Canaries at Christmas

[ThatClaireIsARightPain]

Just been reading the other thread about Tenerife and best places to go to avoid ‘Brits abroad’.

I am thinking about escaping Christmas this year with DH and DCs and was wondering about the Canaries. I know it won’t be warm enough to sunbathe and I guess swimming pools will be too cold to go in (I have teenagers). The other thing that puts me off is lack of natural sights / places to visit that you’d find on the mainland. I was lucky enough to travel around Spain when I was a student many decades ago and it is just wonderful.

However it’s tempting as alternatives are half way across the world and just extortionate at Christmas.

Does anybody have any wise words to help me escape the nightmare that is my in-laws this Christmas?!

Thank you!

It may well be warm enough to sunbathe! Swimming pools may be cool but some are heated. Lanzarote is lovely.

I know it won’t be warm enough to sunbathe and I guess swimming pools will be too cold to go in

I spent Christmas in Gran Canaria a few years ago, I did both those things! Definitely wasn’t too cold. I would book

Cape Verde is about 5 hours away and approx 24 degrees December/January if you want a quite break nothing to do outside the resorts.

I was going to suggest that a Turkey might be more filling but I see the thread is about holidays!

Lanzarote is really interesting if you're into unusual natural landscapes and a bit of culture. Hire a car and tour the island.

Thanks for replies! Glad I asked now!

I had heard Cape Verde is very windy?

Came on to say you'd better order lots if it's instead of turkey.....

It will be warm enough to sunbathe. Have a look at Playa Blanca in Lanzarote.

Lanzarote is good as there's lots to do if it's not sunbathing weather. We've been in December and early January and had quite a lot of good weather. If you go and can be there on the evening of the 5th of January that is when they have the Three Kings Parade which is the biggest part of Christmas in Spain and great fun.

I spent Christmas in Gran Canaria a few years ago. Pool was chilly but could swim. Sunbathing was great. But what was great was being able to cycle, walk, read, sleep etc without boiling your head off.

Very relaxing.

We went to costa Adeje in Tenerife in late Jan and playa Blanca, lanzorote in early May.

The weather was great in Jan! The sea was chilly and but pools heated so we have a great time in the splash pools with our toddlers. Really like Costa Adeje too. It's quite up market at the del Duque end, with a lot of high end restaurants, shops and 5 star hotels.

We enjoyed Lanzorote too, playa Blanca is quieter but has a nice long walk along the front with your usuals shops etc and at one end their is a lovely marina.

Both have nice beaches (Tenerife black sand). Both have cool 'volcano' related sight seeing. In Tenerife we went whale watching and saw a massive pod of 20-30 pilot whales. 🐳 so there is definitely stuff to do.

I would recommend. Personally, probably preferred Tenerife.

Oh wow, I definitely fancy whale watching! Thank you, will have a google!

Glad to see quite a few recommend Lanzarote as I've just booked for a week in January!

I've been to Gran Canaria in January in about 2005 and it was nice weather. Definitely warm enough to sunbathe and the pool was cool (unheated)

I'm sorry but I wouldn't go there. What about morrco? Marrakech? Anywhere else really, south of France?