Why Go Sailing in the Canary Islands?
You want to sail Europe in winter, but still feel like you’ve come to an exotic place? If so, yacht charter in the Canary Islands, known as the “Fortunate Isles”, is the perfect decision for you. Thanks to its biodiversity, the Canary Islands are like a miniature continent. Yacht charter in the Canary Islands offers you more than 150 km of pristine sand beaches and emerald-green waters in a windsurfers’ mecca – Fuerteventura. On Lanzarote Island, you will feel like you are on the Moon thanks to the lunar landscape and lava tubes. On La Palma Island, you can look at the stars in one of the several observatories.
Sailing Regions in the Canary Islands
Sailing Conditions in the Canary Islands
When sailing Canary Islands, you will feel that the climate changes from island to island, however, the whole archipelago enjoys a mild and gentle tropical and desertic climate. Here, it never gets too hot, and it doesn’t ever get cold. Despite being closer to the Equator than to Europe, summers in this area are not that hot thanks to the trade winds. Such a perfect weather is one of the main reasons why the Canaries are a desirable boat rental destination. The westernmost islands of the archipelago — La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma — are greener than the others, whereas Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are arid and dryer because of their proximity to the African continent. The water temperature is mild all year long, with an average of 18°C in January.
Regarding the winds, the months between June and October are the best time to sail in Canary Islands, thanks to the northern winds. African winds from SW (like Calima wind, which brings sand from the Sahara Desert) come to the scene in the spring and late summer, while the direction and strength of these winds is very unpredictable between December and March. Here, the WAZ or Wind Acceleration Zones deserve a special mention. These are tunnels between islands where the wind is funnelled, and its speed is increased by 10-15 knots. It is always desirable to check the locations of the WAZ, when you decide to charter a yacht in Canary Islands since the strength of wind in these areas can go from calm to strong in a matter of minutes.
Waves can get big in the archipelago area, up to 5 meters in the most exposed areas of the different islands, depending on the climate. Meanwhile, the tide movements are like those of other Atlantic areas close to the Canary Islands. Tidal range rarely gets over 2.8 m, while tidal streams don’t go beyond three knots.
Taking all this into account, the Canary Islands are definitely a prime yacht charter destination when it comes to sailing Europe in winter. The weather, water and wind conditions are really good during this season, and choosing to sail in the Canaries is a fantastic way to escape European ‘real winters’ - low temperatures, freezing water and crazy waves. However, don’t hesitate to sail in Canary Islands during the summer, too. As we have already explained, the temperatures are not that high in the summer. Besides that, the Canary Islands have one more advantage - the summer season is the low season of the year and there will be no crowds.
Boat Types in the Canary Islands
Important Info for Sailing in the Canary Islands
Best time to sail
April - September
Climate
Mediterranean
Sailing license
Required
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Spoken language
Spanish
Top attractions
Teide National Park – Tenerife, Timanfaya National Park – Lanzarote, Beaches of Gran Canaria, Tenerife & Fuerteventura, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Loro Park – Tenerife, Cueva de los Verdes – Lanzarote (volcanic tube), Santa Cruz de la Palma, Parque Nacional de Garajonay - La Gomera, Caldera de Taburiente National Park - La Palma
Top Reasons to Visit the Canary Islands
Charter a yacht in Canary Islands as this archipelago has a lot to offer to sailors in terms of landscapes and cities to visit on its seven islands.
Tenerife is the biggest island in the archipelago, which offers great nightlife and wonderful beaches to explore on your boat rental The highest peak in Spain - the Teide (3,718 m) - is located here, and it was named World Heritage Site back in 2007. When in Santa Cruz de Tenerife you should visit the famous Carnival, second largest in the world, right after the carnival in Rio. Go from tropical to something completely different if you decide to visit Loro Parque, one of the best zoos in the world with lots of snow and the largest penguinariums in the world.
When sailing in Gran Canaria you can find similar landscapes, atmosphere and tropical vibe like on Tenerife. The capital - Las Palmas - is a vibrant city with a rich Spanish history and culture. Its harbour, Puerto de la Luz, is one of the most important harbours in Europe.
Fuerteventura Island was named biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009 and it’s been, for years, a prime destination in Europe for all kinds of water sports. Why? Because of favourable winds, powerful waves and a rich underwater life. Sounds like a great choice for a sailing holiday on a chartered yacht or catamaran.
You can also opt for a boat hire in Lanzarote, the most volcanic island in the archipelago of Canary Islands. Its black-sand volcanic beaches and the Timanfaya Park are the most popular spots on this sparsely populated island.
Yacht charter in the Canary Islands also offers you the opportunity to explore the ancient laurel forests in Garajonay National Park on La Gomera Island and explore 46 dive sites full of volcanic features and spectacular marine life on El Hierro Island.
In a nutshell, the Canary Islands region is a place you will never get tired of discovering! A great weather all year round, thousands of beaches, astonishing natural beauties - and all of this without leaving Europe. This is what draws more than 12 million tourists to the Canaries each year, making it such an intriguing sailing destination.
