Hotels in Spain’s Canary Islands
Choosing Your Perfect Vacation Resort
Attractive modern resorts are inexpensive, and restaurants, sports, children's programs and even their own grocery stores make them a perfect base for touring an island.
Most travelers who go to the Canary Islands spend a full week. Located off the coast of North Africa, this archipelago of volcanic islands is too far from anywhere to make a good weekend trip.
And because each island is small enough to tour and enjoy from a single base, hotels are geared to one-week stays. Traditionally a budget-to-moderate-cost destination, the Canary Islands seem to specialize in self-catering lodgings, where guests have a small kitchen and can prepare some of their own meals.
These bungalow resorts often have their own little grocery stores, well-stocked with the most common breakfast, lunch and snack items, and at prices competitive to independent grocery stores. Along with stores, the larger resorts also have restaurants, entertainment programs, play grounds and, of course, swimming pools.
So well equipped are some of these that many British families spend an entire week and only rarely leave the compound. But the prices of these resorts, especially on the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, are so reasonable that they make good bases for travelers intent on seeing all the islands have to offer, even if they do not intend to use the facilities at all. It is not unusual to find suites with bedroom, living room, kitchenette, dining area and balcony or terrace priced between $50 and $70 a night in the mid-winter high season.
The best way to find these lodgings is to check one of the many internet lodging sites, entering the name of the island – Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria or Tenerife – and browsing the selections. Many sites include reader comments, and you’ll be amazed at how detailed these can be. Of course, you’ll want to read all the comments, because one man’s paradise is another’s nightmare.
For example, one contributor may complain at the number of children in the public areas of a particular resort, but if you are traveling with your own children, that might tell you that the resort caters to kids and yours will find activities there. After reading a few, you will begin to see patterns and be able to tell which resort is best for you.
You can also go directly to the websites of resorts you find listed in guidebooks, such as Thomas Cook’s Travellers Lanzarote & Fuerteventura. Or you can book lodging through the website of the Spanish Tourist Office, by clicking the Canary islands on the map and choosing the island you want to visit.
