Tenerife Holidays: Discover The History Of The Canaries

January 26th, 2012 | admin | Travel, Vacation

Bathed in year-round sunshine, the Canaries’ beach resorts attract millions of holidaymakers each year. But the Canaries have so much more to offer than beach resorts, the islands are chalk of geology and history lessons. A series of volcanic eruptions have shaped the islands since ancient times and the evidence is etched on the landscape in the form of lava fields, dormant volcanoes and geological marvels. Tourists on Tenerife holidays
will have the opportunity to uncover the ancient history of this island through their exploration of the landscapes as well as well as through museums and archaeological
sites.

Tenerife is a haven for geology and history lovers. It is home to one of the world’s largest volcanoes – known as Mount Teide. Mount Teide is surrounded by a national park full of curious
rock formations formed and by the many years of volcanic eruptions. It is also scattered with around 1000 archaeological sites relating to the island’s earliest known people – the Guanche – who lived in the Canaries from 500BC onwards.

On GranCanaria holidays, visit the ancient site of Cueva Pintada to learn more about the history of the Guanche people. Visitors can learn all about the Guanche way of life in the museum which displays tools and pottery uncovered from the excavation, and explains how they carved beds, tables and seats out of their rocky surroundings. Gran Canaria is an ideal location for winter holidays if you enjoy a spot of sightseeing– the weather is warm but not stifling and the island’s history is present in everything from the rocks to the Spanish colonial architecture.

On the eastern fringe of the Canaries, Lanzarote is also a fantastic place to visit for geology and history buffs. The sleepy seaside town of Teguise is overlooked by an extinct volcano topped by the oldest fortress in the Canaries. Visitors have the opportunity to visit the watch tower, wander around fortifications, and enjoy the beautiful views of the island. But Lanzarote’s main highlight is the magnificent Timanfaya National Park, where the landscape appears to be frozen in time.