The Canaries

The biggest selling point of this volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic, off west Africa's Saharan coast, is warm weather in the dead of winter. Europe's only genuine winter-sun destination, it is just four hours' flying time from the UK. Blue skies, sunshine and beaches keep the tourists coming all year long.
Though there are seven islands in the group, only the four biggest - Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote - really count for overseas buyers. The others - La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma - are spectacular, and may become popular, but are too difficult to get to at present.

Gran Canaria and Tenerife

Gran Canaria and Tenerife are the biggest and most developed islands of the chain, and thus the easiest to reach by air.
Gran Canaria is almost perfectly round, with a motorway encircling much of it and a mountain in the middle. Thirty-odd miles away, Tenerife isn't quite as round, but again all the action is around the edge, with nothing much but spectacular mountains in the centre. With peaks reaching more than 11,000ft on Tenerife and 6,000ft on Gran Canaria, you can be sunbathing on a tropical beach while it snows in the mountains nearby.
There has been a British community on Gran Canaria for 150 years, but the island has been taken over by the Germans in the past 30 years. The best beach is the somewhat inappropriately named Playa del Ingles, (English beach), which the Germans dominate, though the British are making a comeback.

Tenerife, on the other hand, is much more British. Its lack of great beaches keeps the Germans away, but its good resorts are popular with the British and Irish.

However, one always has to tread carefully, as it is still the worldwide headquarters of the timeshare mafia.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

Further east, just over 60 miles from the African coast, are Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Partly laid waste by volcanic eruptions in the 1730s, Lanzarote is one of the most tortured yet beautiful places on Earth. However, it is well protected from Spain's latest blight - overdevelopment - largely due to the vision and influence of an architect called César Manrique, Lanzarote has controlled both the quantity and quality of new development better than anywhere else in Spain. In the long run, controlling the supply of stock should help to keep property prices stable or rising.
Property lawyer Mario Izquierdo says Lanzarote is fast becoming a popular choice for younger, more active retirees, in their 40s and early 50s.
"Environmental protection, a quiet, laid-back atmosphere and beautiful natural parks make it a great place to spend an active retirement, while escaping the cold winters of northern Europe," he says.
It is also one of the most popular destinations for Irish tourists and, latterly, homebuyers, so the Irish expat community is much more important here than elsewhere in Spain. Comfortable resorts draw both Irish and British buyers.

Fuerteventura has lovely beaches, which of course attracts Germans, but unlike Lanzarote the authorities seem keen to promote as much development as possible. Resorts and golf developments are being built and there is plenty of new or off-plan property to choose from on the island.
Stephen Eade, of the Horizon Property Group, says the Canaries have had an excellent past 12 months, better than the previous two years, and are bucking the mainland trend towards stagnancy.
"Demand from British buyers continues to be very strong," he says. "It might have something to do with the hurricanes battering competitive destinations, such as the Caribbean." Apartments in the Canaries can be bought from about £55,000; detached properties start at £120,000. In Lanzarote, a small, detached property with its own swimming pool can be had from about £170,000.

Choose one of the following sections

• Balearic Islands
• Canary Islands
• Comparative table

© Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight – Everything you need to know about Spanish property