Pound
for pound the Canaries are probably one of the best value sunshine
destinations.
Flight times are relatively short but for much of the year the islands
offer a good deal of warm sunshine.
The chain of islands which make up the Canaries, is relatively far
south hence the good sunshine records, but unlike its Mediterranean
counterparts is surrounded by cool waters.
The cold Canaries current ensures that temperatures never get too
high. Even at the height of summer maximum temperatures are usually
around 26 Celsius (79F).
But those same Atlantic waters are warm enough to ensure typical winter
minimum temperatures of 14 to 15 Celsius (57 to 59F), and even in
the middle of winter maximum temperatures average 21 Celsius (70F).
The weather can be more extreme on occasions. During the summer months
when very hot, dry air flows out from the Sahara, temperatures can
reach 37 Celsius (99F).
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| Puerto
De La Cruz, Tenerife |
Fortunately
this heat rarely lasts for more than a couple of days.
The northern shores of the islands are generally wetter, being exposed
to the predominant northeasterly trade winds. Even so, rainfall
is low, even in the winter months.
From October through to March there are between five and eight wet
days each month. But the rest of the year is largely dry and sunny.
There's an impressive sunshine average of six hours each day in
the winter months rising to as many as 11 in summer, making the
Canaries a true all-year-round destination.
And if all that warm sunshine gets too much then head for the hills.
At over 3,700 metres Pico de Teide on Tenerife remains snow-covered
throughout the year.
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Motorway
gridlock special
