Fun facts from my three days in the Canary Islands — because apparently I’m now a part-time historian, part-time bird watcher and full-time “wait, what island am I on again?” enthusiast.
1) The Canary Islands are named after … dogs.
Yes. Dogs. Not birds. Not cute yellow canaries dancing around singing show tunes. The Latin word canaria means dog. Early explorers supposedly rolled up on Gran Canaria, spotted giant dogs and said, “Perfect. Nailed it. Print the postcards.” (They’re big and slobbery … kind of like me after the cruise’s lunch buffet.)
2) Twelve. Million. Tourists. A. Year.
And yet only around two million people actually live here. So basically the islands spend all twelve months in peak “airport security line” mode. Combine that with year-round sunshine and you’ve got a destination that’s somehow chill and chaotic at the same time — like me after two double espressos.
3) La Gomera has an entire whistling language.
Silbo Gomero. An ancient way of whistling full conversations across valleys. I heard it and genuinely thought Snow White’s forest critters were staging a coup. Kids here learn it in school, because the government wisely decided “no, we will not let our island whistle-dialect die on our watch.” Respect.
4) There are eight main islands … apparently.
Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, and baby La Graciosa. I graced Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and La Gomera. Check, check, and check.
5) The Beatles once vacationed in Tenerife …
… before they were famous. Which means I absolutely walked the same soil where John Lennon probably got sunburned while Paul asked why the hotel only had one fan.
6) Over 540 plants grow here and only here.
Volcanic soil is basically organic, artisanal, small-batch Miracle-Gro. Aloe vera? Thriving. Succulents? Bulking up like they’re headed to the Mr. Olympia stage. Everything here grows aggressively and with confidence — something my waistline has been doing since I hopped aboard this cruise.
7) Bird nerd alert:
I heard a Canary Islands chiffchaff doing its signature warbler-esque chit-chit-chit. Very cute. Very musical. Very not a canary. Still zero actual canaries spotted. None. At this point, it feels personal. I’m expecting a note that says, “We heard you were coming — we left.”