Would you like to take a tour of the luxury Parador hotels in the Canary Islands? Come discover these amazing Spanish islands through its numerous special, historical hotels. It is a way of travelling that really connects you with the essence of the place, but what is a Parador in Spain and why should you go there.
What are Parador Hotels in Spain?
Parador is a chain of luxury, 5-star hotels in Spain that are often built in refurbished historical or emblematic buildings, have a fine dining restaurant with a menu of traditional dishes and an elevated location with fantastic surroundings and views.
The Canarian archipelago is also known as the fortunate islands, partly because of its eternal spring with a pleasant temperature all year round. The subtropical climate and volcanic origin provide them with fertile lands that vary with each step between black sand beaches, verdant green forests and rocky outcrops.
One thing’s for sure: you’ll need more than one trip to visit all these different islands, no matter how small they may seem. There are paradores on 5 of the 7 Canary Islands, plus old paradors on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Let's go!
- Parador Cruz de Tejeda in Gran Canaria
- Parador de La Palma
- Parador de El Hierro
- Parador de La Gomera
- Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide
- Old paradors of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura
Parador Cruz de Tejeda in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is like a microcosm of the whole world, with desert dunes in Maspalomas, a colonial town in Vegueta, a small Colorado Canyon in Guayadeque, a Venetian port in Mogán and an unparalleled set of mountains in Tejeda.
At the top of the island, with clouds drifting under your feet, is the Parador Nacional de Gran Canaria. Renovated after the fire in Tejeda that devastated 3,000 hectares of forest in 2017, its facilities have now been completely refurbished and fortunately the forest has recovered almost completely. One characteristic of the Canary Island pine is that it’s very good at resisting fire and sprouts new buds from the ashes.
Activities in the surrounding area include hiking along the royal paths, a visit to the impressive Presa de las Niñas and tasting the delicious local cheeses. If you prefer to stay in the very centre of Tejeda, which has been on the list of the most beautiful villages in Spain for years, there are also other smaller, rural hotels there for you to stay at.
- Where: Cruz de Tejeda
- Facilities, services and amenities: spa, hydrothermal pool, lounges, conservatory with great views and a terrace for events
- Website: www.parador.es/parador-de-cruz-de-tejeda
Parador de La Palma
“La Isla Bonita” isn't just a Madonna song, it's also the nickname for the island of La Palma, “the beautiful island”. The first Canary Island to have one of its territories declared a World Biosphere Reserve, it received more and more recognition until UNESCO ended up giving this title to the entire island in 2002.
Much of the island is taken up by protected natural spaces like the Caldera de Taburiente National Park and the Roque de los Muchachos, from where you can also see the Cascada de Colores waterfall. But the real spectacle is to see the stars come out at night in one of the least polluted skies in the world.
The Parador de La Palma, Canarias (not to be confused with Palma de Mallorca or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is close to the black sand beach of Los Cancajos and to Santa Cruz de La Palma, the capital. The typical Canarian architecture of this Parador, its swimming pool surrounded by lush gardens and its views of the Atlantic Ocean make it one of the best Paradors in all of Spain.
- Where: Santa Cruz de La Palma (El Zumacal)
- Facilities, services and amenities: gym, sauna, swimming pool, outdoor gardens, fountains and fruit trees
- Website: www.parador.es/parador-de-la-palma
Parador de El Hierro
The meridian island is so called because Punta de Orchilla was formerly considered the zero meridian line, one of the most used in 16th and 17th century maps. The inhabitants of El Hierro know how to take care of the island and manage it properly: it is 100% sustainable and self-sufficient thanks to its renewable energy sources. True, it’s a great place to disconnect, but there’s still free Wi-Fi throughout the whole island.
The smallest in the archipelago of the Canarias, is also one of the most unspoilt: around the Parador de El Hierro in the Canary Islands there are 46 separate dive sites. Fans of scuba diving and snorkelling will love this place because the sea is crystal-clear and has a rich biodiversity that has grown around the volcanic rock.
- Where: Valverde (Las Playas)
- Facilities, services and amenities: sauna, spa, jacuzzi, conference and events rooms
- Website: www.parador.es/parador-de-el-hierro
Parador de La Gomera
The island of the amazing Silbo Gomero whistling is the scene of aboriginal legends and stories from the Columbian era, when it was point where people set sail for the Americas. The microclimate is surprising because of how much the temperature can change in just a few miles. From the port, it only takes 10 minutes by car to get to Garajonay National Park, on a journey so sheltered because of the thousands of trees that you can barely see the sun. There are even prehistoric species here that disappeared in other parts of the world millions of years ago.
The Parador de La Gomera may be surrounded by natural wonders, but it is also an attraction in itself. Although it only dates back to the 1970s, it is inspired by the Elizabethan era; with a marine theme, it looks like a sort of museum-house for sailors! Topping it all off are the views of the ocean, Tenerife and El Teide.
- Where: San Sebastián de La Gomera
- Facilities, services and amenities: gardens, solarium, bike rental, sauna, therapeutic and relaxing treatments
- Website: www.parador.es/parador-de-la-gomera
Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide
Tenerife is the island of the ancient Guanches and the largest of the seven isles in the Canaries. Here you can find many diverse kinds of landscapes, from laurel forests of the Anaga rural park to a brightly coloured volcanic massif in the Teno rural park, the largest water park in Europe (Siam Park), the historical, artistic and monumental set of the sixteenth century Villa de la Orotava and the historic centre of La Laguna, with its fascinating colonial architecture.
Tenerife has a lot to offer, but undoubtedly the most spectacular is the excursion to the highest peak in Spain: at 3,718 m (12,198 ft), the Teide crowns the island and also stands in its own National Park. It is the third highest volcano in the world.
Can you imagine sleeping in a place like that? At the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide you can, where you can sign up for astronomical observations organised by the establishment itself, and complete your experience with views from the top of the Teide, a swimming pool in the middle of virgin nature and a lounge in front of the fireplace.
- Where: La Orotava
- Facilities, services and amenities: sauna, indoor swimming pool, gym, telescopes and talks by astronomers
- Website: www.parador.es/parador-de-las-canadas-del-teide
Old paradors of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura is the land of paradise beaches – endless miles of sand that will make you feel like you’re on your own private island. Being the second largest in the archipelago, it is far from being the most populous: just 123,000 inhabitants compared with the 950,000 in Tenerife, for example.
On one of its 93 miles of beaches is the old Parador de Fuerteventura, which opened in 1968 and ended up closing at the beginning of 2013 due to bad economic results. However, after passing through the island’s Cabildo government, management passed into the hands of businessmen who have turned it into a fantastic 4-star hotel. What is now the Hotel El Mirador de Fuerteventura has an haute cuisine restaurant with windows facing onto the gently breaking waves in an unbeatable location.
- Where: Paraje de Playa Blanca (between the capital and the airport)
- Facilities, services and amenities: beachfront location, haute cuisine restaurant, gardens, bar and shared lounge
- Web: www.hotelelmiradorftv.com
Finally, Lanzarote is the island of lava: its volcanic black and reddish lands change colour as the sun hits them, making for a hypnotic landscape. In the midst of the calm and silence, you could almost believe that the land is alive. All the houses are white, with only one variation in doors and windows: they are either blue or green. The architecture is thus integrated into nature, showing the great respect the local people have for their home. In this case, its former parador from 1951 is now the headquarters of the Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED).
Now we have completed our tour of the Canary Islands, but simply cannot choose the best parador in the archipelago. It all depends on whether you prefer the sea or the mountains and what you want to see on each island. The important thing is to know that each one brings its own special something to the whole and the staff work every single day to make your visit an unforgettable memory.
Buen viaje!
Find property in the Canary Islands on idealista
- Properties for sale: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria
- Long-term rentals: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria
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