Activities in the Canary Islands aren't spread evenly. Each island has its speciality, judging by what its own visitors do: whales and theme parks in Tenerife, surfing in Fuerteventura, cycling and wineries in Lanzarote, trails and stars in La Palma. If your trip revolves around one activity, pick the island for it, not the other way round.
Which activity on which island
| Activity | Best island | The figure | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whales and dolphins | Tenerife | 113 of the 184 licensed boats; 16% of its visitors take a boat trip | Whale and dolphin watching |
| Volcanoes | Lanzarote and Tenerife | Timanfaya and Teide; in La Palma, the 2021 lava flow | Volcanoes |
| Hiking | La Palma | 58% of its visitors go walking, against an average of 20% | Hiking |
| Stargazing | La Palma | 17% of its visitors go stargazing | Stargazing |
| Surfing and windsurfing | Fuerteventura | 6.9% of its visitors surf, three times the average | Surfing in Fuerteventura |
| Diving | El Hierro, Lanzarote | La Restinga and La Graciosa marine reserves; shore diving | Diving |
| Water parks and theme parks | Tenerife | 23% of its tourists visit them; on the other islands, under 10% | Water parks |
| Cycling | Lanzarote | 6.4% of its visitors cycle, more than twice the average | — |
| Wine and markets | Lanzarote, La Palma | They draw 18% of visitors on each | — |
Find your plan
Filter by island and type. Prices are a per-person starting point.
Island
Type
Boat trips, whales and dolphins
Tenerife is in a league of its own: pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off the south-west coast all year round, and most licensed boats sail from Puerto Colón, Los Gigantes and Los Cristianos. A 90-minute trip costs from about €28 on the booking platforms. In Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote the trips are mostly about dolphins: whales depend on animals passing through.
Where the licensed boats sail from
Puerto Colón, Los Gigantes, Los Cristianos
113 boats; resident pilot whales all year.
Morro Jable
About 20 boats, 14 of them in Morro Jable; more than La Gomera or La Palma.
Puerto Rico, Puerto de Mogán
About 17 boats; none registered in Pasito Blanco.
Valle Gran Rey
About 13 boats, in waters shared with Tenerife's whale area.
Puerto de Tazacorte
The whole fleet, 9 boats, in a single port on the west coast.
Puerto Calero, Puerto del Carmen
Barely five boats: a niche option.
Puerto de La Estaca
Two boats, run by the same dive centre.
Look for the yellow "Barco Azul" (Blue Boat) flag showing a current authorisation period: it is the Canary Islands Government licence. Swimming with wild whales and dolphins is illegal throughout Spain, and no sighting is guaranteed, whoever advertises it. Full comparison in whale and dolphin watching and, for the leading island, in whale watching in Tenerife.
Volcanoes and caves
These are three different experiences. In Tenerife, the Teide cable car climbs to 3,555 m for €43 return; the summit, at 3,715 m, requires a €15 permit from Tenerife ON. In Lanzarote, Montañas del Fuego costs €30 with a fixed time slot and is a 35-minute coach tour: to set foot on the lava you need to book the park's free guided walks (Tremesana and Litoral) at https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/. In La Palma, you can only reach the cone of Tajogaite with an authorised guide, on a circular route of about 6 km.
Lava tubes you can visit: the Cueva del Viento in Icod de los Vinos (€25, advance booking required), Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua in Lanzarote (€17 each; Cueva de los Verdes online only) and Caños de Fuego in La Palma (€8 for the centre). The inside of Fuerteventura's Cueva del Llano has been closed since 2014. Everything compared in Canary Islands volcanoes and, in detail, in Timanfaya.
Hiking and stargazing
La Palma is the hikers' island, with La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria behind it; the GR 131 crosses all seven islands in about 560 km. What trips people up most is booking: Roque Nublo needs a reserved slot from 10:00 to 17:00, the La Cumbrecita car park in the Caldera de Taburiente needs a permit from 08:30 to 16:00, the El Cedro track in Garajonay must be booked in summer and the Masca gorge costs non-residents €40.66. Both hiking festivals fall in autumn: La Palma in mid-September and Gran Canaria in mid-October.
For stargazing there are three Starlight Reserves: La Palma, the Cumbres de Tenerife and Fuerteventura, the low-lying, mild option for anyone who doesn't want to drive up a mountain at night. To get inside a real observatory dome, go by day: the Teide Observatory (€21, ages 8 and up) or the Roque de los Muchachos with a Starlight guide, which suspends visits from December to March. Night-time outings use portable telescopes in the open air; check the moon phase before you book. More in hiking and stargazing.
Surfing, jet skis and diving
Fuerteventura leads for surfing: 6.9% of its visitors surf and 2.4% windsurf, between Corralejo, El Cotillo and Sotavento. In Lanzarote the spot is Famara; in Tenerife, the reef breaks at Playa de las Américas, best from October to March, and El Médano for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Gran Canaria has Pozo Izquierdo, which hosts a round of the windsurfing world championship in July. A one-day lesson at the Corralejo surf schools costs €50 to €70.
Jet skis without a licence are only legal on a buoyed circuit or on a guided excursion with an instructor. At Anfi del Mar (Gran Canaria) you must be 18, and 30 minutes costs €90 whether you ride alone or two-up. A national rule no longer allows any pleasure boat to be rented to someone without a boating licence: the "private boat" on offer at the beach has to come with a skipper.
For diving, the law sets the minimum age at 8 and requires one instructor per person on a try dive: a "group" try dive with a single instructor is illegal. The best-known sites are La Restinga in El Hierro, with visibility of up to 50 m, Lanzarote's Museo Atlántico, with more than 300 sculptures at a depth of about 12 m, and El Cabrón in Gran Canaria, a shore dive. Angel sharks are seen in winter, roughly from November to April. Details in diving in the Canary Islands.
Water parks and things to do with kids
Tenerife is the only island where theme parks are a mass activity. Siam Park (€44 adult, €32 child) and Aqualand Costa Adeje open all year, as do Aqualand Maspalomas in Gran Canaria and Aqualava in Lanzarote, which has pools heated with geothermal energy. Acua Water Park (Fuerteventura) and AquaPark Costa Teguise (Lanzarote) close from early November to late March and, in the shoulder months, on two weekdays as well.
| Where | Ticket | Rating | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Costa Adeje: Aqualand Water Park Ticket with Dolphin Show | 4.3 (1,108) | €37 | View on GetYourGuide |
| Tiqets | Aqualand Costa Adeje: Entry Ticket | 4.3 (219) | €37 | View on Tiqets |
| Official website | Aqualand Costa Adeje, official online fare (from) | — | €35 Cheapest | Official site ↗ |
Adult prices checked on 2 October 2026. They may vary by date; each site confirms the final price.
At Aqualand Costa Adeje, the park's own online ticket costs €35, two euros less than on the platforms; at Aqualand Maspalomas the difference reaches €9 per adult. If you know your date, buy on the park's website.
For children there's more than water slides: Loro Parque (€44), Palmitos Park in Gran Canaria (€39), Oasis Wildlife in Fuerteventura (from €41.50 on the platforms) or the Puerto de Mogán submarine. Several parks keep dolphins or sea lions: supporters point to education and conservation, while critics argue cetaceans shouldn't be kept in captivity; if it matters to you, check before you buy. The Angry Birds Activity Park in Puerto Rico is a dry playground, not a water park. Everything in Canary Islands water parks.
Cycling, wine and other things to do
Lanzarote is the cycling island: 6.4% of its visitors ride, and in May it hosts Ironman Lanzarote (3.8 km swim, 180.2 km bike and a marathon); the Club La Santa resort no longer organises it, so check the date and organiser before you enter. Tenerife is a base for professional teams who train above 2,000 m even in winter. For wine there are 11 designations of origin, five of them in Tenerife; Fuerteventura has none of its own and its protected product is majorero cheese. In Lanzarote, the El Grifo winery, founded in 1775, offers a self-guided visit with two wines for €15.
Other ideas: camel rides in Timanfaya (€11 per person) and on the Maspalomas dunes (€18), buggies in Gran Canaria from €65.25, kayaking and snorkelling in Los Cristianos from €37 if you book with the company, and paragliding in Tenerife from Taucho, Ifonche or La Corona; taking off from Izaña, inside Teide National Park, is prohibited.
Recommended tours by activity
Our pick
1
No-chase whale watching
A short trip from the south of Tenerife with an operator that advertises itself as "no chase"; more than 15,000 reviews.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Tenerife: Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter
4.6 (15,400 reviews)
from €28Check availability
2
Sunset and stars on Teide
The protected skies of the Cumbres de Tenerife for €35, with more than 3,600 reviews.
GetYourGuide3 - 5 hours
Tenerife: Sunset and Stargazing at Teide National Park
4.7 (3,665 reviews)
from €35Check availability
3
Surfing in Fuerteventura
A lesson in the south of the island with the most surfers in the Canaries, rated 4.8.
GetYourGuide3.5 - 13.5 hours
Fuerteventura: Surfing Lesson in the south of Fuerteventura
4.8 (452 reviews)
from €51.30Check availability
4
First dive in Tenerife
A 50-minute dive for beginners; confirm you'll have an instructor to yourself.
GetYourGuide1 - 3 hours
Southern Tenerife: 50-Minute Submarine Dive
4.8 (2,600 reviews)
from €61Check availability
5
Jet ski in Lanzarote
From 20 minutes to 3 hours; without a licence it's only legal guided or on a circuit, so confirm when you book.
GetYourGuide20 minutes - 3 hours
Lanzarote: Jet Ski Tour
4.7 (1,069 reviews)
from €70Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Tenerife: Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter
4.6 (15,400 reviews)
from €28Check availability
GetYourGuide7 hours
Tenerife: Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Ticket & Transfer
4.3 (6,095 reviews)
from €92Check availability
GetYourGuide9 hours
Tenerife: Teide National Park, Masca, Icod & Garachico Tour
4.6 (3,035 reviews)
from €58Check availability
GetYourGuide3 - 5 hours
Tenerife: Sunset and Stargazing at Teide National Park
4.7 (3,665 reviews)
from €35Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 2 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in the Canary Islands with kids?
Tenerife has Siam Park, Loro Parque and the biggest fleet of whale-watching boats. In Gran Canaria, Aqualand Maspalomas and Palmitos Park open every day; in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, check the water parks' calendar, as they close in winter.
Which Canary Island is best for surfing?
Fuerteventura: it's where the most visitors surf (6.9%). The main wave season runs from October to March; in summer the waves are smaller and better for learning.
Do you need a licence to ride a jet ski in the Canary Islands?
No, if it's on a buoyed circuit or a guided excursion with an instructor. To ride on your own you need a boating licence, and operators usually require you to be 18.
Which Canary Island is best for cycling?
Lanzarote, the island with the most cyclists among its visitors. Tenerife is the one professionals choose for altitude training.
Do you need to book activities in advance?
Some, yes: Montañas del Fuego and Cueva de los Verdes are sold online only with a time slot, Roque Nublo needs a free booking and the Teide summit permit opens 56 days ahead.
