Discovering traditional sports
In the Canary Islands, there are many traditional sports, based on ancestral traditions. And, during a trip to the archipelago, it is unthinkable not to attend these typically insular activities.
The Canarian wrestling(lucha canaria) is certainly the most famous of them. Of peasant origin, Canarian wrestling is an ancestral native sport still rooted in the local culture. Two teams of twelve wrestlers compete in matches and defend the colors of their island. However, the bregas (matches) are only between two wrestlers. In a 10-meter circle covered with sand, the one who knocks down his opponent twice in less than three minutes wins the match. The competitions take place on weekends and during local festivals and should not be missed if you have the opportunity! The best teams are located in Tenerife and La Palma and these competitions are advertised. The tourist offices can also give you information.
Canarian boule(bola canaria) is very similar to petanque as practiced in France: the goal is to show skill in approaching a target called boliche or mingue. The balls of each team are of different colors and always twelve in number. A Canarian federation officially regulates the dimensions of the game elements and its environment.
The Canarian stick game(juego del palo canario), similar to fencing, is said to be of Guanche origin and to have originated in the struggles that could arise between shepherds for the occupation of disputed areas. This approach has evolved over time into sports disciplines, but also practices such as the defense of the territory by individuals able to handle a fighting object. Nowadays, competitions are organized in order to show to the general public all the vivacity and the choreography allowed by this sport. The stick in question must be between 1.20 and 1.80 m tall.
The shepherd's jump (salto del pastor) is an exercise that has nothing to do with sports at the beginning. The shepherds had to deal with steep, jagged terrain and used a stick (usually made of Canary pine and reinforced at the end with iron or better steel) to move from rock to rock. Today, this spectacular discipline is only for fun.
The Latin sail(vela latina) is a maritime sport where a canoe of a general length of 6,50 m and a triangular sail of 32 m² must move in the water. Very demanding, this discipline attracts more and more enthusiasts passing through the islands. The crews are composed of 8 to 12 people maximum. Regattas are regularly organized.
Other purely insular sports will still be visible during your stay in these places, mainly during the festivities. Among others, we can mention the lifting of the plough(levantamiento del arado) which, as its name indicates, consists of using as much strength as skill to lift this agricultural instrument; the lifting of the stone(levantamiento de piedra) comes from the work of the stone workers and, with the passing of time, this practice has been transformed into a sports performance; finally, the cattle drive(arrastre de ganado) consists of forcing cows or oxen to pull loads of between 600 and 1,100 kg, all on a track of about 50 meters in a maximum of 4 minutes, the herdsman being able to guide the team with an approved stick.
At sea or under the sea, sensations guaranteed!
The seven islands of the Canary Islands all offer different conditions, but they are obviously deeply oriented towards the sea.
Funboarding and windsurfing. For funboarding, as well as for classic windsurfing and sport sailing, the best wind conditions are found in the south of Tenerife, in the south and southwest of Gran Canaria, as well as in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. In Lanzarote, the trade winds blow from May to September. In Fuerteventura, it blows mainly from April to September.
The most famous place is Sotavento, very well known as a speed spot, as many records have been achieved there. Gran Canaria is not to be outdone: a seven-time world champion comes from Pozo Izquierdo, near El Doctoral, but you can also rent windsurfing boards in Puerto Rico, where the island's sailing and windsurfing school is located, as well as in San Agustín and Puerto de Mogán. The undisputed paradise for windsurfers is Fuerteventura, with the huge sandy beaches of Morro Jable in the south and Corralejo in the north, not to mention the Playa del Castillo in El Cotillo, in the northwest. Similar conditions can be found on some of the beaches of Lanzarote, in particular Playa de los Pocillos, between Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen.
Surfing, bodyboarding and kitesurfing. Surfing and even more so bodyboarding are practiced by both Canarians and tourists, especially on the vast beach of Famara in the northwest of Lanzarote. For many, the Canary Islands are a true surfing paradise and some even call islands like Lanzarote the "European Hawaii". Surfing can be practiced all year round, but the best time is from September to the end of February. After that, the wind is less reliable and the islands are no longer surf destinations in their own right. However, they become kitesurfing destinations from March-April until the end of August! In Tenerife, the most popular spot is the beach of El Medano, in the south, where the windsurfing and surfing schools of the island are located. The wind is present almost all year round. However, the northeast trade wind, which is the dominant wind, is a little weaker in winter.
Diving. The volcanic bottoms of the Canary Islands are less colorful than the coral reefs of the West Indies and Polynesia, but they still offer the diver a very rich fauna. You can discover it on all the islands, although diving is less practiced on the coast of La Gomera. Among the most famous sites are Las Galletas (south of Tenerife), where you can find large rays and maybe sea turtles, and the south of Del Hierro, where you can find the greatest variety of landscapes and underwater species.
On land too, active vacations
Back on the mainland, the relief of the Canary Islands offers a playground without equal.
Canyoning in the barrancos. For the canyoning direction Tenerife, in particular in the innumerable barrancos of the south of the island. The descent of these canyons by abseiling on ropes is quite accessible to beginners: the initiation of novices is most often done in the upper part of the Barranco del Agua, whose descent takes half a day.
In winter, as for all the barrancos of the island, these gorges are invaded by beautiful waterfalls, and the descent is done in combination. In summer, we will be satisfied with the refreshing splashes of the runoff and some pools sheltered from the sun by the shade of the walls. We will be surprised by the abundance of vegetation at the bottom of the barranco, before going back up to the starting point, a little longer than the first trip.
The more experienced can also try the descent of the Carrizales which, from the heights of the Teno massif to the sea, lasts a whole day and reaches its climax in an abseiling of a hundred meters!
Hiking and climbing. Hiking opportunities are particularly numerous on the more mountainous islands. Tenerife and La Palma, as well as La Gomera and El Hierro have many marked trails, especially in the national parks.
Cycling and mountain biking. The Canary Islands will not disappoint cyclists: there are many possibilities for cycling, especially on the lower islands - which does not mean without relief - that are Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. More than the roads, it is the unpaved tracks that will delight mountain bikers. In some of the resorts you will find bike rental companies, mainly for mountain bikes.
In the air, long live extreme sports!
If you can go hiking, canyoning or mountain biking, it is possible to take your adrenaline to the next level by practicing extreme sports.
Rope jumping. The Canarian coastline (especially in Gran Canaria or Tenerife) provides many spots for jumping from volcanic cliffs, bridges or precipices. The highest ones are up to 80 meters high and attract jumpers from all over the world, who can practice their sport all year round thanks to the mild climate and pleasant water temperature.
On Gran Canaria, there are four spots: the easiest, Jump el Horno, allows you to jump on the Caidero Oscuro ravine; El Guincho, 10 minutes from Las Palmas, is one of the most spectacular jumps on the island in a narrow cove; the Chira dam; and El Berriel, located in the ravine of the same name, is the highest on Gran Canaria.
In Tenerife there are five of them: Araya is the easiest with a drop of about 30-35 m between vertical walls; Piedra Hincada, near Playa San Juan, is the favorite of experienced jumpers who jump from a bridge; Valle Tabares is a demanding spot on the slopes of the Anaga massif; Palm-Mar is a 40 m jump from the cliff; finally Jóver, another jump from a 30 m cliff.
Please note that it is necessary to contact an authorized local company and to get information about the weather and sea conditions beforehand.
Paragliding. Flying over volcanoes and coasts can be a great experience that you can practice from almost any island. Here are some of the listed spots.
In Lanzarote, from October to March, you can take off from the rocks of Famara, in the north of the island, to enjoy a spectacular view of the cliffs that lead to the Mirador del Río.
In La Palma there are two spots: in the west of the island, Puerto Naos is the most popular and in the north-east of the island, the one in Puntallana offers beautiful panoramic views.
In Tenerife there are 3 spots: Taucho, located in the mountains of Adeje, is reserved for the most experienced and will offer spectacular views. The one in Izaña, which takes off from the Teide National Park, is considered one of the best in Europe. Finally, the municipality of Realejos hosts the spot of La Corona.
Gran Canaria has two spots: Los Giles, the most frequented and easiest, allows you to fly over Las Palmas; Las Coloradas, in the northwest of the island, allows long flights over the bay of El Confital. Finally, El Hierro offers different flights from Dos Hermanas, and La Gomera has a spot in Hermiga, in the north of the island.
