The Canary Islands have become a magnet for tourists from all over Europe - and no wonder. A stone's throw from the west coast of Africa , they have a year- round, warm, sunny climate, splendid beaches and beautiful mountains - all within a four-hour flight of the UK .

Few realise how different each of the Canary Islands is and the hidden treasures they possess.

Tenerife is the largest in the archipelago and attracts the most tourists to its wide, sandy beaches and craggy coasts. It also has a spectacular mountain range and fertile valleys where delicious bananas,grapes, potatoes and tomatoes grow. La Gomera, a whistle-stop ferry ride from Tenerife 's popular seaside town of Los Cristianos , is the Island of Mountains . Completely unspoilt, its Garajonay National Park has the largest and most undisturbed tract of laurisilva forest in the northern hemisphere .

Gran Canaria is known as the Small Continent. Hardly anywhere else do such different landscapes and micro climates sit next to each other: mountains, deserts, tropical forests. There are even wide, sandy beaches where you can laze in the sun and look up to admire mountain peaks covered, in the depths of winter, with snow.

Lanzarote is not only different from its island neighbours but from everywhere else on the planet. Such is the extraordinary landscape that natives of the islands used to say God must have forgotten it on the seventh day of Creation. Vast areas are covered in volcanic ash and lava and you feel as though you could be moon-walking, yet the inhabitants have striven so hard to make the land work. Today, there are large plantations of fruit and vegetables and at Geria there are even vineyards between the volcanic craters.

The geologically oldest Canary Island is Fuerteventura . It has the longest, sandiest beaches of all. La Palma , meanwhile, is known as the green island and has the world's largest volcanic crater, which can be viewed from Mirador de la Cumbrecita.

And El Hierro, the smallest of the seven main Canary Islands , is the ultimate hideaway. Forget the office, just relax.

There is great history attached to the islands. The Greeks and Romans called this archipelago of volcanic origin the Fortunate Islands , the Garden of Hesperides or Atlantida. Historians believe the legendary continent Atlantis was located somewhere here. Even the ships of Christopher Columbus docked here on their way to discover the New World . And more than 200 years ago, Nelson, in a greedy, foolhardy bid to conquer Tenerife 's capital Santa Cruz , lost not only the fierce battle but an arm as well. The hospitable locals, after the battle, treated and fed the losers and then sent them on their way!!

Enough of the past. The sun is beaming down on the south of Tenerife . Do you take a dip, even in January, in the world's second-largest swimming pool - the Atlantic - complete with the occasional schools of dolphins and whales to entertain you? Or do you drive up to Las Cañadas National Park and Mount Teide (pronounced Tayde), the highest peak in Spain , where Charlton Heston and co filmed Planet of the Apes? On the way you can picnic in pine forests, where ready-constructed barbecues are provided. Take your own food, gather firewood and get close to nature.

There is always something to do in the Canaries The islands are perfect for every activity imaginable - from snorkeling and scuba diving, surfing, wind-surfing and sailing, to Jeep safaris, hang-gliding, tennis, hiking and mountain biking - any time of year. A few years ago, the world wind-surfing championship was staged at El Medano, which boasts the largest sandy beach in the south of Tenerife

Not many think of the islands as a cultural destination yet Tenerife has a stunning new opera house designed by Santiago Calatrava. The annual classical music festival and concerts of all other types, are held here. La Laguna has been declared a World Heritage city because of its historical and architectural importance. It was the first city in the world to use the grid system for streets. Many other towns, such as La Orotava and Garachico in Tenerife , Teror in Gran Canaria and Teguise in Lanzarote have delightful historic districts where the traditional architecture has been carefully preserved.

The Carnival, celebrated about six weeks before Easter in all the islands, but most famously in Santa Cruz , is second only to the Rio Carnival.

The food of the islands is a revelation. Living in the Canaries provides an insight to life here more than any holiday could. Imagine visiting your local fruit and vegetable market, where the farmers arrive with fresh produce, gathered only hours earlier at the crack of dawn. You can buy weird and wonderfully shaped vegetables, such as three-pronged carrots, and bananas that are delicious and better when they have brown speckles The cuisine of the Canaries has had a wide range of influences and origins and there are top-rate restaurants in which to sample them all. The local wine is justly well considered. Shakespeare made references to Canary Sack and malmsey wine both of which originated here- though today only in Lanzarote is malmsey wine still produced.

So when you visit the islands with a view to purchasing a property, perhaps to retire to, there is far more to see and do outside the resorts than most people realise