Nestled in the volcanic desert of Fuerteventura’s interior is Pájara, a traditional whitewashed town full of Canarian history, Aztec flourishes, and Spanish influence. This laid-black pueblo is famous for the gilded church of Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Regla, a donkey-powered water mill, cactus plantations, and slow-paced afternoon drinks in the sun. No, you’re not in Mexico—you’re in Pájara.
If you’ve ever dreamed of lifting up a car with a single finger or being parted from your own shadow, you’ll likely be in your element at the Museum of Science and the Cosmos (Museo de las Ciencias y el Cosmos). The innovative museum is filled with fun interactive exhibitions and hands-on sciences experiments to challenge curious minds.
Science rules at the Elder Museum of Science and Technology (Museo Elder de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Whether experiencing the robotic-arm-operated Robocoaster, taking a ride on a flight simulator, or watching a short film at the 3D Cinema, the museum is packed with fun, educational, and interactive exhibitions.
Tenerife’s unique landscapes—sculpted over centuries of volcanic activity—and anthropological history—inhabited by the Guanche people since the 6th century BC—are the focal points of the Museum of Nature and Archaeology (MUNA). Located in Santa Cruz, it’s a fascinating deep-dive into the history and cultural heritage of the Canary Islands.
Located in the palm tree-lined Doramas Park in the heart of Las Palmas, the Pueblo Canario is a complex of island houses built in the traditional Canary architectural style. Amidst Pueblo Canario is the Museo Nestor, dedicated to the life and works of the Canary’s most celebrated artist, Nestor de la Torre, who along with his architect brother, designed the Pueblo Canario in 1956.
The last trace of Lanzarote’s once-booming salt industry, the Janubio Salt Pans are still the largest in the Canary Islands. The patchwork of salt pools makes for a mesmerizing sight, stretching along the banks of the Janubio Lagoon, and summer visitors can witness the salt being harvested by hand.
If slipping, sliding, and splashing your way around a course of gigantic inflatable obstacles sounds like a good time, Amadores Fun Park is the place to be. All ages can visit the water park, which floats offshore at Amadores Beach, and enjoy climbing up slides, jumping from towers, and flying off an inflatable pillow.
Learn about the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands with a walk through a reconstructed ancient aboriginal village at Mundo Aborigen. Located in the Natural Park of Ayagaure and overlooking the island’s largest gorge, the Barranco de Fataga, this open-air museum celebrates the history and culture of the Guanche people before the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands.
While the great Spanish novelist Benito Pérez-Galdós found fame in Madrid, he came of age amid Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’s crashing surf and windswept beaches. His family home is preserved as the Pérez-Galdós House-Museum (Casa-Museo Pérez Galdós), which is filled with the writer's personal belongings, books, and furniture.
Lanzarote itself was formed from volcanic eruptions, and there’s no better place to get a sense of the island’s fiery geology than the Fire Mountains. These rust-colored beauties are scattered inside Timanfaya National Park, a landscape punctuated by craters, lava fields, and geysers. Travelers can hike around the mountains with a guide, and even visit a restaurant where meals are prepared using volcanic heat.
Rising vertically from a rugged beach near Fuerteventura’s southern tip, the red-tinged beach of Roque del Moro takes its name from the monolithic rock that towers 165 feet (50 meters) over the sand. The sandy stretch is part of the Parque Natural de Jandía, which exemplifies the wild beauty of Fuerteventura’s volcanic landscapes.
