Island Guides
Tenerife
Tenerife, the ‘Island of Eternal Spring’ is the largest of the Canary Islands, and a popular holiday destination for all nationalities. The popularity of the island increases further with the rise in holiday home ownership and buy to let investments and now offers visitors a wider range of apartments to rent and villas to rent direct from the owners.
Direct flights from the UK and other countries to Reina Sofia Airport in the South of Tenerife have increased with the introduction of budget airlines, making the island more accessible and more appealing to thousands of holidaymakers throughout the year. Taxi transfer from the airport to apartment rentals or villa rentals are available from just outside the arrivals lounge and buses are available to most of the resorts.
A large percentage of apartments to rent in Tenerife are conveniently located on complexes in the resorts, so that visitors can make the most of their holiday and the facilities that are available close by. Some of the complexes are like tiny villages that offer a wide and varied selection of facilities to ensure visitors enjoy their stay and want to return the following year. Communal swimming pools, pool bars and sun bathing terraces come as standard on many of these complexes, however it is not uncommon for these apartments for rent in Tenerife to benefit from 24hr reception, a supermarket, nightly entertainment and restaurants. The apartments, themselves, offer good basic accommodation to luxurious home from home comforts, sea and/or mountain views and the opportunity to experience life on the ‘Island of Eternal Spring’
Villas to rent in Tenerife offer a little bit more seclusion and privacy even in the busiest resorts and often benefit from having their own private swimming pool. This type of property can be found in the larger towns for visitors who want a central location with no need to hire a car, however, there are villas for rent in other towns and popular resorts that offer peace and tranquility but are only a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of the main resorts.
The beaches from Los Cristianos to La Caleta (Costa Adeje) are connected by a long and winding promenade that offers a multitude of bars and restaurants with terraces overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Sun beds and parasols are available for hire on the beaches and a wide and varied selection of water sports and other activities are available to keep the whole family entertained.
The port in Los Cristianos and the marina in Puerto Colon (Torviscas) offer a good selection of boat trips, including dolphin and whale watching and fishing. The island of La Gomera is only 35minutes away by ferry from Los Cristianos.
The island has a good transport system that makes getting around easy and enjoyable. Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas have main bus stations where you can get a bus to the other resorts and Santa Cruz, the islands capital. Taxi’s are plentiful and work around the clock. Out of town attractions, including, Siam Park, Aqua land, Jungle Park and Go-Karting offer a free bus service from designated pick-up points and coach excursions are available to Mount Teide and Loro Park in Puerto de la Cruz. The island is popular with golfers who benefit from world class golf courses and an ideal year round climate. Don't overlook the obvious when it comes to your holiday in the Canary Islands. Packing is important and we have a check list to make your life that bit easier! See how tempting Tenerife can be!
Lanzarote
Lanzarote, the Canary Island known for its lunar landscape, is a beautiful island that enjoys a warm climate all year round and is the ideal holiday destination for a winter sun break or a summer break. As with all the Canary Islands, many of the holiday apartments to rent and villas to rent have private owners who are happy to share their own piece of paradise with visitors to the island. Apartment rentals and villa rentals can be found in all the major resorts as well as the smaller towns and villages and are available direct from the owner.
The Airport at Arrecife (capital city), is known locally as ‘Guacimeta’ and is approximately 15 minutes from Costa Teguise, 20 minutes from Puerto del Carmen and 45 minutes from Playa Blanca. Direct flights from UK airports and other international airports around the world has made this island very accessible, and taxi transfers to apartment rentals and villa rentals are available around the clock.
The great benefit to this island, is that local building regulation prevents the development of skyscrapers and that the style of buildings are sympathetic to the natural beauty of the island. Apartments to rent in Lanzarote make great self catering holidays and are beautifully maintained, not just by the owners, but every complex has its own maintenance team who ensure that the communal areas are well kept and that swimming pools are in pristine condition. Apartment rentals offer a good base from which to explore the island, and after a hard days traveling offer a great place to relax and unwind.
Villas to rent in Lanzarote offer peace and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the busier resorts, many have the added benefit of having private swimming pools, purpose built barbeques and all the mod cons one would expect from villa rentals. This type of property can also be found close to the golf resort in Costa Teguise which is perfect for golf enthustiasts and their families.
There are some beautiful black sand and golden sand beaches with sun beds and parasols for hire and a wide and varied selection of water sports and other activities. The beach known as ‘Playa Grande’ in Puerto del Carmen is the largest on the island. Playa Chica in the old town of Puerto del Carmen is a beautiful picturesque beach with plenty of water sports on offer. The beach in Costa Teguise known as Las Cucharus provides windsurfers with the perfect conditions in which to enjoy their sport and sun worshippers can top up their tan in the peace and tranquility. Papagayo is where you will find the most beautiful beaches, accessible by dirt tracks and a small entrance fee, but well worth visiting as there are multiple beaches and coves to choose from.
Attractions, excursions and activities are wide and varied to keep the whole family entertained and include water parks, camel safari’s and submarine safari’s. Some of the most stunning volcanic structures can be seen on Lanzarote, including the world’s longest volcanic tunnel stretching some 7km, known as Atlantida Tunnel and includes La Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua. Coach trips to the Caves are available as well as, Timanfaya National Park (a must for all visitors), and Guinate Tropical Park & Penguin Paradise to name but a few.
Getting around and making the most of your holiday in Lanzarote is made easy by the regular public bus service that operates between the resorts. Taxi’s are available 24 / 7 so no need to worry about missing the last bus and there are numerous reputable car hire companies if you prefer to be independent.
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria, the second largest of the Canary Islands and known as a ‘Miniature Continent’ because of its warm all year round climate. Holiday home ownership became popular with the new development of affordable apartments and villas in the main resorts. Owners are so passionate about this paradise island, that many offer their apartments to rent and villas to rent, so that holidaymakers can enjoy the best of Gran Canaria.
Gran Canaria airport is located on the east coast approximately 18km south of Las Palmas, the islands capital and 25km from the main tourist resorts. Flights direct from the UK and other countries to the airport have increased with the demand for visiting this ‘miniature continent’, and budget airlines have made the journey more accessible to thousands of holidaymakers. Taxi transfers from the airport to rental apartments and rental villas are available no matter what time of day.
Apartments to rent in Gran Canaria that are available direct from the owners, offer more than just basic holiday accommodation, they offer home comforts to ensure that guests enjoy their stay. The apartments to rent are situated on complexes that are conveniently located so that guests can make the most of local facilities without having to travel too far. Older complexes are often built to represent Spanish style villages, while modern complexes reflect a changing lifestyle and the need for more rest and relaxation. Whatever the style of the complex, the apartments to rent benefit from having beautiful landscaped communal areas with swimming pools and sun bathing terraces. Purpose built holiday complex’s also benefit from having bars, restaurants, supermarkets and 24hr reception / information office.
For larger families, or those who want more privacy, villas to rent in Gran Canaria are a great option, and again, are available direct from the owners. Villa rentals often benefit from being away from the hustle and bustle, have their own swimming pools and offer home from home holiday accommodation. Villas to rent close to golf resorts offer exceptional views in a peaceful environment.
The island is perfect for sun lovers and water sports fanatics. The endless golden sands and clear waters offer hours of fun in the sun for all the family. The golden sand beach at Playa del Inglés is 3km wide stretching from San Augustin to the famous sand dunes of Maspalomas. The beach is the most famous in Europe because of it’s a fun packed selection of activities including a wide and varied choice of water sports and beach parties.
There are hundreds of things to do and see in Gran Canaria that will help keep the family entertained. Visit some of the islands oldest villages and towns including the capital city of Las Palmas where you will find plenty of museums and places of interest. Kids young and old will love Palmitos Park, located approximately 10km from Maspalomas. This sub-tropical paradise is home to many species of birds along with other animals. Camel rides are very popular and can be enjoyed on the sand dunes of Maspalomas as well as the pretty village of Fataga. There are also several world class golf courses on the island.
Getting around is made easy by a regular bus service between the resorts. Taxi’s are very efficient, reliable, safe and available throughout the day and night. If you prefer to be independent, there are numerous reputable car hire companies, shop around as prices do vary.
Go back to Gran Canaria rentals
La Gomera
La Gomera is the second smallest of the Canary Islands and is located off the coast of North Africa. The island has so far escaped mass commercialism and is a paradise for nature lovers and perfect for a ‘chill out’ holiday. Apartment rentals and villa rentals, although in their minority compared with the neighbouring island of Tenerife, can be found in many of the islands small towns and villages and are owned by people who not only want to escape the hustle and bustle of a busy life, but have a genuine interest in the countryside and the conservation of the islands flora and fauna.
Direct flights are not available to La Gomera, the most direct route when planning a holiday to La Gomera, is to fly to Tenerife and then take the ferry from Los Cristianos to the harbour at either Playa Santiago or Valle Gran Rey. On arrival at either of the harbours there are taxi’s waiting, and for a few euro’s they will drive you to your apartment rental or villa rental. Car hire is also available from the ferry terminal in San Sebastian, the islands capital and Valle Gran Rey.
Package holidays and large hotel complexes are not the norm on La Gomera, so private apartment rentals and villa rentals are very popular with visitors and can be booked direct with the owner. Apartments to rent and villas to rent in La Gomera are conveniently located so that guests can make the most of their time on the island, choose a beach location if you simply want to ‘chill out’ and ‘top up the ‘tan’ or opt for a rural location for peace and tranquility, walking holidays or other outdoor pursuits.
If you simply want to chill-out, La Gomera has some of the best black sand beaches that can be found at San Sebastián, Playa del Inglés, Avalos and La Cueva and there are several natural swimming pools.
The landscape is incredibly beautiful with its mountains, forests and natural parks. Like the other islands in the canaries, La Gomera is volcanic, but there hasn’t been any eruptions for a very long time! The Garajonay National Park takes up one-tenth of the Island and is where you will find the highest peak. The network of paths that cross the island display a fantastic variety of flora and fauna, not to mention volcanic chimneys and rocky peaks, attracting hundreds of walkers every year. The climate is similar to that of the other Canary Island with an average year round temperature of 22ºc.
The taxi service is very reliable, efficient and safe and the drivers are very friendly and are willing to be your guide for the day for an agreed fixed rate. Alternative there are car hire companies if you want to explore independently. Despite the completion of a bus station, the bus service is limited.
El Hierro
El Hierro is the smallest Canary Island, and is a true paradise for nature lovers, and those looking to get away for a while from busy lifestyles. Apartments to rent and villas to rent on El Hierro offer peace and tranquility in an environment of lush green vegetation, stunning volcanic formations, forests, natural pools, spectacular cliffs and protected species. Over half of its beautiful landscape is protected by the Natural Spaces Act.
There are no direct flights to El Hierro from the UK or other international airports, the easiest and most direct route is from Tenerife. Fly to Tenerife South Airport and then get the ferry from Los Cristianos. Alternatively fly to Tenerife North Airport and from there fly to El Hierro. Taxi’s are available to take you to your apartment rentals or villa rentals.
Apartments to rent and villas to rent in El Hierro are available direct from the owners and are often located in rural or semi-rural locations and perfect if you enjoy nature and hiking. Holiday property offers home comforts and everything you need to ensure you stay is relaxing and enjoyable.
The climate on El Hierro is basically the same as all the other Canary Islands, so no matter what time of year you intend to visit El Hierro, you are more or less guaranteed sunshine.
Commercial tourism is virtually non-existent on this island, and there are no resorts as such, but plenty of towns and villages that are worth exploring and the local hospitaility is incredibly warm and friendly. There are several natural swimming pools and also beautiful beaches that are perfect for soaking up the sun.
El Hierro is extremely popular with visitors who enjoy adventure and water sports. The waters surrounding the island are an amazing experience for scuba divers, with its underwater landscapes, spectacular colours and of course the marine life. Other popular sports on this holiday island are snorkeling, paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, mountain biking, walking and rock climbing.
The islands nightlife can be found in the capital city, Valverde. It may not be as vibrant and lively as Playa de las Americas in Tenerife, but it does have a good selection of traditional bars and restaurants and even a couple of discos!
If you want to explore the island, most villages have a taxi driver who will gladly be your guide for the day, for a very reasonable price. Alternatively, you can hire a car.
To summarize, El Hierro is spectacular and breathtaking. It is the least known of these islands, but if you are looking for somewhere with a difference, then El Hierro is the place for you.
La Palma
La Palma, also know as La Isla Verde (the Green Island) or La Isla Bonita (the Pretty Island) is located northwest of the Canary Islands group and is the perfect holiday destination for unwinding and enjoying a slower pace of life. There are three holiday resorts to choose from; however rural property is very much favoured by visitors who enjoy the scenery and peace and quiet. Apartments to rent in La Palma and Villas to rent are available direct from the owner and are often located in rural areas as well as locations that offer a little less remote.
Direct flights are available from the UK, Germany, Holland, mainland Spain, Finland, Belgium and Austria, making this island increasingly accessible to many nationalities. Direct flights are also available from the other Canary Islands. Taxi transfers to your apartment rentals or villa rentals are available from the airport.
Apartments to rent in La Palma offer good quality traditional or modern accommodation in coastal locations, resort areas and towns as well as the countryside. Many benefit from having fantastic views along with communal swimming pools and other facilities one would expect from apartment rentals in La Palma. Villas to rent in La Palma offer seclusion and privacy away from the busier areas and often have their own swimming pools. There are many apartment rentals and villa rentals on the island to suit all budgets and some fantastic locations to choose from.
Due to the islands volcanic origins all the beaches are black sand, and are possibly some of the cleanest beaches in Europe. The main tourist resorts of Los Cancajos, Puerto Naos and Tazacorte have their own beaches and a few smaller beaches are dotted about the coast line.
Although, it is one of the smallest islands, it is considered to be the most beautiful with its wealth of flora and fauna, stunning landscapes, and the stark contracts between its volcanic origins and lush green vegetation. Like La Gomera and El Hierro, La Palma is unspoiled by mass tourism and attracts visitors who enjoy peace and quiet and who have a love of nature.
Unlike the other Canary Islands, La Palma experiences the highest rainfall which accounts for its spectacular lush green vegetation. Despite this the island still enjoys a warm year round climate. It is also one of the world’s most mountainous islands, Roque de los Muchachos being the highest peak at 2426m.
If you´re looking for peace and quiet, stunning natural surroundings and a genuine taste of the traditional Spanish atmosphere, then this is the place for your holidays!
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura, like all the other Canary Islands is volcanic in origin and enjoys warm year round temperatures and is the closest to the coast of Africa. The island has become increasingly popular with ex-pats, as a holiday destination and also for those looking to invest in their own place in the sun. The majority of holiday property is apartments to rent in Fuerteventura and villas to rent in Fuerteventura which are privately owned and can be booked direct with the owner.
The airport is situated close to the islands capital city of Puerto del Rosario, 10 minutes away from the resort of Caleta de Fuste and around 35 minutes away from the resort of Corralejo. Direct flights to and from international airports around the world including the UK are available on an almost daily basis, which makes it very accessible and appealing to all nationalities, and because of the warm sunny year round climate, winter sun breaks are as equally popular as summer breaks. Taxi transfers to apartment rentals and villa rentals are available from just outside the arrivals terminal.
Apartments to rent in Fuerteventura offer fantastic accommodation for self catering holidays on complexes with good on-site facilities including that all important swimming pool, pool bar and sun bathing terraces. Apartment rentals direct from the owner are well maintained and often come with sea and / or mountain views.
Villas for rent in Fuerteventura offer holidaymakers more privacy along with peace and tranquility, home comforts and a private swimming pool. Villa rentals are great for larger families who enjoy self catering holidays away from the hustle and bustle of the resorts, yet still within reach of the local amenities, activities and attractions. Villa rentals are well maintained by the owner and offer good value for money.
The islands beaches are some of the most beautiful golden sand beaches in Europe with a multitude of water sports and other activities to choose from. Sun beds and parasols are available for hire and refreshments are available at the many bars and restaurants that overlook the beaches along the beautiful promenades.
The harbours at Corralejo and Caleta de Fuste offer a wide and varied selection of sailing trips including fishing, dolphin and whale watching as well as a ferry trip to Lanzarote where you will have the opportunity to visit ‘Fire Mountain’ and the original capital of Teguise plus much more.
There are hundreds of attractions, excursions and activities to keep the whole family amused throughout your holiday including Oasis Park home to many species of plants and animals, a water park, museums, sailing trips, water sports activities and golfing.
The bus service on Fuerteventura is very punctual and reliable and makes exploring the island easy. There is a limited service on Sundays. Taxi’s are reliable and safe and work around the clock.
Go back to Fuerteventura rentals
Cape Verde Islands
Cape Verde is made up of 10 volcanic islands and five islets situated in the Atlantic Ocean 600km or 450 miles northwest of Senegal, West Africa. The islands are becoming increasingly popular as holiday destinations with the development of new apartments and villas that are becoming available for holiday rentals direct from the owners. Property investers have been quick to realize that Cape Verde is going to be as popular with holiday makers as the Canary Islands and can now offer apartment rentals and villa rentals.
Direct flights are available to Sal from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. Direct flights to Boa Vista are available from Gatwick and from May 2009 flights will also be available from Manchester. Flights from Stansted airport are available to Sal and Santiago.
Self catering apartment rentals and villa rentals are available on ‘Sal’, ‘Boa Vista’, ‘Santiago’ and ‘Maio’. Accommodation is of a good standard and many come with either communal pool or private pool in the case of villas to rent in Cape Verde. As tourism is still in its infancy, not all the islands have property for rent, but they are still worth visiting. Local amenities include supermarkets, shops, bars and restaurants.
The climate in Cape Verde is very similar to that in the Canaries and very little rainfall is experienced, so is a great place to enjoy winter sun breaks as well as summer breaks. The gentle wind is perfect for sailing and surfing and sea temperatures are great for swimmers. The beautiful beaches are the perfect location for toping up the tan or enjoying one of many water sports that are on offer. Other activities include quad biking tours, hiking, birdwatching and fishing plus more.
The islands are predominately Portuguese, as is the official language, but there are west African influences, and although very little English is spoken, the locals are friendly and hospitable.
Tourism plays a huge part in the economy and as such it is possible to equipment hire, take lessons in various water sports and excursions are available to many places of interest. Island hopping is a great way to see more of Cape Verde, this can be done either by air or sea. Car hire, although not absolutely necessary, is available if you want to explore in your own time. Nightlife, although generally low key, is lively and vibrant with traditional Cape Verdean music playing in many of the bars and restaurants especially in the capitals of the more popular islands. The only nightclub is on the island of São Vicente.
Santiago is the largest of the islands and is steeped in history and culture. The diverse landscape reflects its volcanic origins, with mountains, valleys, desert like regions and stunning beaches. Praia, the capital of Santiago, is a busy African town known for its agricultural trading. The nightlife is lively as live music plays a large part of the islands culture and many of the bars and restaurants have nightly entertainment enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Also worth a visit are Cidade Velha (the old capital) and Forte Real de Sao Filipe and the African market where the locals shop for there essentials.
Sal is the most developed in terms of tourism with its beautiful white sand beaches and multitude of water sports on offer and is considered to be in the world’s top five wind surfing locations. The main resort of Santa Maria has a lively atmosphere with live music playing in most of the bars and restaurants. The landscape, although quite barren is impressive and the salt lake which can be found in an extinct volcanic crater are definitely worth a visit. Countless species of marine life can be seen off the shores of Sal, including tropical fish and dolphins. This island is the perfect holiday destination for water sports enthusiasts and people looking for relaxing beach holidays.
Boa Vista is the closest island to the African mainland and has some of the most stunning beaches with miles of unspoilt coast line which are perfect for strolling along. Water sports are a big part of the islands attraction along with quad biking tours and fishing trips. At certain times of the year loggerhead turtles can be seen nesting and humpback whales can be seen feeding in the islet of Sal Rei. There are a few festivals that take place during the year but the most colourful is the Santa Isabel (patron saint of the islands) held on the 4th July. Nightlife is low key with only a few bars and restaurants.
São Vicente is the ideal island for those who enjoy arts, culture and music. The island is considered to be home to some of Cape Verde’s greatest musicians including Cesaria Evora known as the ‘barefoot diva’. Mindelo has a lively and vibrant nightlife including a nightclub and many of the bars and restaurants offer traditional entertainment. Water sports are also available on São Vicente, wind surfers in particular with enjoy the speed wind surfing at São Pedro. A natural lagoon at Baia das Gatas on the north of the island is great for swimming. A ferry is available to the beautiful and greenest island of Santo Antão, the journey takes about 1 hour and is popular with hikers.
Maio is a combination of Portuguese and british colonial architecture with a large baroque church. Although parts of the island have large forests the terrain is very similar to that of Sal and Boa Vista. Maio has so far escaped mass tourism, so is the ideal location for relaxing and taking long walks along deserted beaches. The island is well worth a visit as at certain time of the years turtles can be seen on the beaches and rare birds can be seen in the north.
Fogo is the fourth largest island and the only one with an active volcano. One of the highlights is a trip to the volcano with lunch at a restaurant with superb views. The landscape is very often referred to as ‘lunar’ due to the rock formations created by the volcano and the black sands. São Filipe, the islands capital is very much Portuguese with its cobbled streets, pastel painted houses and tiles from Portugal.
São Nicolau is an island of unspoilt and beautiful scenery. Ribeira Brava is the capital and well worth visiting with its mountainous location, colonial style homes and beautiful gardens. The varied landscape makes this the ideal holiday location for those who enjoy outdoor activities such as walking, birdwatching, and even horse riding. Deep sea fishing is also a popular pastime due to the abundance of Blue marlin. The beach known as Tarrafal is said to have healing powers. Tourism is in its early stages on São Nicolau, but there are still plenty of apartments and villas suitable for holiday accommodation.
Brava, often referred to as the ‘Island of Flowers’ because of its great array of flora and fauna, is the smallest inhabited of the Cape Verde islands, and one of the most mountainous. The landscape is simply stunning, take a walk up ‘Pico of Fontainhas’, the highest peak for some fantastic views of the island. Faja d'Agua is the greenest area on the island and one of the most beautiful bays. Ferry’s to Brava are available from the islands of Santiago and Fogo.
Santo Antão is the second largest island and is popular with hikers because of its lush green landscape, deep valleys and rugged terrain. If hiking is not for you, don’t be disappointed, you can still enjoy the impressive scenery, take a drive along the coastal roads that lead to the ravines and gorges. The drive from Porto Novo in the south to Ribeira Grande in the north is awe inspiring, although the mountain roads are not for everyone. The village of Fontainhas is a must see for any one visiting Santo Antão, perched on the edge of a rock, the houses line the street and have a sheer drop of a few hundred feet at the back of them!
Santa Luzia, the smallest of the Cape Verde islands, is very dry and barren. The north coast has a rugged terrain, while the south has beaches and sand dunes. The island is uninhabited, but well worth visiting and can be reached from Calhau on the east coast of São Vincente, where you can charter a fishing boat for the day. The crossing takes approximately 2 hours each way.
Go back to Fuerteventura rentals