Travel

The Fascinating Islands - Canary Islands

The Islands Of The Canary Islands:

5. La Palma:
La Palma is also one of the seven major islands of the canary islands and is also referred to as la Isla de La Palma. The island is of volcanic origin and is the fifth largest of the Canary Islands. The volcano rises almost 7 km above the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of La Palma is Santa Cruz de la Palma which is also the main port of the island. The island is served by the La Palma Airport. The most famous structures of La Palma are the minas galerias (water tunnels) which carry the water from sources in the mountains to cities, villages and farms (mainly banana plantations). The northern part of La Palma is dominated by the Caldera de Taburiente which is surrounded by a ring of mountains ranging from 1600 m to 2400 m in height. Only the deep Barranco de las Angustias ("Valley of Fear") canyon leads into the inner area of the caldera which is a national park. The southern part of La Palma is dominated by the Cumbre Vieja, a volcanic ridge formed by numerous volcanic cones built of lava and scoria.

6. La Gomera:
In area, La Gomera is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of the Canary Islands. The island is of volcanic origin and roughly circular in shape split in half and then divided into segments, which has left deep ravines or barrancos between them. These barrancos, in turn, are covered by the laurisilva - or laurel rain forest. The upper reaches of this densely forested area form the protected environment of Spain's Garajonay National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The local wine is very distinctive as is the whistled language which is is indigenous to the island.

7. El Hierro:
It is the smallest and furthest south and west of the Canary Islands and is also known as Isla del Meridiano (the "Meridian Island"). It is served by a small airport, El Hierro Airport at Valverde and a ferry terminal, both of which connect to Tenerife. This mountainous island is home to many unique flora and fauna, for example, the El Hierro Giant Lizard is a inhabitant of this island.

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How To Get To Canary Islands