{"id":71650,"date":"2026-11-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/?p=71650"},"modified":"2026-07-16T11:33:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:33:26","slug":"sailing-the-canary-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/blog\/sailing-the-canary-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing the Canary Islands: Year-Round Atlantic Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sailing the Canary Islands<\/strong> is the answer to a sailor's winter dream: while northern Europe shivers, this Atlantic archipelago off the coast of Africa basks in warm sunshine, steady trade winds and 20&nbsp;&deg;C days &ndash; all year round. Volcanic peaks plunge into a deep blue ocean famous for whales and dolphins, and each island has its own dramatic character. It's bucket-list ocean sailing with an eternal-spring climate, and no experience is needed to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Year-round sailing in eternal spring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Canaries' biggest draw is the <strong>climate<\/strong>: warm and sunny even in December and January, when the Mediterranean season is long over. That makes it the perfect winter escape and a genuine 12-month cruising ground. The reliable northeasterly <strong>trade winds<\/strong> give consistent, exhilarating sailing, and the deep Atlantic water between the islands is one of the best places in Europe to see <strong>whales and dolphins<\/strong> &ndash; often right from the deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1154\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-scaled.webp\" alt=\"A dramatic palm-terraced valley beneath volcanic mountains on La Gomera, Canary Islands\" class=\"wp-image-71648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-scaled.webp 1154w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-135x300.webp 135w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-462x1024.webp 462w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-768x1704.webp 768w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-692x1536.webp 692w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-la-gomera-923x2048.webp 923w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1154px) 100vw, 1154px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The islands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Tenerife<\/strong> &ndash; the largest island, crowned by Spain's highest peak, Mount Teide, and the usual starting point.<\/li><li><strong>La Gomera<\/strong> &ndash; wild and green, with ancient laurel forests and deep palm-filled ravines.<\/li><li><strong>La Palma<\/strong> &ndash; \"La Isla Bonita\", lush, volcanic and famous for its star-filled skies.<\/li><li><strong>El Hierro<\/strong> &ndash; the smallest and most remote, a UNESCO biosphere reserve with superb diving.<\/li><li><strong>Gran Canaria, Lanzarote &amp; Fuerteventura<\/strong> &ndash; from beaches to Mars-like volcanic landscapes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dreaming of winter sun under sail?<\/strong> Discover our <a href=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/countries\/spain\/\">Spain &amp; Canaries sailing trips<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A classic western-islands route<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A popular route sails the western group: <strong>Tenerife &ndash; La Gomera &ndash; La Palma &ndash; El Hierro<\/strong> and back, with longer, open-water passages than the Mediterranean and the real feel of ocean sailing. The trade winds make for fast, downwind fun, and a skipper handles the Atlantic swell and the longer legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1810\" src=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-scaled.webp\" alt=\"A sailing route map of the western Canary Islands from Tenerife to La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro\" class=\"wp-image-71649\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-scaled.webp 2560w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-300x212.webp 300w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-1024x724.webp 1024w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-768x543.webp 768w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-1536x1086.webp 1536w, https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sailing-canary-islands-route-map-2048x1448.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best time to sail the Canaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Genuinely all year. Winter (November to March) is mild, sunny and a wonderful escape from the northern cold; spring and autumn are warm and pleasant; summer is hot with the strongest trade winds. Unlike the <a href=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/blog\/best-time-to-sail-the-mediterranean\/\">Mediterranean<\/a>, there's no closed season here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can you sail the Canary Islands in winter?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes &ndash; that's the main appeal. The Canaries are warm and sunny even in December and January, making them a perfect winter sailing escape when the Mediterranean season is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is sailing the Canaries different from the Mediterranean?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes &ndash; it's ocean sailing, with longer open-water passages, Atlantic swell and steady trade winds, plus superb whale and dolphin watching. A skipper handles the more demanding conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I need experience to sail the Canaries?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No &ndash; on a shared trip a professional skipper handles the ocean passages, so beginners can enjoy the trade-wind sailing without any licence or experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Warm winter sun, steady trade winds, whales off the bow and dramatic volcanic islands &ndash; sailing the Canary Islands is the ultimate year-round ocean escape. Ready to chase the sun? Explore our <a href=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/countries\/spain\/\">Spain &amp; Canaries sailing trips<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sailing the Canary Islands is the answer to a sailor's winter dream: while northern Europe shivers, this Atlantic archipelago off the coast of Africa basks in warm sunshine, steady trade winds and 20&nbsp;&deg;C days &ndash; all year round. Volcanic peaks plunge into a deep blue ocean famous for whales and dolphins, and each island has<a href=\"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/blog\/sailing-the-canary-islands\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">\"Sailing the Canary Islands: Year-Round Atlantic Sun\"<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":71648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"hide_extended_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71651,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71650\/revisions\/71651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sailwithus.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}