The Canary Islands are volcanic islands situated off the coast of Africa. They appear just like gigantic volcanos rising up from the ocean floor, which indeed they are. There are in fact seven islands of which the largest and most populous is Tenerife. Politically and culturally they belong to Spain with all its institutions and coinage and language. And once there, apart from the their geographical position, you feel exactly as though you were in Spain. Climatically they are near perfect with a subtropical climate, varying from 17 - 18 degrees centigrade in the winter to 28 - 30 degrees in the summer, never too cold due to its latitude and never too hot because of the cooling effect of the sea, influenced and cooled by the expanse of ocean all around them. Each island shows a remarkable microclimate with all the endemic plants and geology that comes with that. The North exposed to the northerly trade winds is often cloudy and rains more often than the South which is almost totally rain free. For that reason the hotels and beaches tend to predominate in the South. Equally, in the North, as the climate is wetter and cooler, the area is more attractive for activity holidays or even just travelling to see the many historical and natural sights.