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Best Times to Visit Canary Islands
The best times to visit the Canary Islands are between March and May and from September to November. Winter and summer bring loads of tourists, which make accommodations more expensive and more difficult to find. Meanwhile, in spring and fall, the Canaries continue to enjoy the same pleasant weather as the peak seasons, only without the tourist crowds.
Weather in Canary Islands
Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center
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December-February |
The Canaries welcome a flood of Europeans escaping the cold in the winter months. The islands especially see a lot of older tourists, looking to bask in the warmer weather, though it may be a bit too cool for sunbathing. Average temperatures hover between 60 and 71 degrees make for pleasant strolls along the beach and through the national parks. Keep in mind that the winter months do tend to see more rain than the summer season. But winter also ushers in the famed Carnival celebration, which is modeled after Brazil's vibrant festival and is widely considered the world's second best celebration. Given the influx in tourism and the ongoing festivals, you may have a bit of trouble securing accommodations — at least affordable ones — so plan to book at least several months in advance. Key Events:
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March-May |
The spring months act as a sweet season for tourism, offering a break in the influx of tourists that alight upon the islands in the winter and the summer. Although you should keep in mind that the week of Easter also sees a little burst of tourism, you can generally find better hotel rates during these months. Expect temperatures to range from the lower 60s and the lower 70s. Key Events:
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June-August |
Families, college kids and Europeans on their August holiday all flock to the Canaries in the summer. Temperatures reach their summit this time of year — daily highs in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, reach into the 80s in August — and the chance of rainfall is next to nothing. Just to be safe, you might want to book your accommodations a few months in advance of your trip to ensure availability. Key Events:
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September-November |
Fall is another nice season to enjoy the manifold charms of the Canaries without the tourist hoards or the high hotel rates of the peak tourism seasons. Even though summer has passed, the islands still offer beach weather: Average high temperatures this time of year drop from the low 80s to the mid-70s. But keep in mind that you'll start to see a few more rainy days this time of year. Key Events:
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Popular Times to Visit Canary Islands
Tourism volume is estimated based on in-market destination search query interest from Google and on travel.usnews.com in 2015-2016. Hotel prices are sourced from a sample of U.S. News Best Hotels rates through 2015-2016.
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