Flights to the Atlantic Islands

Seven islands, seven characters

Tenerife is the largest island and home to Mount Teide, Spain's highest mountain at 3,715 metres. Gran Canaria pairs the Maspalomas dunes with a busy capital, Las Palmas. Lanzarote is shaped by 18th-century eruptions and the work of the artist César Manrique, and Fuerteventura is lined with long white beaches and dunes. La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro in the west are greener and quieter, with forests, deep ravines and small villages.

Airports and connections

Every island has its own airport. Tenerife has two: Tenerife South (TFS), which handles almost all UK flights, and Tenerife North (TFN) near La Laguna, which links the islands with Binter and connects to Madrid and Barcelona. To reach La Gomera or El Hierro, fly to Tenerife and take a fast ferry from Los Cristianos, or connect on a short Binter flight from Tenerife North or Gran Canaria.

Airlines from the UK

Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair, TUI and British Airways fly to the four main islands from London and airports across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. TUI flies direct to La Palma from Gatwick. Iberia and Vueling connect through Madrid and Barcelona when you need Tenerife North or one of the smaller islands. Flights from London take around four to four and a half hours.

Passports, money and time

The Canaries are part of Spain and the Schengen area, so British visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, as long as their passport meets EU validity rules. The euro is used on every island. The Canaries keep the same time as the UK all year, which makes the islands easy for a short break. Check current UK government travel advice and your insurance before you go.

When to go

The islands are warm all year, with winter highs around 21°C on the coast and summer highs in the high 20s. Winter and Easter are the busiest times for UK holidaymakers. The trade winds keep the north coasts greener and cloudier, while the south and east are drier and sunnier. Higher ground on Tenerife and La Palma can be cold, and Teide sometimes sees snow in winter.

Want to combine two islands? Call 020 7871 4545 and we'll compare flights and inter-island links.