Amongst the islands there are eight airports so you’ll always be able to get to exactly where you want to go.

Tenerife coastline, Canary Islands, Spain by Mate Marschalko

Environment

The islands are the only place in Spain where volcanic eruptions have taken place in the modern era. Their volcanis origins have created some stunning, landscapes and coves. This combined with the climate have made them prime real estate for tourist orientated developments. Their position off the northwest coast of Africa means that they can have sunshine all year around. Despite their proximity, these islands have their own specific characters and climates.

Beaches

If it’s the classic holiday line-up of sun, sea and sand that you are looking for then this is the place to go. There are more than 1500km of beaches between the seven islands. You can stay within touch of the tourist areas with easy access to food and bars and sun loungers or drift further afield.

The Sotavento on Fuerteventura is a stretch that goes on for 17 miles on the south-east coast of the island. Here it is easy to find expanses of deserted land. Here the sea is warm all year around so is perfect for floating and enjoying the sun.

While these golden sands are what many people desire there is more variety to the beaches on these islands. El Golfo on Lanzarote has black volcanic sand and a green lagoon making it striking to look at. More volcanic sand can be found at El Bollullo, Tenerife with a stunning surrounding of Volcanic rocks.

You can also indulge in a number of water sports with the winds and waves making these seas perfect for Kite surfing.

El Golfo on Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain by Moni Sertel

Nightlife

With a variety of islands you get a variety of nightlife opportunities. Gran Canaria and Tenerife offer much more of a party atmosphere with Gran Canaria’s Playa del Ingles the party capital of the islands with bars, clubs and restaurants. It is easy to see why this is the destination of choice for groups of young people going looking for a cheap holiday abroad.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are much more family orientated with much of the entertainment contained within resorts with child friendly bars and entertainment that everyone can enjoy.

With so many holiday experiences available, the Canary Islands are the perfect location to create a holiday tailored to your specific needs.

Catherine Halsey writes for a digital marketing agency on a range of subjects. This article was written on behalf of Voyager Travel Direct.

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Flamenco dance by Flavio (back for a while…)

Types

The first thing that most of us associate with the flamenco tradition is castanets and brightly coloured dresses but these are just two of the elements which make up a flamenco performance. As well as the dancing and castanets, flamenco performers will also sing, clap their hands along with the music and play on the traditional style Alhambra guitar. Flamenco has its roots in the Romany gypsy culture of the southern part of Spain, and the city which is the spiritual home to flamenco performers is Seville.

Performers

The flamenco tradition is alive and kicking throughout Spain but still predominates in the south. Informally, at many weddings you can expect to see an uncle get out one of his Alhambra guitars and start to strum a few chords, accompanied by another family member on vocals. There are also many professional flamenco performers, the best of which have the star status usually afforded to pop stars or movie stars. The genre of flamenco has developed over the years and there are many different styles of the music and dancing, some forming crossovers with other art forms such as ballet or tap dancing.

Duende

The key to a good flamenco performance is “duende” a Spanish word which is roughly translated as soul or passion. Flamenco performers put incredible passion into their performances and try to convey the words of the singer through the dance movements. In traditional flamenco performances maturity is an advantage as it is thought that the “duende” develops with age and that teenagers and young adults do not have sufficient life experience to interpret the moves properly. Flamenco in Spain is therefore very popular with dancers in their 30s, 40s or even older.

Experiencing Flamenco

Perhaps the best flamenco experiences are when you stumble across a bar in a remote village and hear the strains of the Alhambra classical guitar coming from inside. Most visitors to Spain are not so lucky, and it can be difficult to find a performance which is authentic and not simply tailored to tourists’ tastes. Going by car to one of the larger towns and cities away from the coast can make it easier to find somewhere, or ask the staff members at your holiday accommodation to recommend somewhere with an authentic feel to it. Some of the best known and most professional flamenco performances are booked up months in advance, so investigate what is due to be happening before you make your holiday plans. If you get bitten by the flamenco bug, there always classes in the UK which will teach you the basics.

Excellent Spanish guitars, ideal for Flamenco, include the stunning Alhambra guitar which can be found at London Guitar Studio’s wonderful online store.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Marcel Janus

The area is popular tourist destination thanks to the beautiful countryside and unspoilt nature. Allgäu Alps with an altitude reaching more than 2000 metres above sea level are popular places for winter sports. Its highest point is Großer Krottenkopf with the hight of 2,656 metres above sea level, however, Nebelhorn is the most famous peak reaching an attidue of 2,224 metres.

Allgäu is one of the most popular tourist areas and winter resorts in Germany. For Alpine skiing lovers, there is a large selection of well groomed slopes – and it does not matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced skier with high demands. Most of the slopes are artificially cared and such they have enough snow until the end of March. After skiing you can drink in one of the cozy cottages, cafes and pubs, or lately at night in one of clubs.

You can choose from a number of skiing resorts that include Adelharz-Breitenstein Lifte, Alpsee Bergwelt, Balderschwang, Bolsterlang/Hornergruppe, Breitenberg, Buronlifte Wertach, Fellhorn – Kanzelwand, Grasgehrenlifte, Grunten, Halblech, Hornergruppe/Fischen, Hörnle, Hündle-Thalkirchdorf, Luggi-Leitner-Lifte Scheidegg, Oberjoch Bad Hindelang, Oberstdorf/ Nebelhorn, Oberstdorf/Sollereck – Hollwies, Ofterschwang, Scheidegg, Schwäbeleholz / Sonthofen, Steibis, Steibis-Hochgrat, Tegelberg, Thalerhöhe Skilifte, Weiler/Simmerberg.

In the eastern part of the Allgäu is located famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Allgäu is also known for the dairy industry. One of the best known product is Hirtenkäse – herdsman’s cheese.

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