The Eastern Canary Islands
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Most of the tourists stay in the area of the lively Playa del Ingles in the south, there is the majority of the dive centers too. The capital, Las Palmas is in the north, it’s one of the largest cities in Spain. It has a huge commercial harbor so it's not surprising there are impressive wrecks like the Kalais and the Arona rest close to the shore. Their depth is just perfect for the advanced divers as the maximum is 30-35 meters. There are smaller wrecks in the south but here the nature is the main attraction at the most popular spots. As you descend to the Pasito Blanco you'll feel the seabed is flowing - if you go closer, you can see it's a huge shoal of fish. At the concrete formations of the Artificial Reef smaller and larger animals are hiding, for example crabs, groupers, rays while barracudas are swimming above them. The Arinaga Marine Park can be tricky, it's not the easiest shore diving place. I remember as I tried to reach a safer point at the rocky seashore while I was crawling on my palms and knees in the waves. But it's worth the torture! Angel sharks, rays, barracudas, crabs, stargazers, cuttlefish, octopus, parrot fish, nudibranch and the shoal of bastard grunts made this place unforgettable. If the weather doesn't permit diving in the south the groups head to the north to Sardina. This spot is inhabited by butterfly rays and angel sharks hide often in the sand. Just a few kilometers away there is a special place, Caleta Baja, where the luckier divers can see devil rays from late summer. Those who don't see them, can be satisfied with the angel shark or stingray encounters.
Gran Canaria is very popular because the traveler finds everything there, but those who want to leave the crowd behind prefer Fuerteventura. This long island doesn't have huge hills but long, beautiful sandy beaches. This yellow and white sand make this island special. There aren't must-see places, churches or volcanoes but shores which are ideal for a relaxing holiday. In the north they dive the Corralejo area from boat, you can expect some current and many fish here. In the middle of the island the spots are in open water, so diving is not possible in the late afternoon when the wind becomes stronger. You’ll see, surfers like this island as much as the divers. In the south they have one of the most spectacular dive sites of the archipelago, the Veril Grande. I wanted to see it after I read about the local dive spots and we had really wonderful dives here. After we descended to the top of the reef at 14 meters I saw an eel garden. As I turned around I spotted the first huge grouper very close to me, later I saw more of them. Butterfly ray and stingray flew around the reef, morays hugged the rocks, a school of jacks circled around me- it was simply stunning experience.
The last of the big islands is Lanzarote. This is an extraordinary place, with an active volcano which is the center of the Timanfaya National Park. If you come to the island you shouldn't miss the park, where they organize regular trips and you can taste the meat roasted on the heat of the volcano. In Lanzarote there is a chain of spectacular attractions designed by the local artist, Cesar Manrique- worth visiting all of them. Breathtaking views, strange lava flats, mysterious caves make the surface adventures unforgettable. The main tourist area is on the south, in the towns of Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca. Puerto del Carmen has some very popular and very nice shore dive places, with small wrecks and caverns. You can expect morays, rays, big groupers, lot of fish, with a little luck angel sharks here. I saw black coral, cuttlefish and seahorse as well. The most special dive places are on the north. Between Lanzarote and the neighboring tiny La Graciosa island there is a channel where very few people use to dive, although this place belongs to the largest marine park of Europe. You'll find nearly everything what lives in the waters of Canaries. We just looked around and there were dozens of huge barracudas and jacks, an angel shark lied on the seabed, an eagle ray swam in the distance while we were trying to find the anemones and crabs in the holes.
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