Canary islands kids: Canary Islands – Students | Britannica Kids
The Canary Islands for kids – BlueBay Sensations
The Canary Islands are an even more attractive destination during the winter months, thanks to the year-round warm weather. Every year, a large number of tourists from all over the world choose this holiday spot to escape from the cold weather in their hometowns and cities for a few days each year.
For many, feeling the sun on your skin in the midst of January and February is a luxury, and this is guaranteed in the Canaries.
If you are planning on travelling with your family, it is a good idea to discover what’s on offer and what you can do, so the little ones take full advantage of their holidays in the sun.
Here are just some of the options:
Spend the day at Playa de la Cantera
This urban beach in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is considered one of the best for families. There are several sports facilities and children’s activities, restaurants and all types of services offered at Playa de la Cantera. But what makes it special is the reef, a natural stone barrier, that protects the beach from the waves and acts like a natural aquarium for shoals of fishes.
Visit the Elder Museum
A science and technology museum with four floors of exhibition halls, interactive spaces, temporary exhibitions, a 3D planetarium, simulators, and much more, making it a complete and educational activity for all the family in the centre of Las Palmas.
Scuba diving with stingrays
Although closely related to sharks, sea rays have a reputation for being gentle. Thanks to their flat body, their graceful swimming makes them an incredibly interesting diving companion. Children over the age of 8 are welcome to participate in this incredible activity
This incredible experience is available on the island of Tenerife and is suitable for children over 8 years of age. A fantastic trip for both adults and kids to discover the diversity of the marine flora and fauna first-hand.
Shuffleboarding is a very popular sport during the winter season.
Canyoning
It is not as dangerous as it sounds, so don’t worry. Children older than seven can safely descend and rappel and experiencing this activity in nature allows them to also enjoy the natural slides and waterfalls. One thing to note is that if parents are inexperienced, it is mandatory to hire a specialised guide to go with you. This is definitely one of the top activities during the winter season in the Canary Islands.
Vía Ferrata
Gran Canaria. This is a mix of walking and climbing in the midst of nature for children older than 12 years old. Via Ferrata means “iron way” in Italian, and the route has metal cables to assure all those taking part are fully protected. Remember to bring comfortable clothing and footwear with a good grip, and plenty of water.
Urban beaches are always a good option
After all this activity and adventures, the whole family is sure to be ready and looking forward to a good shower and an even better night’s rest.
We recommend staying at the BelleVue Aquarius, BlueBay Beach Club or BlueBay Lanzarote hotels, all of which offer fully equipped apartments to make you feel completely at home.
5 Kid-Friendly Activities on Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands
Tenerife is the best known of Spain’s Canary Islands, an archipelago 600 miles off the Iberian coast. It’s sometimes called “Europe’s Caribbean” for its beautiful beaches (you can read about them here), but the island offers many other attractions kids love:
Watch Dolphins Play at Loro Parque
Part marine park, part zoo and part tropical garden, the prize-winning Loro Parque features multiple daily shows with sea lions, parrots and orcas, but the biggest kid-pleaser is the dolphin show. A pod of these highly intelligent sea mammals literally jumps through hoops to delight audiences with precision swimming, diving and jumping. They perform somersaults and tailspins in mid-air, swim in underwater formations and even act as surfboards for park staff.
Elsewhere, an artificial iceberg cools a large colony of penguins, and pelicans, fish and pink flamingoes walk through the shallow waters. Rare jaguars are a highlight of the land zoo, where animals live in naturalized environments (more than 7,000 palm trees grow here). Residents include monkeys, gorillas, lions, tigers and a rainbow of tropical birds. A free express bus runs every 20 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz waterfront.
Get Wet at Aqualand
If the kids want to cavort in the water themselves, take a trip to Aqualand, where there are splash-down rides, water slides and tunnels, pools and places to cool off in the water. There are separate rides designed for younger children. The dolphin show, included in the admission price, is more attuned to learning about the habits of the animals with less emphasis on performance. Located on the south shore of the island, Aqualand is easy to reach on free buses from Los Cristianos and Playa Las Americas.
Ride a Camel at Camel Park
Camels have been used traditionally on Tenerife since introduced in the 1600s. Their ability to survive without water made them valuable to farmers and for transport in the volcanic interiors of these arid islands. Although replaced by motorized transport, they have become a local icon and there are now as many as 1,200 on the Canary Islands. Camel Park was Tenerife’s first camel breeding center, on a banana farm in 1988, and they still offer the best camel-riding experience, with well-treated animals and trails through a natural environment. Adults and older children can ride astride on camel saddles, while younger ones can ride in seats. Most places offering camel rides have seats, which sit in pairs at either side of the camel’s hump.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Photo: Stillman Rogers
Meet Mummies
Yes, real ones and up close at Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre — Museum of Nature and Man.
The Guanches, original island inhabitants, mummified their dead and despite efforts of the early religious orders to destroy them, a few of the mummies survived and are dramatically displayed and well interpreted. Exhibits (ask for the English translation cards) show how skeletons can tell historians about the life, work, diseases and diet of long-ago peoples. Sea life exhibits are also good — kids like the giant squid suspended overhead — and other exhibits explore the island’s volcanic origins. The museum is in the capital city of Santa Cruz, a short walk from the central bus station.
Build Castles from Sahara Sand
Most of Tenerife’s beaches, although beautiful for sunbathing, are open to Atlantic surf and not great for small children or less accomplished swimmers. Playa de las Teresitas, five miles from central Santa Cruz, was built for local families, without the hotels and tourist congestion of the popular international beaches. The long crescent beach is protected by artificial barrier reefs, partially enclosing a lagoon of gentle waters welcoming to snorkelers and swimmers.
The sand was brought in from the Sahara Desert, not all that far away from these Atlantic islands. The long, gradual incline into the water makes it ideal for wading children. Changing rooms and showers are free and guests can rent beach chairs and umbrellas, while kiosks sell drinks, snacks and lunches. Apart from the beautiful beach, families love the informal, casual atmosphere of a beach populated by friendly local people happy to share their beach. You can get there by local bus from Santa Cruz.
United Aviate Academy Takes Off
United Airlines officially became the only major U.S. airline to own a flight training school with the opening of United Aviate Academy on Jan. 27. The moment was made even more historic with its inaugural class, which is 80 percent women and people of color.
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5 Romantic Inns for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a good excuse for parents to take a weekend getaway and break from family travel with kids.
You don’t need to travel far to find a romantic country inn or B&B; they are scattered throughout the United States and Canada. From New Hampshire to South Carolina, you’ll find a warm welcome this winter at these cozy inns.
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Explore Local History This Winter in Alabama’s Gulf Shores
With much of the country still swathed in winter gloom, Alabama’s Gulf Coast offers a fun beach getaway for family travelers. Contrary to popular belief, Gulf Shores isn’t just white sandy beaches and clear blue skies; it is a hotbed of historical attractions, giving the whole family a vacation to remember.
Human rights activists fear that refugees from Ukraine will be taken apart for organs in Europe
Worldwide
Source: Global Look Press / Heiko Rebsch / spa
Madrid, 8 April.
In Spain, they are investigating the case of the disappearance of children from Ukraine. A group of minors disappeared en route to the Canary Islands. This was reported by the newspaper El País.
According to media reports, a group of 30-40 children from Ukraine on March 29 was supposed to leave the city of Huelva for the Canary Islands. It was planned that they would arrive at their destination on Friday, April 1, but the refugees never showed up. According to available information, the organizer was a Ukrainian woman living on the island of Fuerteventura. It was she who notified the authorities of the Canary Islands about the arrival of a large group of children. This was her second mission; on March 11, she had already brought three teachers and 16 minors from an orphanage near Kyiv to the island. It is noted that the woman did this in cooperation with the local mayor’s office.
Several sources at once indicate that it was the Ukrainian woman who was behind the organization of the transportation of children, but she herself denies everything in a conversation with the media.
“I don’t know anything about it. They call me and ask: “Are your children in Huelva?” What children? Which Huelva? I don’t know anything about these kids. Finding accommodation is another matter, but I don’t know anything about Huelva. At the moment I am not expecting any children,” she told El País reporters.
The Ukrainian woman is known to run a surf school in Fuerteventura and organize children’s camps throughout the year.
The children did not exist
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior conducted an investigation into the missing children, which involved the police of Madrid, Andalusia and the Canary Islands. However, a week later, they still did not find anyone.
Andalusian government spokesman Pedro Fernández assured that during the checks carried out by the National Police at the port of Huelva and the ferries bound for the Canary Islands, there was no indication that this group of Ukrainian minors “really exists”.
According to local media, the statement contradicts the message of the Director General of Child Protection of the Government of the Canary Islands Irache Serrano , who received the news on March 29 from a brigade of foreigners from the city of Las Palmas, who confirmed the existence of the group.
“Hello, Irache. Today, about 30 underage Ukrainians were going to board a ship bound for Gran Canaria. As a result, the children did not land. Let’s see if they try to go somewhere else, or decide to stay on the mainland, ”the message says.
Lack of control
As noted in El País, the case of the disappearance of a group of Ukrainian children was another example of poor control over refugee flows. Reports of children arriving from Ukraine without official supervision have increased since the beginning of the special operation of the RF Armed Forces.
At the end of March, the National Police of Spain arrested a Ukrainian at the South Bus Station in Madrid, who pretended to be a relative of two teenagers aged 15 and 16.
Law enforcement officers have already been warned, but interrogations and the contents of the luggage of minors only confirmed the worst suspicions.
According to human rights activists, all initiatives to take children out of Ukraine should be carried out under the jurisdiction of the governments of both countries. Even in the case when agreements are made at the municipal level, the federal authorities still need to be aware and act as intermediaries so that such situations do not occur.
In Spain, the central authority for the protection of the 1980 Hague Convention, the legal basis for the protection of children in cross-border situations, is the Ministry of Justice. So far, despite the large number of children who have arrived, the department has not received requests.
Slavery and organ trafficking
Refugees from Ukraine “disappear” not only in Spain. The Scottish charity Positive Action in Housing has criticized the UK government’s Homes for Ukraine program (Houses for Ukrainians – Approx.
ed.), fearing that it endangers women and children.
General Director Robina Qureshi likened the current policy to “triage” as the authorities seek to put visitors through a “very poorly structured process.”
The Homes for Ukraine program suggests that the British can accommodate some of the refugees, for this you need to leave an application on a special website. In fact, it has led to the fact that many Ukrainians, including minors, are looking for so-called “sponsors” on social networks and posting personal information about themselves, including photos and other data. This, in turn, attracts human traffickers and other criminal elements, up to and including “black transplants”.
“These are the girls who say “I found someone on Facebook”✱. These are 15-year-old boys, 17-year-old students! All of them are potential victims of human traffickers. This means the sex trade, the labor trade and the organ harvesting trade,” Qureshi said.
The UK government has assured that all families hosting refugees will be checked by local authorities prior to the arrival of Ukrainians.