The Canary islands consist of 7 islands and 6 islets which are all volcanic. They are located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km (62 miles) west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union. It's beautiful beaches, agreeable subtropical climate and important natural attractions, specifically the Teide National Park and Mount Teide (the third largest volcano in the world), make it a popular tourist destination, with over 12 million visitors per year.

The name Canary Islands is most likely derived from the Latin term Insula Canaria, meaning "Island of the Dogs". The Guanches, who were the original inhabitants of the island, used to worship dogs, mummified them and revered dogs generally as holy animals. In ancient times the island was well known for it's people who worshipped dogs, and when the Romans first visited the island they gave it the name: 'canarii', which is Latin for "the ones with dogs". The connection to dogs is retained in their depiction on the island's coat-of-arms. During the Spanish Empire the Canary Islands were the main stopover for the Spanish galleons on their way to America because of the favorable easterly winds.

Today with tourism being the main attraction to the islands, many golf courses, hotels and ports are being built much to the dismay of environmentalists. In the past many people emigrated from the islands but today there is a lot of immigration from the African countries. The dichotomy between the wealthy vacationers and the impoverished immigrants is staggering. However there currently isn't a solution to this problem.

What follows is a beautiful time lapse video of these magnificent islands. Their beauty is a main attraction for many vacationers, nature lovers and hikers. As you watch you will quickly understand why this is the case.