Canary Islands Tourism Guide - Canary Islands Family Holidays

Lanzarote Family Holidays

The three main resort areas in Lanzarote are Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca, and all three are perfect resorts for families, with Costa Teguise probably coming up tops. Puerto del Carmen is distinctly British, or popular with the Brits and has three very attractive beaches, the best of which is Playa Grande or Playa Blanca with its long expanse of golden sands, ample bars, cafes and restaurants adjacent and a choice of banana boat rides and watersports. If you're looking for a family friendly home from home then Puerto del Carmen fits the bill for the Brits, with a lively although not too wild nightlife and a choice of family restaurants from Italian to Chinese. A good base for families, couples and young groups and it benefits from a short transfer time from the airport.

Costa Teguise endeavours to be a little more upmarket. Ideal for family holidays, Costa Teguise has a choice of sheltered family beaches with calm waters. It's popular for its windsurfing, and with five glorious sandy beaches Costa Teguise offers a wide choice of watersports, numerous restaurants, bars and cafes, and is ideally close to some of the best places to visit on Lanzarote including the Manrique Foundation and inland Teguise's popular Sunday morning market. Costa Teguise is a laid back resort, ideal for families and couples looking for good beaches and quieter bars and restaurants.

Playa Blanca is an excellent choice for families, again with nice sheltered cove beaches, numerous resort amenities and a selection of boat trips, excursions and watersports. You've also easy access to boat trips across to Fuerteventura. Top of the family holiday charts on Lanzarote however has to be Costa Teguise - if you've young children especially you'll love the sheltered beaches, accessible promenade, choice of family restaurants and watersports and plenty of all inclusive family holiday hotels and apartment complexes here!

Gran Canaria Family Holidays

Gran Canaria is tops for family holiday attractions and family holiday resorts. Some of the best family holiday resorts across the Canaries are here, particularly the Puerto Rico area to the south west. A choice of family attractions and excursions are all easily accessible from the main resorts of Puerto Rico, Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles. Top attractions include Palmitos Park Maspalomas - a superb parrot and animal park, three huge waterparks, Sioux City Wild West Town, Quad Safaris, Camel Safaris, Mundo Aborigen Aborigines' world, Cactus and Crocodile Parks, and numerous catamaran rides, fishing trips, sky diving, paragliding, jeep safaris, go-karting and so on. Gran Canaria excursion and tour options you won't be short of!

The choice of family holiday resorts on Gran Canaria is ever increasing, and suburbs of the main existing resort push up the coast. To the south west side the big smoke is Puerto Rico - perhaps one of the best family holiday resorts on the island. There's more of a family bar and restaurant feel here, with a gentle sheltered beach perfect for family bathing. You can tap into any watersport activity you can think of here, from fun water rides to catamaran and fishing trips - sailing, fishing and catamaran trips are particularly popular here, and they tend to move up the pretty west coast towards Puerto Mogan.

Fuerteventura Family Holidays

Not renowned as a family holiday destination, Fuerteventura should be! Costa Calma to the south is one of the prettiest family holiday resorts across the Canaries, and Caleta de Fuste on the central east coast and Corralejo to the north are also both excellent family holiday resort locations with ample choice of family restaurants, safe sheltered beaches and a choice of watersports, diving and boat trips.

Costa Calma and Corralejo have the best of the family beaches - with Costa Calma particularly good. Corralejo benefits from a local little waterpark and easy access to pleasure boat trips to Los Lobos and Lanzarote. Costa Calma is growing, with beautiful beaches and lots of family watersports activity and a huge choice of all inclusive family holiday accommodation. Caleta de Fuste has a good manmade family beach, and diving excursions are particularly good here, with local golf also.

A selection of family attractions are situated on Fuerteventura including the Camel Safari and Oasis Animal Park near Costa Calma and the waterpark at Corralejo. Most family holiday activities though on Fuerteventura are based on the water, with everything from diving excursions, family windsurfing and surfing lessons, boat trips, catamaran sailing trips and fishing trips all available on this glorious beach focused island.

Tenerife Family Holidays

Tenerife family holiday attractions are numerous, with some of the best family holiday resorts across the Canary Islands situated here. Tenerife has continued to evolve with the times, and holiday demands, developing new waterparks (checkout the mammoth aquapark at Costa Adeje), popular animal parks, miniature villages, a choice of theme parks, family evening entertainment, karting circuits, quad safaris, Medieval and Mexican themed nights and more. It's all here in Tenerife, and plenty of choice of camel ride venues too.

Top family holiday resorts on Tenerife include Costa Adjede up the west coast a little from Playa de las Americas. Fine sheltered family beaches are here, plus family holiday attractons galore including a large waterpark, golf and leisure complexes, boat trips and watersports, family bars, restaurants and shopping centres and some pretty upmarket all inclusive family holiday accommodation!

Other family favourites on Tenerife include still Puerto de la Cruz to the north, with the top attraction Loro Park (animal park) based here as well as the popular Martinez salwater swimming pool complex on the coast. Los Cristianos and indeed quieter parts of Playa de las Americas are still popular for family holidays. Los Cristianos is a superb budget family holiday base with great accessible sheltered beaches, a choice of boat trips and watersports plus easy access to La Gomera day trips from Los Cristianos port.

If you're looking for more of a family watersports base on Tenerife, look to Los Gigantes and Costa del Silencio - both are excellent for boat trips and diving excursions. El Medano is superb for family windsurfing and kitesurfing.

West Canary Island Family Activity Adventure Holidays

Families with older children looking to move away from the all inclusive Canary Islands package holiday might want to consider one (or indeed all three) of the West Canary Islands - La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro as a holiday destination. Of all three La Palma is a good half way house, with good resort amenities at both Los Cancajos and Puerto Naos, but with ample opportunity to access sublime walking territory in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.

Second best for family activity holidays will be La Gomera. Valle Gran Rey, San Sebastian and Playa Santiago all have good basic facilities, including pleasant beaches, plenty of bars and restaurants and good accommodation choice. La Gomera's Garajonay National Park is ideal for families as it's an accessible National Park with clearly marked trails, plenty of guided walks available and a choice of shorter and less demanding walks. There's a golf course on La Gomera too (near the airport and Playa Santiago) and it's within easy access to Tenerife and Los Cristianos if you fancy accessing the lively family holiday waterparks and facilities in Tenerife's southern resorts!

El Hierro is probably the least appealing of all the Canary Islands for family holidays - preferable as a tranquil retreat and for keen walkers. Beaches are few here, and it's hiking, hiking and more hiking on the menu.