When to go
You can visit the Canary Islands
throughout the year, since they have a very mild climate.
However, from mid-October to April, some cloudy days can occur, as well as a bit of wind and rain.
Also, in
winter, temperatures tend to drop, reaching 21/22 °C (70/72 °F), and sometimes less, on the coasts from January to March.
Northern European tourists also swim in this period, and in any case, you can find many pleasant days, in which you can sunbathe, even in the middle of winter.
For a beach holiday, you can therefore choose the period from
May to mid-October, although the sea is still cool in May, and will warm up gradually in the following months.
In
summer, the sky is often cloudy on the north coast of Tenerife (see Garachico, Puerto de la Cruz) and of Gran Canaria (see Las Palmas). Furthermore, this is the season when the wind is more intense in windy areas (see Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, southeast coast of Tenerife). Therefore, for a beach holiday, you can choose the south-west coast of Tenerife (see Los Cristianos, Las Americas) and the south coast of Gran Canaria (see Maspalomas).
We remind you that in the Canary Islands there is a certain
delay in the seasons due to the maritime climate, so that in March the climate is still very similar to winter, while in September it is still summery.
What to pack
In
winter: bring light clothes for the day, a sweater and a jacket for the evening, and possibly a raincoat or umbrella. To climb mountains, and in particular Mount Teide, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, hiking shoes.
In
summer: bring summer clothes, but also a light sweatshirt, a light jacket for the evening and for windy afternoons; comfortable shoes for hiking. For Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, a light scarf for the wind and the wind-borne desert sand and dust. To climb mountains, and in particular Mount Teide, hiking shoes, a sweatshirt and a jacket for the highest elevations.
Back to the climate of
Canary Islands