Spain (Canary Islands): Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, tailor-made including beach holiday

Volcanically formed islands that are part of the natural region of Macaronesia, the name given to the archipelagos located in the North Atlantic, near Africa. Macaronesia comes from Greek and means "happy or fortunate islands", whose unique beauty and climate made them places of rest for deceased heroes in Greek mythology. Lanzarote, known as "the island of volcanoes" due its volcanic activity, stands out as a first-rate tourist destination, with the renowned native painter César Manrique combining art with respect for the environment, the island and its laws being an example of environmental awareness. Gran Canaria is known as "the miniature continent" thanks to the variation in its climate and its flora and fauna. Everybody knows the Playa de las Canteras in Las Palmas which, with three kilometres of pale golden sand, is one of the city's longest beaches. Another of Gran Canaria's attractions is Maspalomas, 17 kilometres of coastline with a dune ecosystem covering some 400 hectares and which has been declared as a protected natural area.