History of the Canary Islands
The origins of the Canary Islands are by no means clear, the islands are estimated to be around 30 million years old. The Canarian archipelago is made up of seven islands and six islets, located approximately 100km off the cost of North Africa.

Legend has it the Canary Islands were formed when the mythical continent of Atlantis sank into the ocean. In the Roman times Pilny referred to the Islands as the “fortunate Isles”, due to the favourable winds and stable climate conditions. The Canary Islands were declared a province of Spain in 1821, and Tenerife’s Santa Cruz was made the capital. Feuds were formed between Tenerife and Gran Canaria until Madrid took the decision to split the Islands into two provinces. Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro make up one province while Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote make up the other. Tourism was encouraged to mainland Spain in the late 1960’s. This has had a knock on effect towards the Canary Islands, which has gained more and more popularity with tourists for their year round good weather. Millions of holiday makers now flock to the Islands every year.

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