Anyone Been to The Canary Islands?

[KillaFee]

Hello! I have been deciding between a few different mediterranean cruises in May or June of 2009 and the 10 Canary Islands & Morocco cruise looks interesting. Has anyone been to Lanzarote, Tenerife, Malaga, or Morrocco? Would we like this or is it mainly desert? Also, it leaves on May 1st. Would the weather be nice and warm? Any input would help. :D

Thank you,

Laura

[Longin2cruise]

I really liked Tenerife.............very lush & beautiful except when you get to the top of Mount Tiede, Spain's highest mountain, where it looks like a moonscape. I believe the guide said that there are 3 different climate zones as you go up the mountain. We were told that the Canary Islands are located in the gulf stream & have moderate temps all year. I also liked Morocco. Casablanca was a bit disappointing, but I think my expectations were just too elevated by romantic notions. I liked Rabat much better & fellow cruisers who went to Marikesh really liked it.

[kasi1979]

Lanzarote is a volcanic island and the most visited sight is timanfaya, a volcanic parc. There are also beaches, but don´t expect white sand.

I´ve never been to Tenerife, but it´s said to be the canary island with most diversity.

We´ve been to Casablanca and took an excursion to Marrakesh from there. Quite a long way to go for a day but really interesting. If you don´t want to be gone for a full day, maybe the Hassan II mosque might be for you.

Another port in Marocco ist Agadir, a wonderful beach with really nice sand and beachclubes at fair prices. There is also a market in town which we didn´t visit.

Malaga is a south spanish city with a wonderful city center to do some shopping ;) there are historic sights, too, and if you are there for a day, maybe an excursion to Marbella, a beach-town for thw wealthy might be worth a trip.

 

All in all, especially in these southern ports, your chanes for nice weather in may a quite good.

[kruzseeka]

The cruise port in Tenerife is at Santa Cruz in the north of the island which is much greener and more lush than the more beach-based resorts of the south. The temperature is warm all year round in the Canaries and by April should be over 70. The islands are windy most of the time but it's not a cold wind - just keeps the temperature comfortable. It's where many Brits go to in the winter for some sunshine.

 

Mount Teide (Tenerife) is interesting, but if you do go to the Canaries, for my money, the Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote is far better - more varied and spectacular rock formations. The trip we did also included a camel ride which was good fun and very memorable. Lanzarote is an island of black volcanic rock but don't let that put you off - it's got a beauty all of its own. They use a special system of irrigation to grow vines in horse-shoe shaped, low-walled enclosures, the walls also being made from the lava! The artist Cesar Manrique had a huge influence on the development of the island and his work can be seen all over - from wind sculptures in the middle of roundabouts to the inspirational landscaping of lava tunnels, cafes and his own home (The Manrique Fundacion). The Jameos del Agua and the Fundacion are amazing. His vision in creating these is awe-inspiring! Try this link to get a feel of his work http://images.google.co.uk/images?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SNYK_en-GBGB258GB258&q=cesar+manrique&um=1

For me Lanzarote is the highlight of a cruise around the Canaries. After a one-day stop here, we got home and booked a week's stay to see all the sites we hadn't been able to do during our cruise.

 

La Palma a is a small island but the stop in Santa Cruz is interesting to see the old painted Canarian houses and the replica of Columbus' ship. It's a leisurely stop and probably a couple of hours is enough to wander around unless you go on a trip into the island. Remember though, each of these islands have volcanoes and you probably don't need to do a volcano trip in each one.

 

I'm not a big fan of Gran Canaria, but must confess I haven't done an island tour here, so I could be under-rating it.

 

Do make sure you get a cruise which includes Madiera - although not one of the Canary Islands, it's usually part of the itinerary. It too is a beautiful island. You can either 'do' Funchal with the cable car and toboggan ride back down the hill, or an island tour (the western half is the best) to see more of the island. Again, stunning scenery and very interesting.

 

We did a trip which called at Tangier and Casablanca and we felt that one of these on the itinerary would have been enough, and of the two, I would opt for Casablanca. I too felt a bit disappointed in Casablanca as I had a rather romantic notion of what it would be like - and it wasn't! However the Mosque is wonderful and well worth a visit. If Agadir is another possible port, I'd recommend the trip to Taroundant or 'little Marakesh' which gives a flavour of Morroco but doesn't involve the very long journey time. Other ports may be closer to Marakesh though and perhaps worth looking into.

 

Malaga has an interesting Castle and the Alcazabar - part of the old Moorish fortifications and good shops but many cruisers use this stop as a means of taking a trip to the Alhambra Palace which is fabulous and the journey through the mountains to Granada is great. There are also lovely jet-set resorts along the coast west of Malaga which are interesting to visit and not far away - they can easily be done on your own on public transport. Mijas and Ronda villages in the mountains are also well worth a visit - so you won't be short of things to see and do!

 

Malaga isn't around the Canaries, so if you are travelling to/from Malaga would any of the itineraries call in at other ports on mainland Spain? If so, perhaps that could influence your choice too.

 

For me, perhaps the best 'mix' would include: Lanzarote, Madeira, Tenerife, Casablanca (the Mosque), the Alhambra (Malaga) and go back again to see everything you missed first time!

[jetanotherone]

We just returned from a fantastic cruise (Rio - Athens) and one of our stops was Teneriffe.

Carlos Martinez (our fantastic driver) drove the four of us around all day. His command of the English language is great and his knowledge of the island and its surroundings was shared with great enthusiasm and Witt. I will highly recommend him to anyone visiting the island. You can contact him by email or phone to arrange the day.

carletys (at) hotmail (dot) com (please substitute () with the appropriate symbols.

Phone = 0034 657 640674

[Carmic]

jetanotherone..........does Carlos have a web site?

 

Carol

[moniquet]

I really don't like the Canaries. The largest just seem to be all hotels and restaurants. I live 30 mins from málaga, in marbella, kindly described as a "beach town for the rich" by one poster.

[hollyanna]

Moniquet - since you live in Marbella (I briedly visited here about 5 yrs ago and really liked it).... I am thinking of taking a Canaries cruise from Malaga April2010 for 7 nights and wondered how easy it would be for us to fly there from UK to Malaga and stay in Marbella a couple of days and then onto cruise port in Malaga again? We are 2 adults and 2 kids aged 15 and 12 by then. Didnt know if Malaga would hold enough interest for a couple days precruise but Marbella should be quite good weather in April should it not and the beach resort and boats would interest my boys? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks. Hollyanna

[Taxguy77]

I really don't like the Canaries. The largest just seem to be all hotels and restaurants. I live 30 mins from málaga, in marbella, kindly described as a "beach town for the rich" by one poster.

My wife & I spent 2 wonderful weeks in Marbella with our daughter, son-in-law and two boys. One of the best vacations we ever had:D My favorite spot was Puerto Banus, which could REALLY be called 'for the rich' as covered parking one PM cost more than beer and snacks!

I still have a boat flag and a T-shirt I bought in a marine shop there.:)

[obriendan]

We visited Lanzarote on the QM2 in 2004. In Lanzarote we took the shuttle into the town and spent a few hours walking around. We then took a taxi to the home of Cesar Manrique. He was Lanzarote’s most famous artist and his home is now a museum. It contains a collection of his and other art. The house itself is special, built to blend into the volcanic surroundings. It is well worth a visit. I’m sure one of the ship’s tours will stop here, but you can do it much more cheaply on your own.

[bmw2000]

The cruise port in Tenerife is at Santa Cruz in the north of the island which is much greener and more lush than the more beach-based resorts of the south. The temperature is warm all year round in the Canaries and by April should be over 70. The islands are windy most of the time but it's not a cold wind - just keeps the temperature comfortable. It's where many Brits go to in the winter for some sunshine.

 

Mount Teide (Tenerife) is interesting, but if you do go to the Canaries, for my money, the Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote is far better - more varied and spectacular rock formations. The trip we did also included a camel ride which was good fun and very memorable. Lanzarote is an island of black volcanic rock but don't let that put you off - it's got a beauty all of its own. They use a special system of irrigation to grow vines in horse-shoe shaped, low-walled enclosures, the walls also being made from the lava! The artist Cesar Manrique had a huge influence on the development of the island and his work can be seen all over - from wind sculptures in the middle of roundabouts to the inspirational landscaping of lava tunnels, cafes and his own home (The Manrique Fundacion). The Jameos del Agua and the Fundacion are amazing. His vision in creating these is awe-inspiring! Try this link to get a feel of his work http://images.google.co.uk/images?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SNYK_en-GBGB258GB258&q=cesar+manrique&um=1

For me Lanzarote is the highlight of a cruise around the Canaries. After a one-day stop here, we got home and booked a week's stay to see all the sites we hadn't been able to do during our cruise.

 

La Palma a is a small island but the stop in Santa Cruz is interesting to see the old painted Canarian houses and the replica of Columbus' ship. It's a leisurely stop and probably a couple of hours is enough to wander around unless you go on a trip into the island. Remember though, each of these islands have volcanoes and you probably don't need to do a volcano trip in each one.

 

I'm not a big fan of Gran Canaria, but must confess I haven't done an island tour here, so I could be under-rating it.

 

Do make sure you get a cruise which includes Madiera - although not one of the Canary Islands, it's usually part of the itinerary. It too is a beautiful island. You can either 'do' Funchal with the cable car and toboggan ride back down the hill, or an island tour (the western half is the best) to see more of the island. Again, stunning scenery and very interesting.

 

We did a trip which called at Tangier and Casablanca and we felt that one of these on the itinerary would have been enough, and of the two, I would opt for Casablanca. I too felt a bit disappointed in Casablanca as I had a rather romantic notion of what it would be like - and it wasn't! However the Mosque is wonderful and well worth a visit. If Agadir is another possible port, I'd recommend the trip to Taroundant or 'little Marakesh' which gives a flavour of Morroco but doesn't involve the very long journey time. Other ports may be closer to Marakesh though and perhaps worth looking into.

 

Malaga has an interesting Castle and the Alcazabar - part of the old Moorish fortifications and good shops but many cruisers use this stop as a means of taking a trip to the Alhambra Palace which is fabulous and the journey through the mountains to Granada is great. There are also lovely jet-set resorts along the coast west of Malaga which are interesting to visit and not far away - they can easily be done on your own on public transport. Mijas and Ronda villages in the mountains are also well worth a visit - so you won't be short of things to see and do!

 

Malaga isn't around the Canaries, so if you are travelling to/from Malaga would any of the itineraries call in at other ports on mainland Spain? If so, perhaps that could influence your choice too.

 

For me, perhaps the best 'mix' would include: Lanzarote, Madeira, Tenerife, Casablanca (the Mosque), the Alhambra (Malaga) and go back again to see everything you missed first time!

Kruzseeka, I'm not sure if you are still checking this board, but I was wondering how you found the camel ride plus volcano ship tour? We are thinking of doing it. Is it very strenuous? My mother is coming with us and she had a triple bypass just over two years ago. I want to choose interesting but not too strenuous excursions that she can also enjoy. It is listed as moderate in the Celebrity brochure.

 

Bianca

[billyelliot]

The camel ride and volcanic tour is a must to do. You dont have to do the camel ride if you dont want. They can jolt you about a bit and its scary coming back down the hill. The tour round the volcanoes is very interesting. There is even a BBQ which they cook over from deep in the ground. It has the most amazing scenery up there really unusual.

Near by is a place called Playa Blanca which has the whitest sand.

Another thing to visit is the caves. there is an optical illusion inside which i thought was amazing.

[MMDown Under]

Rio to Athens sounds like a wonderful repositioning cruise. What ship did you cruise with?

 

Thanks for your recommendation re Tenerife. Can you remember how much you paid for your day tour?

 

We're doing a repositioning cruise from Genoa, Italy to FL in November and are very excited about our ports of call, including Teneriffe.

[CJcruzer]

Obriendan: when you took the taxi to the foundacion - was it hard to get a taxi back to the ship or did the driver wait? How far was it? I've been looking at the site and it looks intriguing and maybe something unique and different than what I would have done!

 

We are sailing on HAL in November. and we are docked 10 - 6 pm. How long did you spend at the foundacion?

 

thanks

[magicaliam]

The cruise port in Tenerife is at Santa Cruz in the north of the island which is much greener and more lush than the more beach-based resorts of the south. The temperature is warm all year round in the Canaries and by April should be over 70. The islands are windy most of the time but it's not a cold wind - just keeps the temperature comfortable. It's where many Brits go to in the winter for some sunshine.

 

Mount Teide (Tenerife) is interesting, but if you do go to the Canaries, for my money, the Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote is far better - more varied and spectacular rock formations. The trip we did also included a camel ride which was good fun and very memorable. Lanzarote is an island of black volcanic rock but don't let that put you off - it's got a beauty all of its own. They use a special system of irrigation to grow vines in horse-shoe shaped, low-walled enclosures, the walls also being made from the lava! The artist Cesar Manrique had a huge influence on the development of the island and his work can be seen all over - from wind sculptures in the middle of roundabouts to the inspirational landscaping of lava tunnels, cafes and his own home (The Manrique Fundacion). The Jameos del Agua and the Fundacion are amazing. His vision in creating these is awe-inspiring! Try this link to get a feel of his work For me Lanzarote is the highlight of a cruise around the Canaries. After a one-day stop here, we got home and booked a week's stay to see all the sites we hadn't been able to do during our cruise.

La Palma a is a small island but the stop in Santa Cruz is interesting to see the old painted Canarian houses and the replica of Columbus' ship. It's a leisurely stop and probably a couple of hours is enough to wander around unless you go on a trip into the island. Remember though, each of these islands have volcanoes and you probably don't need to do a volcano trip in each one. I'm not a big fan of Gran Canaria, but must confess I haven't done an island tour here, so I could be under-rating it.

(Do make sure you get a cruise which includes Madiera - don't need info on this area - have a stop there also )

We have a RCL Trans Cruise and will stop on Dec. 3rd at Santa Cruz, Canary Islands. I'm not familiar with the area at all - I'm looking for a non taxing day - may even include some shopping and strolling but have no idea what area is like???? Can you just walk off ship and have fun....perhaps grabbing a cab to an area or two you mentioned? Any help appreciated from anyone.

Suzy