Off the coast of northwestern Africa, the Canary Islands are a remote beach paradise.
Here’s how to experience them.
And then I started learning aboutthe Canary Islands.
Abama Beach, on Tenerife, one of the seven main Canary Islands.Credit:Salva LÓPEZ
Each island has its own microclimate (in some cases, several) and its own particular energy.
Im drawn to stereotypes to unraveling them, that is.
So in late June of last year, I flew to Tenerife, the most populous of the Canaries.
From left: Charco Azul, one of the many natural volcanic pools on the island of El Hierro; El Sitio, a boutique hotel on El Hierro.Salva López
As I drove north through lush rolling hills, I passed a hand-painted sign: Fukuoka Farm.
I performed an extremely illegal, screeching U-turn on the mountain road.
When I reached the end, I found myself warmly invited into a family home.
A rooftop terrace at the Ritz-Carlton, Abama, on Tenerife.Salva López
Living like this is a philosophy, Negrisolo explained over tea in their living room.
We cant fix decades of bad agricultural treatment of the earth in one day, but we can contribute.
I tasted a spoonful and then promptly sprinkled it all over my plate.
From left: A road winds through Tenerife’s Teide National Park; Pico de Teide rises from the center of Tenerife.Salva López
I scrambled up rocks, the wind picking up speed around me.
It felt like being in a geologists dream.
The best explanation for the ever-changing weather came from the Guanche, the Indigenous people of the islands.
From left: A bedroom at the César Manrique House Museum; the pool deck at the Manrique house.Salva López
They believed that Teide, Spains highest peak, was home to Guayota, the devil.
Teide rises from the islands middle like a ball of resting dough.
I scrambled up rocks, the wind picking up speed around me.
One of Hotel Palacio Ico’s guest rooms.Salva López
It felt like being in a geologists dream.
As I leaned in close to inspect a moss-covered branch, I noticed tiny, practically translucent mushrooms growing.
At no point did I come across another soul.
From left: Hotel Puntagrande, built on a lava-rock outcrop on El Hierro; peeking into a guest room at Hotel Puntagrande.Salva López
Everyone else must have been at the beach.
In the guest rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows provide generous views of the Atlantic coastline and its fiery sunsets.
But as David told me, raising his eyes skyward, We dont need any Michelin stars.
From left: The courtyard of Hotel Palacio Ico, a historic inn on the island of Lanzarote; the grounds of the César Manrique House Museum, on Lanzarote.Salva López
We have enough stars here.
The result of ancient volcanic activity, they are scattered among the coastlines coves, caves, and arches.
I blinked: the rocks seemed to be moving.
From left: A view through the laurel trees in Anaga, on Tenerife; Federico Negrisolo and his daughter at Tenerifeâs Fukuoka Farm.Salva López
They were particularly adept at foraging, both on the island and in the sea.
But the 2021 opening of the restaurant 8Aborigen began to change that.
Dessert was a Berber cheesecake made from goat-milk cheese, agofiocrust, and olive-oil foam.
Hikers in Anaga Rural Park, known for its mystical atmosphere.Salva López
But the unique climate has also forced winemakers to plant ingeniously.
It is named after the Genoese navigator Lanceletto Malocello, credited with the archipelagos rediscovery in 1312.
Lanzarote seemed hotter and drier than El Hierro, which felt humid and tropical.
From left: The lobby of The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama; a world-class observatory sits on the slope of Pico de Teide.Salva López
Owner Maria Alava grew up in Lanzarote and returned home to kick off the hotel in 2019.
For me, Lanzarote means simplicity, she told me.
Alava Suites, like many of the structures on Lanzarote, was influenced by Manrique.
The bedroom and terrace of an El Sitio guest house, on El Hierro.Salva López
I wandered the empty cobblestoned streets, the July heat dry and heavy in the air.
The dish is meant for two people, but was so delicious that I ate nearly the whole thing.
As the waves lapped lightly, the canopy of stars stretched out before me.
From left: Lanzarote’s famous carabineros de La Santa, bright-red prawns, at SeBe; the dining room at SeBe, in the resort town of Costa Teguise, on Lanzarote.Salva López
The edge of the world had never felt so close at hand.
Abama Kabuki, one of two Michelin-starred restaurants on the property, deserves a visit.
The five-course prix fixe menu gives you all the highlights.
Service is excellent, as is the wine list.
Parque Cultural de El Julan:A reservations-required archaeological site with Bimbache petroglyphs and an informative visitors center.
Lanzarote
Alava Suites:Six modern guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over landscaped gardens.
Breakfast, which changes daily, can be delivered to your door.
Hotel Palacio Ico:A renovated 17th-century home built around a beautiful, sun-filled courtyard.
Its restaurant highlights Lanzarote cheese, produce, and seafood.
SeBe:Santi Beneitez and Begona Raton prepare Canarian ingredients with Iberian flair.
The rice dishes are standouts.
His former home in the village of Haria is open to the public.
Its now on the market for $8 million but still available to tour.
