Where Are the Canary Islands? (Hint: Not Southwest of Spain)

The Canary Islands sit in the Atlantic Ocean, ~100 km west of Morocco—geographically African, politically Spanish.

Key Facts

• Autonomous Community of Spain since 1982
• 7 main islands: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro
• Capital: Shared between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
• Timezone: GMT (same as UK/Ireland), not mainland Spain (CET)

Why the Confusion?

Spain's mainland is northeast of the Canaries. "Southwest of Spain" would place you in the Atlantic off Portugal. The Canaries are southwest of mainland Spain only if you ignore Africa entirely.

Strategic Location

Historically a stopover for Columbus and transatlantic trade; today a tourism powerhouse and EU outpost off Africa.