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Sloping landscapes with easy inclines, among waterfalls, lakes and rocks, surrounded by viewpoints which look out on to the sea, populate an artificial mound with natural greenery. This is the Palmetum, an elegant jungle with exquisite areas, which is the biggest green area in Santa Cruz de Tenerife as well as being home to the best collection of palm trees in Europe. Situated in the extreme east of the island, and a 20 minute walk to the capital, a stroll though its 12 hectares is like immersing oneself in an enormous secret garden, completely oblivious to the hectic city.

Las Salinas de Agaete are like a medieval fortress, albeit full of lovely seawater. Located in north west Gran Canaria these three natural swimming pools sheltered from the open ocean resemble a castle thanks to their battlement-like protective columns. The pools are linked by volcanic tubes and with a stunning view of the island’s rugged northwest coast, are perfect for swimming.

Los Tilos Forest is an explosion of biodiversity and greenness that you will fall in love with on your first visit. A passive, peaceful jungle where mosses, silence and the smell of leaves abound. Los Tilos (or Los Tiles, its official name) is one of the few strongholds left in the world when it comes to laurisilva; a dense, verdant, primitive forest full of broad-leaved trees that dominated the planet millions of years ago. This is the reason why Los Tilos was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 2002; a protection which nowadays encompasses the entire island of La Palma.

The Mencáfete Integral Nature Reserve is located in the west of the island of El Hierro, within the Frontera Rural Park and very close to Sabinosa. The natural features found here make it a place of particular interest for nature enthusiasts, from the cabezón herreño (a plant species typical of El Hierro’s Monteverde and laurel forest) to its humid juniper woodland and Monteverde Herreño. The caves hidden among the laurel forest provide shelter for bats and wildcats.

Valle Gran Rey Rural Park, with its deep ravines dotted with palm trees, is located in the south-west of La Gomera, in the borough that shares its name. Its springs, steep cliffs and small hamlets are just some of the secrets hidden in this protected natural space. The hamlets are located on the ravine slopes of Valle Gran Rey and Argaga, where you’ll discover a curious man-made landscape, the stepped farming terraces which contrast quite dramatically with the natural wilderness that surrounds them.

Guayadeque is a haven for nature and traditional life in Gran Canaria. This fifteen kilometre valley in southeast Gran Canaria astounds visitors thanks to its wild landscapes, steeps slopes, winding path and shroud of unique plants. The sensation of being in a dreamland is reinforced by the valley’s famous cave homes, made from natural caverns in the lava rock. Many are now available as rural accommodation or home to restaurants.

In 1971 the Teneguía volcano appeared on the front pages of newspapers all around the world when it opened up and spewed out thousands of cubic metres of glowing magma. The most recent land-based volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands covered a large part of the south of La Palma with lava and volcanic ash, and created a new tourist attraction. To preserve the unspoilt lava flows of the Teneguía volcano and also those of the eruption of the San Antonio volcano back in the 18th Century, they were declared a National Monument.

Tindaya Mountain is situated in the north-east of Fuerteventura, close to La Oliva. The original aboriginal inhabitants of Fuerteventura considered Tindaya to be a sacred mountain with magical properties, which is evident from the more than 300 engravings in the shape of a foot at the base – these are of great archaeological value. This solitary mountain, 400 metres high and sculpted by the passing of time, really stands out in Fuerteventura’s typically dry, flat landscape.

The Canary Islands were of vital importance in Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the New World

How can an island as dry as Lanzarote produce excellent white wines and sweet wines? The answer is the “geria”, a cone-shaped hollow excavated in natural layers of volcanic gravel several metres deep and in the centre of which a vine is planted, a wall in the shape of a half moon is then built around the vine in order to protect it from the wind. Row after row of these perfect hollows which are tinted green, ochre and black result in a most unique landscape and it helps to justify why Lanzarote has been included in The Unesco World Network of Biosphere Reserves.