Canary Islands holidays make sense whenever you’re craving some sun, with winter temperatures of 18 - 24°C and a flight time of just 4.5 hours from the UK. Holidays to Canary Islands 2026/2027 could mean Tenerife and Mount Teide, Gran Canaria’s Maspalomas Dunes, Lanzarote’s lava fields or Fuerteventura’s long golden beaches.
If you’re weighing up Canary Island holidays against somewhere on mainland Spain, the year-round warmth is one of the big differences. Go in January and you could be eating lunch outside before heading to the beach. Come summer, it’s long pool days followed by warm evenings outdoors. Families can settle into a resort with everything nearby, couples can look at Adult Only hotels and an All Inclusive Canary Islands holiday takes care of most meals and drinks.
With low deposits and flexible payment options, it's easy to spread the cost without compromising on where you stay. Book your flights and hotel together with Thomas Cook and your holiday is ATOL protected.
Why choose the Canary Islands?
When grey skies set in at home, the Canary Islands can still deliver the kind of day that feels like a proper holiday. Winter temperatures typically sit between 18 - 24°C, so January might mean breakfast outside, a swim before lunch and a light layer once the sun goes down. Direct flights from UK airports get you there without eating into your holiday, and the islands share the same time zone as the UK in winter, so there’s no jet lag to factor in. They’re one of Thomas Cook's most popular destinations, with over 24,000 holidaymakers staying here in 2025 – with 7-night stays, flying out from Manchester, London Stansted and London Gatwick, being especially popular. The subtropical climate also keeps the Canaries on the calendar beyond the usual summer getaway. Spring and autumn bring warm days for the beach, walking and eating outdoors, while summer turns up the heat for days centred firmly on the pool and sea. That year-round flexibility is a big part of the appeal.
Which Canary Island is right for you?
Tenerife holidays
Best for: Families, value and evenings out
Tenerife is the one to look at if you want some days by the beach or pool and others out seeing the island. The south has the big beach resorts, including Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, so this is where to start for restaurants, nightlife and family days out. Beaches range from golden Playa de las Vistas to stretches of the island’s natural black volcanic sand.
Then there’s Mount Teide, rising to 3,718 metres at the centre of the island. Head up into Teide National Park and the palms and resorts give way to craters, lava flows and a landscape that looks almost lunar. Drive into the national park or take the cable car higher up the mountain.
The north feels different again. La Laguna’s colourful historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Puerto de la Cruz brings black-sand beaches and streets made for stopping over coffee. Families should head to the south-west where they can devote a day to Siam Park, and or join a boat tour in search of whales and dolphins. Along the south coast, you can also go beneath the waves on a submarine safari, diving up to 30 metres to see shipwrecks and marine life from your seat.
Stay close to the action all week or hire a car and see what lies beyond the resort. For more on the different areas and what you’ll find in each, head to our Tenerife holidays.
Gran Canaria holidays
Best for: Families, couples and variety
Gran Canaria has an answer for different holiday wish lists. The south is the main resort territory, with Maspalomas and its vast sweep of dunes beside the Atlantic. Nearby Playa del Inglés has the beach, shops and nightlife within the resort. Puerto Rico is built around a sheltered bay. Puerto de Mogán has a slower pace, with whitewashed buildings, bougainvillea flowers and canals running between the marina and old fishing quarter.
Head inland and the scenery shifts quickly. Roads climb through ravines and pine forest towards the mountainous centre, where Roque Nublo rises 1,813 metres above sea level. It’s the kind of drive where getting there becomes part of the day out, with viewpoints opening across the island as you climb.
Las Palmas adds a city day in the north-east. Spend the morning on the long curve of Las Canteras beach, then head into Vegueta for cobbled streets and historic buildings. Visit on a Thursday evening and you can join the Ruta del Pincho, known to many visitors as Tapas Thursday, when bars around Calle Mendizábal serve small bites to eat as you wander from one to the next. You don’t have to choose between a resort holiday and seeing more of the island – there’s room for both.
For a closer look at the south-coast resorts, Las Palmas and places in between, head to our Gran Canaria holidays.
Lanzarote holidays
Best for: Couples, adults-only and distinctive scenery
Lanzarote looks different from the moment you leave the airport. Whitewashed villages stand out against dark volcanic earth, and César Manrique’s influence appears across the island in viewpoints, galleries and buildings shaped around the landscape. If you like a beach holiday with a reason to hire a car for a day or two, this is where Lanzarote comes into its own.
Timanfaya National Park is the headline act. Eruptions during the 18th century left volcanic cones, craters and huge expanses of solidified lava across this part of the island. Elsewhere, Jameos del Agua transforms part of a volcanic tunnel into one of Manrique’s best-known creations, complete with a subterranean lagoon. The vineyards are another surprise, with vines planted in hollows dug into the black volcanic soil around La Geria.
For beach time, Playa Blanca sits on the south coast close to the pale coves of Papagayo. Puerto del Carmen has a long seafront lined with restaurants and bars. Costa Teguise has several beaches within the resort and a waterfront promenade.
If that combination of beach time, volcanic scenery and days out sounds like your sort of week, see our Lanzarote holidays and find the resort you want to come back to each evening.
Fuerteventura holidays
Best for: Beaches, water sports and quieter holidays
After serious beach space? Fuerteventura is hard to beat. Closest to Africa, it has some of the region's longest stretches of sand. Corralejo is the busiest base in the north; Costa Calma and Jandía are quieter, family friendly options in the south, with Sotavento a top spot for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
La Palma holidays
Best for: Nature lovers, walkers and stargazing
La Palma is the Canaries' green, serene island, and the one to pick if walking and big skies matter more than nightlife. Much of the island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with pine forest, volcanic trails and the huge Caldera de Taburiente National Park at its centre. After dark, low light pollution makes it one of Europe's best places to look at the stars.
Beaches are mostly black volcanic sand, with Los Cancajos on the east coast and Tazacorte in the west among the easiest to reach. Resorts are smaller and calmer than Tenerife's, so it suits couples and walkers best. See our La Palma holidays to find hotels and departure airports.
All Inclusive Canary Islands holidays
An All Inclusive Canary Islands holiday is a smart way to know what’s covered before you go, especially if you’re travelling as a family or expect to spend a fair bit of time at the hotel. Flights and accommodation are booked together, while most meals and local drinks are included once you arrive. Some hotels add snacks, entertainment or activities to the package, so check the details before you book to see exactly what your board basis covers.
You can still get out and see the islands. Head out on a dolphin-spotting boat trip in the morning, then back to the hotel for lunch, with the afternoon free for the beach or a swim in the sea. If you'd rather spend whole days exploring, you could also look at half-board, which leaves your lunches free. If you’re travelling with kids, having meals and drinks sorted can take some of the faff out of the day as well. Take a look at our All Inclusive Canary Islands holidays to see the packages available across the islands and what’s included in your stay.
Best time to visit the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands really earn their winter-sun reputation from November to March. Even at this time of year, daytime temperatures can range from 18 - 24°C, turning a British winter week into lunches outside, afternoons by the pool and beach days that would be unthinkable back home. Cooler days also leave more scope for walking, sightseeing or hiring a car and heading inland, without planning your day around the midday heat.
Winter isn’t the only time to go. April to June and September to October sit either side of the hottest summer months, giving you warm weather for swimming alongside days spent seeing more of the island. If you're heading to La Palma, the greenest of the islands, spring and autumn are also the best times for walking its forest trails. July and August are hotter again, shifting the focus firmly towards the coast. Think early swims, afternoons under a parasol and staying on the beach until you’re ready to find somewhere for dinner.
More Canary Island travel guides:
Explore: Fuerteventura holidays | Gran Canaria holidays | Lanzarote holidays | Tenerife holidays
Our Canary Islands holidays guide was last revised and updated in October 2026.
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