-ramblers should visit the latter, an iconic rock formation that resembles a series of towers and falls within the wider Teide National Park area. Although prices will be higher and crowds larger, visiting Tenerife during Carnival time – six weeks before Easter, so the date varies every year – is an explosion of colour, music, light and life that will send your senses into overdrive.
From Tenerife, you can take a ferry to the tiny island of La Gomera for the day – a rural, green enclave where natives still communicate using their ancient 'whistling' language.
Related Topics
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