BSAC TRAVEL CLUB - The Canary Islands

TRAVEL CLUB

The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands lie in the Atlantic and enjoy a warm climate, clear water and dramatic, volcanic scenery that extends underwater to form caves, tunnels and sheer walls. The mild winters make the islands a year - round diving destination.
The islands are widely known as cheap tourist resorts but also have a less well known culture of their own. They also boast some excellent dive sites and a growing number of dive operators. All islands offer diving although Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife are the most well known. Diving conditions are generally very easy and the Canaries are well - suited to training and mixed - ability groups. Visibility is generally very good, in the 20 - 30 m range. The sea is populated by a wide variety of fish life, rays being particularly common.

Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and the most popular with UK tourists. with an impressive and varied coastline. Diving is conducted all around the impressive and varied coastline. The south coast boasts the major tourist resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas while the north and west are greener and less - developed. Tenerife is well - known for its beaches and water sports but the centre of the island is a national park centred on the volcanic landscape around Mount Teide. The summit of the mountain is accessible by cable car and offers superb views.
A variety of dive sites offer spectacular volcanic terrain, caves and caverns and a wide range of sealife including wrasse, lobster, octopus, jacks, barracuda and eels. There are several wrecks around the coast including some deliberately sunk to form dive sites. At some sites it is possible to hand feed rays.
One of the most popular sites is Los Chuchos where eagle rays and stingrays are fed at a depth of 20 metres with other fish, including angel sharks, looking on.

Lanzarote
The most easterly of the islands, Lanzarote is another well - developed and popular tourist destination. Most tourist resorts are situated in the south coast towns of Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Arrecife.
The dive sites on Lanzarote mirror the resort towns being mainly along the south coast. Much diving is conducted at Puerto del Carmen where an easy beach entry offers access to a steep wall, and further south at the old harbour where a number of wrecks have been deliberately sunk. Small boats can take divers to more remote reefs a little distance off shore.

Gran Canaria
The most popular resorts in Gran Canaria cluster along the south coast in Playa del Ingles, Maspalomas and Puerto Rico.
Most dive centres are also based along the south coast offering easy shore and boat dives with wrecks and caverns. Some of the best dive sites are found in the northeast at Las Palmas and on the east coast at the El Cabron marine reserve near Arinaga. At Mogan Wrecks, near Puerto Morgan, two wrecks in 18 metres have a wide range of sealife and are the main attractions for the tourist submarine - an unusual buddy for your logbook. Reef diving around the island offers the chance to encounter a diverse range of sealife including stingrays, eels and barracuda.

Fuerteventura
Just a few miles south of Lanzarote is the windy island of Fuerteventura, popular with windsurfers and lovers of white sandy beaches. Another volcanic island, the interior is desert - like and it is possible to take camel rides around the volcanic centre.
Diving is concentrated in the south-east at Jandia and Corralejo. Diving is relatively easy with many sites between 15 - 20 metres. Marine life includes barracuda, octopus, moray eels, rays and scorpionfish.

La Palma
The greenest of the Canaries, La Palma is dominated by the volcanic crater of Caldera de Taburiente within the huge national park.
Many travellers stay on the east coast in Santa Cruz or Los Cancajos and diving is undertaken in the east and south. Diving is relatively easy and the sealife includes grouper, barracuda and trumpet fish.

La Gomera
Gomera is relatively remote and correspondingly relatively tourist - free. Accessible by ferry from Tenerife, an airport has also recently been built and tourist numbers may increase.
The most popular resorts are at Valle Gran Rey on the west coast and San Sebastian on the east with the smaller Playa de Santiago in the south. All 3 resorts offer boat diving, most sites being only a few minutes' travel from the German - run dive centres. Underwater, the scenery reflects the volcanic island with caverns and overhangs. Sealife includes trumpet fish, roncadoras, turkish wrasse, octopus, nudibranches, stingrays, electric ray, star puffers, parrotfish, moray eels, groupers, shrimps, lobsters, blennies, arrowhead crabs, damselfish, garden eels, goatfish, lizardfish, scorpionfish, fireworms, sea cucumber, anemone's, corals and sponges.

El Hierro
The smallest of the islands, El Hierro is only accessible by ferry from Tenerife. The island is dominated by impressive mountains, pine forest and small villages while lacking sandy beaches. Relatively undeveloped, there are few major hotels with accommodation tending to be in self - catering apartments or small guesthouses. Beware that English is not widely spoken.
Diving is from centres on La Restinga, a town on the south coast and within the marine park. Dive sites are reached by small boat and feature the typical Atlantic fish types, including rays.

Diving Conditions and Weather
Diving takes place al, year round although UK divers often consider the islands to be good for winter diving. Land temperatures vary between 23°C in winter to 35°C in high summer. Water temperatures vary from 17 - 24° and a 5 mm wetsuit is recommended, even in summer, with 7 mm semi - drysuits or drysuits being the norm in winter.

Precautions
The Canary islands tend to be centred around tall volcanoes, many of which form the basis of day trips. Beware of the potential impact of these large changes in altitude when planning subsequent dives.

Getting There
The larger islands are served by flights from the UK by many airlines. Package tours are plentiful and relatively cheap and may represent better value for money that attempting to arrange flights and accommodation separately. Travel to the smaller islands will involve additional organisation and time.

Where to Stay
The larger islands offer a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets. Smaller islands are more limited in choice.

Currency
The Euro.

Worldwise
Divers are required by law to have medical insurance cover for recompression therapy. Check your insurance.

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