Golf holidays in Canaries
The Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco, are just a four hour flight from the UK. Being so close, these Spanish islands have become a magnet for British golfers who can play their favourite game at any time of the year due to the sunny climate and consistent all year round temperatures.
Each of the seven islands is different. Tenerife and Gran Canaria are the largest and offer the golfer a good variety of courses and the smaller islands like La Gomera are also worth a visit on a golf free day. The Canaries offer a wide variety of activities to suit all ages from water-sports to dolphin watching, Jeep safaris, hang-gliding, sailing, tennis, coastal walking as well as golf.
Tenerife is the largest of the seven islands and the most popular. It boasts two international airports and six 18 hole courses which is also why it is a favourite among golfers. Four of the excellent courses are in the south of the island and there are two more in the north, so wherever you choose to stay none of the courses are too far away. Tenerife is also famous for its lively nightlife. Just great for golfers who like to party in the evenings!
Gran Canaria is also known as 'the Small Continent' because of its varied landscape with mountains, deserts and tropical forests. You can even lie on a wide sandy beach and look up at the snow lying on the mountain tops at times. Four of its six courses lie at the southern end of the island and this includes the famous Maspalomas course surrounded by sand dunes. The oldest golf club in Spain lies further north next to an extinct volcano and is well worth visiting for the fantastic views it affords.
Fuerteventura, with its volcanic landscapes and delightful white sand beaches, now boasts two 18 hole courses located close together making it a good location for a golf holiday.
Whether you choose to spend your golfing holiday in Gran Canaria, Tenerife or Fuerteventura, you will be sure to have a very enjoyable golfing holiday in the Canaries
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Tenerife
Lying off the North coast of Africa, Tenerife is an island of sharp contrasts and boasts a warm climate that varies only slightly throughout the year. The largest of the Canary islands, Tenerife is divided by the dormant Mount Teide volcano which causes the difference in climate between the lush north and the dry, sunny south.
The south of the island is dominated by the three main resorts of Los Cristianos, Playa de las Americas and Costa Adeje. Playa de las Americas is the place to go if you want lively night-life whilst Los Cristianos, originally a fishing village, is more sophisticated and traditional. Costa Adeje is a quieter resort and boasts some very good hotels as well as its own selection of bars and restaurants. Beach lovers are more than adequately catered for with sandy beaches, some with dark volcanic sands whilst others have imported white sand. Four excellent courses provide a wide variety of golf and are all within just 20 minutes of the resorts.
Puerto de la Cruz, in the north of the island, is an interesting town with much to see and do including the famous Lido and the Botanical gardens. In sharp contrast to the South this area is lush and green and boast two excellent courses, the oldest course on the Island, Real club de Tenerife and the islands newest course, Buenavista.
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is one of the largest of the Canary Islands, called 'the Small Continent' because of its very varied landscape. In just one day visitors can experience lush forests, exotic flora and fauna, desert like dunes, mountain peaks, volcanic craters, beautiful coastlines and great beaches.The climate is just perfect with year round moderate temperatures ensuring that golfers can play comfortably at any time of the year.
The capital of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, with its wealth of history and architecture is definitely worth a visit on a day off or you could spend time relaxing on the wonderful white sand dunes of the famous Maspalomas beach. But if you prefer to get away from the crowds, there are plenty of other places to explore around the island. Search out the villages hidden in deep ravines or find the old volcanic craters and don't miss the dunes of Maspalomas Natural Park where you can even take a ride on a camel! For the more active there are mountain bikes for hire or try sailing or diving, all available around the coast.
Then, of course, there is the golf! Gran Canaria now boasts four great 18 hole courses, an excellent 18 hole par 3 and more courses on the way. The first ever golf course in Spain was built on Gran Canaria in 1891, so the tradition is strong!
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands, and is a paradise for beach and water sports lovers with its long beaches and great Atlantic waves. Much of the protected interior of the island is characterised by large plains, lavascapes and volcanic mountains and with the many white sand beaches and golden sand dunes just beg to be explored.
Golfers can now enjoy two 18 hole courses on the island, both in the Antigua region. Fuerteventura Golf opened in 2002 and Salinas de Antigua is the latest course to be built, both courses being of championship standard. The three excellent hotels close by make a great base for a good golfing holiday and the airport is less than 10 minutes away.
The island enjoys 3,000 hours of sunshine a year with temperatures that rarely fall below 18C or rise above 24C and there is a steady cooling breeze that is just perfect for a warm yet comfortable golfing holiday at any time of the year./
