Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Tenerife — Welcome to the Canaries
Morning Arrival at Tenerife South Airport
Land at Reina Sofía Airport (Tenerife South). Pick up your rental car and drive to Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1-hour drive). Check into your hotel in the historic centre.
Afternoon Santa Cruz de Tenerife — Historic centre
Walk through downtown Santa Cruz: Plaza de España with its artificial lake, Calatrava's waterfront Auditorium, and pedestrian Calle Castillo for shopping. Coffee break at Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África.
Evening Dinner in La Noria district
Evening in La Noria district, Santa Cruz's most colourful and bohemian quarter. Cobbled streets with street art, tapas bars and Canarian fusion restaurants. Try papas arrugadas con mojo (wrinkled potatoes with mojo sauces).
Day 2 Mount Teide — Roof of Spain
Morning Teide National Park — Cable car
Ascend Mount Teide (3,718 m), Spain's highest peak and UNESCO-listed volcano. Cable car to 3,555 m with panoramic views of neighbouring islands. Lunar landscapes of lava and pumice.
Afternoon Icod de los Vinos — Millennial Dragon Tree
Drive down to the north coast to visit Icod de los Vinos and its famous Drago Milenario, a thousand-year-old dragon tree standing 16 m tall. Stroll through the botanical garden and the wine village's narrow streets.
Evening Dinner in La Orotava old town
Dinner in La Orotava, one of Tenerife's most beautiful villages with carved wooden balconies and colonial houses. Traditional Canarian cuisine: ropa vieja, conejo en salmorejo (rabbit in sauce).
Day 3 Masca & the cliffs of Los Gigantes
Morning Masca Gorge hike
Hike through the spectacular Masca Gorge, one of Tenerife's most beautiful trails. 4.5 km descent through a narrow canyon surrounded by vertiginous cliffs to Masca beach.
Afternoon Los Gigantes cliffs & harbour
Discover the Los Gigantes cliffs (600 m high), Tenerife's most impressive. Stroll around the marina and swim in the natural pool among volcanic rocks.
Evening Sunset & dinner at Playa San Juan
Sunset from Playa San Juan, an authentic small fishing village. Fresh fish dinner at a chiringuito (beach restaurant) with views of La Gomera on the horizon.
Day 4 Anaga & La Laguna — Forest & heritage
Morning Anaga Rural Park — Laurel forest
Hike through Anaga Rural Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Walk through the laurel forest (laurisilva), a relic of the Tertiary era shrouded in mist. Pijaral or Taganana trail with ocean views.
Afternoon La Laguna — UNESCO Town
Visit San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife's former capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Colourful colonial architecture, cathedral, and university atmosphere. The town served as a model for Latin American colonial cities.
Evening Tapas & student atmosphere in La Laguna
Tapas evening in La Laguna's bars, the island's liveliest town at night. The Quadrilatero (golden square) has the best bars and restaurants. Local atmosphere and reasonable prices.
Day 5 Heading to Lanzarote — The island of fire
Morning Inter-island flight to Lanzarote
Binter flight from Tenerife North to Lanzarote (50 min). Pick up a rental car at Lanzarote Airport (César Manrique). The entire island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Afternoon Arrecife — Charco de San Ginés
Explore Arrecife, Lanzarote's capital. Walk around Charco de San Ginés, a natural lagoon surrounded by white fishermen's houses. Visit Castillo de San José (Manrique's contemporary art museum).
Evening Dinner in Costa Teguise
Check into your hotel and dinner in Costa Teguise, a seaside resort on the east coast. Fresh seafood on the paseo marítimo with ocean views. Relaxed atmosphere and late sunset.
Day 6 Timanfaya — The Fire Mountains
Morning Timanfaya National Park
Visit Timanfaya National Park, a Martian landscape of volcanoes and frozen lava flows. Bus tour along the Ruta de los Volcanes. Geothermal demonstrations: straw catching fire and artificial geyser at 100°C.
Afternoon El Golfo — The green lagoon & camel ride
Stop at the Echadero de los Camellos for a camel ride on the volcanic slopes. Then drive down to El Golfo to see Charco de los Clicos, an emerald green lagoon nestled in a crater by the ocean.
Evening Dinner at El Diablo volcanic restaurant
Unique dinner at El Diablo restaurant, in the heart of Timanfaya. Food is cooked on a grill powered by natural volcanic heat from underground (300°C). Panoramic views of lava fields at sunset.
Day 7 César Manrique's legacy
Morning Jameos del Agua & Cueva de los Verdes
Visit Manrique's two underground masterpieces: Jameos del Agua, a volcanic cave transformed into a cultural complex with pool and cactus garden; then Cueva de los Verdes, a 6 km lava tube with dramatic lighting.
Afternoon Teguise — Market & white village
Visit Teguise, Lanzarote's former capital. White cobbled streets, historic churches and palaces. On Sundays, Teguise market is the Canaries' largest with crafts, food and live music.
Evening Wine tasting in La Geria
Evening wine tasting in the La Geria wine region, a unique landscape: vines grown in holes dug into black lava, protected by semi-circular stone walls (zocos). Tasting of volcanic Malvasía wine.
Day 8 Lanzarote beaches — Papagayo & relaxation
Morning Papagayo Beaches
Morning on Papagayo beaches, Lanzarote's most beautiful: golden sand coves nestled between volcanic rock cliffs. Turquoise and calm waters, ideal for swimming and snorkelling.
Afternoon Playa Blanca & Marina Rubicón
Afternoon in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote's southern seaside resort. Walk along the seafront promenade to Marina Rubicón, a chic marina with boutiques and terraces facing Fuerteventura.
Evening Seafood dinner in Puerto del Carmen
Dinner in Puerto del Carmen's old fishing harbour, Lanzarote's liveliest area at night. Grilled fish on the waterfront with views of colourful harbour boats.
Day 9 Gran Canaria — Island contrasts
Morning Flight to Gran Canaria & Las Palmas
Binter flight from Lanzarote to Gran Canaria (50 min). Arrival at Gran Canaria Airport and drive to Las Palmas, the Canaries' largest city. Check in at the historic Vegueta district.
Afternoon Vegueta — Las Palmas historic quarter
Visit Las Palmas' founding quarter: Santa Ana Cathedral (climb to the panoramic balcony), Casa de Colón (Columbus museum), and cobbled streets lined with flowered patios. Preserved colonial atmosphere.
Evening Stroll & dinner on Calle Triana
Evening on Calle Mayor de Triana, a pedestrian street lined with art nouveau buildings and boutiques. Dinner at a neighbourhood restaurant with modern Canarian cuisine. Cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Day 10 Maspalomas Dunes & Fataga Canyon
Morning Maspalomas Dunes
Morning walk through the Maspalomas Dunes, a 400-hectare mini-Sahara classified as a nature reserve. Golden sand dunes descending to the Atlantic Ocean. Surreal landscape between desert and sea.
Afternoon Fataga Ravine — The Canarian Grand Canyon
Scenic drive inland through the Barranco de Fataga, nicknamed Gran Canaria's 'Grand Canyon'. Stop at the white village of Fataga (palm trees, almond trees) and the Degollada de las Yeguas viewpoint.
Evening Dinner in Puerto de Mogán
Dinner in Puerto de Mogán, nicknamed Gran Canaria's 'Little Venice' for its canals and bougainvillea-draped bridges. Grilled fish at the harbour with views of colourful fishing boats.
Day 11 Roque Nublo & mountain villages
Morning Roque Nublo hike
Hike to Roque Nublo (1,813 m), Gran Canaria's iconic basalt monolith. 3 km return trail from La Goleta car park. 360° views of the island and Tenerife's Teide on clear days.
Afternoon Tejeda village & almond pastries
Drive down to Tejeda, voted 'Spain's most beautiful village'. Perched on the mountainside with vertiginous views of the caldera. Taste the famous dulces de almendra (almond pastries) and bienmesabe (almond cream).
Evening Farewell rooftop dinner in Las Palmas
Final dinner with a view from the Azotea de Benito terrace in Las Palmas. Gastronomic Canarian cuisine with views of illuminated Las Canteras beach. End-of-trip cocktails in the lively neighbourhood.
Day 12 Departure — Farewell Canaries
Morning Las Canteras Beach — Final swim
Final morning on Las Canteras Beach, one of Europe's most beautiful urban beaches. 3 km of golden sand protected by a natural reef (La Barra). Swimming and last Canarian sunbathing.
Afternoon Brunch at Mercado del Puerto
Final meal at Mercado del Puerto, Las Palmas' covered gourmet market. Tapas stands, Canarian cheeses, local wines and tropical fruits. Lively atmosphere to end the trip in style.
Evening Transfer to airport & departure
Return the rental car and transfer to Gran Canaria Airport for the return flight. The airport is 25 km from Las Palmas centre, allow 30-40 minutes.