CANARY ISLANDS (Spain)

This paradisiac group of islands, with a preferred climate and constant temperature through all the year, and splendid beaches of fine sand, consists of 7 larger islands (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, Hierro) and a few smaller ones (Alegranza, Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste und Lobos). Surprisingly, the landscape of each island is radically different to the others. The islands each have a volcanic geography and character of their own, either barren, sun-baked desert and jagged rocks, or vineyards, plantations and lush vegetation. Tenerife, for example, has both - verdant and green in the north but seismic in the south, with its famous black sand beaches.

The result of such diversity is that the traveller has a choice of islands to suit their tastes and needs. If craving safety in numbers, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria have acres of bars, beaches and resorts filled with the young and young-at-heart.

Alternatively, you can head for the hills in search of solitude. If you need to step outside for some air, four of Spain's national parks are located here, and agroturismo is slowly taking hold, renovating charming farmhouses and protecting the stunning variety of plants and birdlife that can be discovered by interested walkers.

Spain's highest mountain, the magnificent Pico del Teide , soars up above Tenerife to a lofty 3,718m (12,198ft), a stout four-hour climb. Fuerteventura is a surreal mixture of stunning beaches that draw windsurfers like moths to a flame (its name doesn't mean 'strong winds' for nothing), and a varied interior of desert and gentle plains inviting the hardy to explore.