Responsible holidays in the Canary Islands
Wildlife & environment
Tap into the water issue
Water is a big issue on the Canary Islands, although when you look at the proliferation of well watered golf courses and resorts overflowing with swimming pools you would be forgiven for thinking that all is well. Which is an unfortunate pun, because when it comes to water, all is not well. Due to their remote nature, ecosystems and volcanic geology, the islands’ life giving resources have to be very carefully monitored. The islands source their water in two ways: in general, the western ones source theirs from ground water, and the eastern ones through desalination of sea water. So, when you see a sign asking you to be really careful about water usage, they mean it. We can enjoy these all year round gorgeous temperatures, but the impacts on water resources can be serious.What you can do
All common sense, really. Don’t shower three times a day, don’t insist on your bed linen and towels being washed all the time, don’t leave the tap running when you brush your teeth, and seek out places to stay that are environmentally aware, with smaller pools and an ethos that encourages you to use the much bigger, natural pool nearby: the Atlantic.
Say no to dolphinariums
At Responsible Travel, we do not support keeping whales or dolphins in captivity. Tenerife has one prolific dolphinarium, with performing dolphins, sea lions, and even six orcas. The most recent orca to be brought to this water park, Loro Parque, is Morgan, in 2011, despite worldwide appeals from leading conservationists such as the WWF. These mammoth mammals, used to perform tricks for our entertainment, are social creatures that are always on the move, and so in our opinion, being cooped up in tanks, away from their mothers or social group is not only cruel, but extremely harmful. Many tourists are now becoming aware of the impacts, and indeed some holiday companies are removing the park from excursion lists. And we encourage our responsible travellers to do the same.What you can do
The best trips, then, follow the international whale watching guidelines, while combining scientific work with whale watching. Susanne uses 10-person Canarian fishing boats, keeps a safe distance and steady course, and logs sightings for a 20-year-old research project by a small NGO called MEER. You go whale watching; the guides log sightings and whale details from the bow; volunteers input the data back in the La Gomera office – and MEER takes care of the rest.
“It’s quite an interesting long-term project,” says Susanne, “because in 1995 this association started collecting data, which we still do on every tour, and put it in a database, and we are just now working on finding a way to get results out of this database. We’re reading data collected over 20 years. We want to bring it in relation to climate change and the water temperature – all these issues. This is the big goal because this data really is a treasure.”
Susanne says that their whale watching trips also reveal behaviour never recorded before: “We had a situation here where we found a dead calf and the mum was carrying it for six days in a row. Our biologist was on the boat and took some photos and data. Later, it was discovered that not only the mother but another individual of the dolphins carried the dead body around and this was not known before in the scientific world.”
And don’t forget about the dolphins. They often unexpectedly steal the show, says Susanne: “We had a very special encounter with a Risso’s dolphin because they are very synchronised in their behaviour, and if they’re in big groups they are so social and open to meeting humans… they really want contact. Scientists say they are one of the most intelligent dolphins; we love them very much.”
Our Canary islands Holidays
Gran Canaria walking tours, Canary Islands
This unique volcanic island reveals unexpected variety
Canary Islands walking holiday
Visit Teide volcano and walk through the Garajonay Forest
Lanzarote 8 bedroom villa and yurt
"Wow" Factor Villa, 2 x private pools, Sea Views, Nr Beach
La Palma walking holiday in the Canaries
Walk a biosphere reserve that is home to over 900 endemic species
Luxury yurt accommodation in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Stunning Eco Yurt, beach setting, inc Hybrid Car, Off Grid!
Lanzarote self catering cottage in the Canary Islands
Cozy Cottage, friendly tropical eco village, swimming pool,
Canary Islands walking holiday, El Hierro
Walk the quiet island of the Canaries
Lanzarote yurt holiday with pool
Luxury Yurt with Private solar pool, 1km to Beach/Restaurant
Gran Canaria walking holiday
A spectacular journey walking across Gran Canaria
Canary Islands walking holiday, La Palma
Enjoy the vastly different landscapes on La Palma
Lanzarote eco barn accommodation, Canary Islands
Self-catering eco accommodation, hybrid car, at the beach
Lanzarote seafront apartment, Punta Mujeres
Quaint fishing village on the beach apartment hybrid car inc
Lanzarote beach house, Canary Islands
Beautiful Villa 100mt to beach, private plunge pool & Wifi
Lanzarote villa holiday, Fishermans Cottage, Canary Islands
Seafront cottage- off grid -traditional village-costal walks
Lanzarote north coast villa holiday, Canary Islands
Stunning Villa-Solar Pool-Quaint Fishing Village-On the Sea
La Gomera self guided walking, Canary Islands
Beautiful walking through plantations, mountains and villages
Family eco yurt in Lanzarote
Family friendly luxe eco yurts, sea view, next to beach, Car
Lanzarote villa accommodation, Canary Islands
Lux villa @ Beach, inc Hybrid Car, Tropical Garden, Pool.
Lanzarote self catering apartments, Canary Islands
4 Studio apartments, and 2 Bedroom Cottage
Lanzarote walking holiday in the Canary Islands
Walk with Volcanoes, Views, Wine-Tasting, Luxury Eco stay
Luxury yurt pod accommodation in Lanzarote, with eco car
Luxury Royale Super Yurt, inc Hybrid car, pool & near beach
Lanzarote yurt holiday, eco palm yurt
Beautiful Eco Yurt near beach/restaurants/fishing village.
Walking holiday in Canary Islands
Discover the unique landscape of Lanzarote
Canaries to Madeira sailing holiday
Winter sun and sailing around Lanzarote onto Portugal
Tall ship sailing holiday in the Carnaries
You will sail the ship and, quite literally, learn the ropes
Lanzarote villa holiday with music festival
Amazing music event, hosted in a grand Villa.
Lanzarote luxury villa with pool, sleeps 12
Sea views, private pool, ping pong, chill-out & fast wifi
Yurt holiday accommodation in Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Beach setting, off grid, pool access, family yurts
Canary Islands luxury yurt holiday
Family Lux yurt, private garden, inc Hybrid Car, Pool, Beach
La Gomera painting holiday in Canary Islands
Sketch unique, rugged island scenery with a wonderful hotel
People & Culture
On the other islands, the original Berber inhabitants are referred to as guanches, and although it is thought that most people with Berber roots are actually now a mix of Berber and Spanish, the ancient traditions live on. On La Gomera, you can still hear Silbo being used, the whistling language that enabled messages to be sent, literally, across the wind, from one valley to another. Fiestas such as Fiesta de Charco, on Gran Canaria every September, when over 15,000 people dive into La Marciega lagoon to catch as many fish as they can with their hands, are a sight to behold. Or Fiesta de la Rama in Agaete, an ancient tradition of local people heading to the Atlantic from the inland peaks or Tamadaba Natural Park in August, to beat the waters with palm branches as an act of prayer for rain. Although these days, the branches are offered to the Virgin Mary instead of the traditional rain dance. Given the lack of water issues on the islands, some might think that the original version might be more appropriate.
“Escape the south of Gran Canaria and head to the north coast – it suddenly feels like you have entered a book by Gabrielle Garcia Marquez. Go to the local fiestas, such as Fiesta de Charco, to see real, local traditions in action. Also walking festivals are just great here. And sometimes you can combine them with star gazing nights which are just fantastic."
“Parts of the islands are built up and catered more toward mass fly and flop tourism (especially the south coasts of Tenerife and Lanzarote). We stay in smaller towns where possible and the walking trails are quiet, away from the busy areas. Most people come to sunbathe, leaving many trails free of other walkers, apart from a couple of the ones that are popular with the big walking groups.”
Responsible tourism tips
"Make sure you have travel insurance. An emergency abroad can be extremely expensive. If you need to be returned to the UK it could cost you thousands, unless you are properly insured. It can cost, for example, £12,000 to £16,000 for an air ambulance from the Canaries. Every year British Consulates see cases of uninsured travellers facing huge bills – make sure you are not one of them."