The Canaries still lack direct flights from North America. Flights are now available from New York that last 11 to 15 hours, including a stop in Madrid, but be prepared for an odyssey of up to 40 hours from some North American locations.
The Canary Islands group consists of seven large islands and six smaller islets located about 650 miles southwest of Spain. The Canaries stretch about 300 miles from east to west, with the easternmost island 60 miles off the coast of Morocco.
The Canaries are one hour behind Greenwich Mean Time and follow daylight saving time. That means they're five hours ahead of New York and eight hours ahead of L.A.
Weather barely changes throughout the year, ranging from a daily average of 65F in winter to 75F in summer, but rising to 95F in the afternoon. There is no rainy season. The islands have wildly differing climate zones—wet, lush and a little cooler in the north, desert-like in the south. The mountains at the center of the islands have their own distinct climates—windy and cooler. Be prepared for a volcanic eruption every few hundred years.
Passport required for U.S. and Canadian citizens. No airport charges.
Spanish, but English is widely spoken.
Spanish pesetas. Credit cards are widely accepted and there are plenty of ATMs.
220 volts.
Water temps range from 74F to 77F in the summer, and 65F to 68F in winter, with visibility averaging 75 to 120 feet. Conditions are rougher on the islands' north coasts.
There are chambers located in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.
