Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishIn 2024, nearly 6.3 million British tourists travelled to the Canary Islands. And that’s hardly surprising. From party-loving Tenerife to volcanic Lanzarote, the Atlantic archipelago has plenty to offer. But where should you go to get off-the-beaten track? Which island has the friendliest people? And which area would you want to leave off your bucket list? Here to answer all these questions and more is Marek Bron, travel expert at the Indie Traveller, who’s spent three months exploring the islands and has visited all but El Hierro. The most underrated island Marek, who is from the Netherlands but now lives in Lisbon, reveals that one of his two favourite islands is off the tried-and-tested tourist trail. He says: ‘I like authentic places that are a bit quieter and that’s why I really like La Gomera. It’s definitely the most underrated and a really beautiful hidden gem.’ Marek Bron, travel expert at the Indie Traveller has spent three months exploring the islands and has visited all but El Hierro. The most underrated and one of his favourite islands is La Gomera, where he’s pictured above La Gomera (pictured above) is the second-smallest of the Canary Islands La Gomera is ‘definitely the most underrated and a really beautiful hidden gem’, says Marek. He’s pictured there aboveLa Gomera is the second-smallest of the island chain and is situated off the coast of Tenerife. ‘It’s kind of crazy how close La Gomera is to the most touristy part of the Canary Islands, which is the south of Tenerife,’ says Marek. ‘It’s just takes a short ferry ride to get to La Gomera but because there’s very little flat land on the island, it prevents big cities from being constructed there. ‘So it naturally means it’s on a smaller scale and it has very dramatic scenery. I loved staying in B&B’s there and exploring the island by rental car. It has these very lush forests that feel like rainforests and they’re amazing for hiking.’ La Gomera is the most forested of the Canary Islands and even has a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Garajonay National Park. Garajonay has primitive laurel trees and many subtropical plants. The best island for stargazing Marek’s other favourite Canary island is La Palma. The island, which suffered a volcanic eruption in 2021, is the fifth largest of the Canaries. The travel expert says: ‘The hiking there is fantastic, maybe the best of all the islands and it’s a dark sky reserve.’My fiance and I went on a little tour of the universe there run by an astronomer. You get these wonderful starry nights and there are specific spots where you can go and watch the stars. It’s an incredibly beautiful island.’ Marek describes La Palma island as ‘incredibly beautiful’. He’s pictured there with his partner in this photo La Palma island is the best place to go stargazing, says Marek. Pictured above is the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the islandThe most surprising island Gran Canaria is one of the most visited of the Canary archipelago, with the majority of its tourists travelling there to enjoy the beaches. But Marek reveals that getting away from the beaches and heading inland is a way to see a more unexpected side of the island. The travel pro says: ‘There are these wonderful mountain towns where the air is a little bit cooler and you get these beautiful mountain ranges where you can see the sun coming up. ‘Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the island’s capital, also has some incredible historic buildings and it’s a nice place to go out and eat.’ The destination to avoid Marek says that ‘every island has something to offer’ but admits that his least favourite of the Canaries is Tenerife. He explains: ‘It’s the most visited of the islands so the south of Tenerife is very commercialised. The south of Tenerife is ‘very commercialised’, says Marek. Pictured above is Playa de las Americas in the south of the island’It’s great for a package holiday but I felt it was the least interesting area. The roads were very busy, which made it stressful to drive there. ‘Tenerife does have spectacular views but in some of the urbanised areas, it’s very haphazardly developed. You’ll get a low rise area of buildings and then suddenly there will be a bunch of high rise apartments in the middle. It doesn’t go with the things around it. It often feels very cramped in parts of Tenerife as it’s very built up.’ The island with the friendliest people La Gomera wins again for the travel expert. ‘I especially remember the people there,’ reveals Marek. ‘The people that we met in shops and restaurants were a little bit calmer and they had more time for us [than on the busier islands]. ‘They were interested in how our day was going and they just made it really nice to be there.’ While Marek says he never encountered unfriendly people in the Canaries despite the recent anti-tourist protests, he explains that life ‘felt more rushed’ in Tenerife.He says: ‘There are several beautiful viewpoints there and you kind of had to fight a little bit to get a spot to park your car. People were aggressively fighting for the one spot that was left.’ Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria’s capital has some ‘incredible historic buildings’, says Marek. Pictured above is the Cathedral Santa Ana Vegueta La Gomera has the friendliest people, says Marek, who also loves the island’s natural beauty. Pictured above is the Garajonay national park on La GomeraThe best time to go to the Canaries Marek explains that winter is definitely ‘the best time’ to visit the Canaries. ‘There are not many places in Europe during the winter where you can have spring-like weather and get a break from the cold like in the Canaries,’ he reveals. ‘The climate is perfect during that time. Summer is lovely as well but there are many more options of places to go in summer.’ Interested in hearing more from Marek? Find more travel tips and advice on his blog – Indie Traveller.
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