fell. Tenerife capitulated last of all, with the mighty volcano of El Teide grumbling throughout. Many Guanches were slaughtered or enslaved, but some entered into treaties, converted to Christianity and inter-married. They lost their land and freedom, but their blood flows in the veins of native Canarios.
The Canary Islands were visited by Christopher Columbus on his voyage of discovery in 1492. Subsequently they were used as stepping stones to the Americas, and many Canarios emigrated. The islands were exposed and not always defended with military might; they were subject to pirate raids, endured disputes with the Portuguese, were attacked by the British and suffered wavering economic fortunes.
The original Guanche inhabitants of the Canary Islands fiercely resisted the Conquest
There was constant rivalry between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with the entire island group being governed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 1808, before Santa Cruz de Tenerife became the capital in 1822. In 1927 the Canary Islands were divided into two provinces – Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The Torre del Conde in San Sebastián on La Gomera is one of the oldest remaining buildings
In the early 20th century the military governor of the Canary Islands, General Franco, departed for North Africa to launch a military coup. This marked the onset of the infamous Civil War, leading to the creation of the Spanish Republic, and was followed by a long repressive dictatorship. The Canary Islands remained free of the worst strife of the Civil War, but also became something of a backwater. It was largely as a result of Franco’s later policies that the Canary Islands were developed in the 1960s as a major destination for northern Europeans.
Since 1982 the islands have been an autonomous region and there have been calls for complete independence from Spain. The islanders regard themselves as ‘Canarios’ first and ‘Spanish’ second, although they are also fiercely loyal to their own particular islands, towns and villages.
Getting there
There are no direct flights from the UK to La Gomera or El Hierro, but both islands are served from Tenerife and Gran Canaria. There are plenty of options for flying to Tenerife, scheduled or charter, from a range of British and European airports. The hardest part is checking all the ‘deals’ to find an airport, operator, schedules and prices that suit. Most international flights land at Tenerife Sur, but inter-island flights operate from Tenerife Norte. Transferring between airports can be expensive and time-consuming, and it may be easier to catch the next ferry.
Frequent, fast and cheap TITSA buses link Tenerife Sur with Los Cristianos, and the taxi fare is reasonable. If a night’s accommodation is needed at Los Cristianos, there are large hotels that often have vacancies outside peak periods, such as the Sol Arona Tenerife. The bus stops, main hotels and ferryport are all within easy walking distance of each other. Two ferry companies operate to La Gomera: Lineas Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas. The only ferry company serving El Hierro is Naviera Armas.
When to go
Most people visit the Canary Islands in summer, but it is usually too hot for walking. Winter weather is often good, but on the small islands of La Gomera and El Hierro there is frequent cloud cover on the highest parts, and occasional rain. Spring weather is sunny and clear; the vegetation is fresh and features an amazing wealth of flowers. Autumn weather is often good, but the vegetation often seems rather scorched after the summer.
Accommodation
Most visitors to the Canary Islands opt for a package deal, so they are tied to a single accommodation base in a faceless resort. This is far from ideal and a base in the ‘wrong’ place can make it difficult to get to and from walking routes. Package deals are seldom available on the islands of La Gomera and El Hierro; however, out of season, walkers would have little problem turning up unannounced at hotels and pensións, or booking at the last minute on accommodation websites such as www.airbnb.com or www.booking.com. Wild camping is technically illegal, but it does take place.
The higher parts of La Gomera and El Hierro catch the clouds, especially in the winter months
Health and safety
There are no nasty diseases on the Canary Islands, or, at least, nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Water on La Gomera and El Hierro is either drawn from rainfall, or generated by the laurisilva cloud forests. It soaks into the ground, is filtered through thick beds of volcanic ash and emerges pure and clean, perfectly safe to drink. Bottled water is available if you prefer, but buy it cheaply from supermarkets rather than at considerable expense from bars. There are no snakes, no stinging insects worse than honey-bees, and there are always warning signs near hives. Don’t annoy dogs and they won’t annoy you. Dogs that are likely to bite are nearly always tethered, so keep away.
In case of a medical emergency, dial 112 for an ambulance. In case of a non-emergency, all islands have hospitals, health centres (Centro de Salud) and chemists (Farmacia). If treatment is required, EU citizens should present their European Health Insurance Card, while British citizens should check arrangements following Brexit.
Food and drink
Every town and most of the villages throughout the Canary Islands have bars. Most bars also double as cafés or restaurants, often serving tapas, which are often in glass cabinets, so you can point to the ones you want to eat. There are also shops, selling local and imported foodstuffs. Always make the effort to sample local fare, which is often interesting and very tasty. The availability of refreshments is mentioned on every walking trail, but bear in mind that opening hours are variable. Some shops take a very long lunch break, and not all businesses are open every day of the week. Some shops are closed all weekend, or at least half of Saturday and all of Sunday.
Language
Castilian Spanish is spoken throughout the Canary Islands, although in most resorts and large hotels there are English and German speakers. Those who travel to remote rural parts will need at least a few basic phrases of Spanish. Anyone with any proficiency in Spanish will quickly realise that the Canarios have their own accent and colloquialisms. For instance, the letter ‘s’ often vanishes from the middle or end of words, to be replaced by a gentle ‘h’, or even a completely soundless gap. ‘Los Cristianos’, for example, becomes ‘Loh Critiano’. A bus is referred to as an autobus in Spain, but as a guagua throughout the Canary Islands. Some natives may seize the opportunity to practise their English with you, while others may be puzzled by your command of Spanish. No matter how bad you think you sound, you will not be the worst they’ve heard!
Money
The Euro is the currency of the Canary Islands. Large denomination Euro notes are difficult to use for small purchases, so avoid the €500 and €200 notes altogether, and avoid the €100 notes if you can. The rest are fine: €50, €20, €10 and €5. Coins come in €2 and €1. Small denomination coins come in values of 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c and 1c. Banks and ATMs are mentioned where they occur, if cash is needed. Many accommodation providers accept major credit and debit cards, as will large supermarkets, but small bars, shops and cafés deal only in cash.
Communications
All the towns and some of the villages have post offices (Correos) and public telephones. Opening times for large post offices are usually 0830–1430 Monday to Friday, 0930–1300 Saturday, closed
