History of the Canaries

Long before the first Europeans set foot on Canary soil, the Guanches lived here — a people that remain an enigma to this day. Where did they come from? DNA analysis clearly shows: They descended from the Berber peoples of North Africa and likely reached the islands between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. The truly astonishing part: They had no ships and no seafaring knowledge. How they crossed over 100 kilometers of open Atlantic is one of the great mysteries of Canary history.

The Guanches lived as shepherds and farmers, keeping goats and growing barley. Each island developed its own distinct culture with its own language, laws, and social structure. On Tenerife, nine Menceys (kings) ruled, dividing the island among themselves. On Gran Canaria, there were two Guanartemats (kingdoms) — that of Gáldar in the north and that of Telde in the south. The Guanches mummified their dead in caves (the famous mummies in the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are a must-see), lived partly in cave settlements, and left behind enigmatic rock carvings (petroglyphs) — particularly impressive in the Barranco de Balos on Gran Canaria.

Their daily life was remarkably advanced: They produced Gofio (roasted grain flour), which remains a staple food in the Canaries, crafted intricately decorated ceramics, and practiced a complex ancestor cult. The famous Cueva Pintada (Painted Cave) in Gáldar on Gran Canaria displays geometric patterns whose meaning is still debated today — calendars, tribal symbols, or religious signs?

The conquest of the Canaries was an almost century-long process — and far less straightforward than the Spaniards had expected. It began in 1402 when the Norman nobleman Jean de Béthencourt subdued the eastern islands Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and El Hierro on behalf of the Castilian crown. The sparsely populated, flat islands offered little resistance.

The western islands were a completely different story. Gran Canaria resisted for over 80 years: Several Spanish expeditions failed miserably against the resilient Canarians and the challenging terrain. It wasn't until 1478 that Juan Rejón began a systematic conquest that lasted five bloody years. The last Guanarteme of Gáldar, Tenesor Semidán, became an ally of the Spaniards after his baptism (as Fernando Guanarteme) — an act that remains controversial to this day.

Tenerife was the last island to fall. In the Battle of Acentejo (1494), the Guanches under Mencey Bencomo almost completely annihilated a Spanish army — the worst defeat of the conquistadors in the Canaries. It wasn't until 1496 that Alonso Fernández de Lugo achieved final subjugation. For the Guanches, the conquest was a catastrophe: Diseases (especially the plague), enslavement, and forced conversion drastically decimated the population. Yet they did not disappear without a trace — their DNA lives on in today's Canarians, and genetic studies show that up to 40–60% of the mitochondrial heritage of the Canary population traces back to the Guanches.

After the conquest, the Canaries became the springboard to America — and thus a target for every pirate, privateer, and enemy admiral of the Atlantic. Christopher Columbus stopped on his first voyage in 1492 on La Gomera (allegedly also due to an affair with the island's mistress Beatriz de Bobadilla), and thereafter practically every ship heading to the New World called at the Canaries.

The list of attackers reads like a Who's Who of European seafaring:

• 1553: The French pirate François Le Clerc (“Wooden Leg") plunders Santa Cruz de La Palma and burns the city down
• 1595: Sir Francis Drake attacks Las Palmas de Gran Canaria — and fails against the defense
• 1599: The Dutch admiral Pieter van der Does assaults Las Palmas with 73 ships and 8,000 men, devastates the city, but cannot capture the island fortress
• 1797: The most famous attack — Admiral Horatio Nelson attempts to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The defenders under General Antonio Gutiérrez repel the attack; Nelson loses his right arm to a cannonball. The cannons “El Tigre" (The Tiger), which wounded Nelson, still stand in the Museo Militar in Santa Cruz

The consequence of this constant threat: The Canaries became a fortress island. The Castillo de la Luz in Las Palmas, the Castillo de San Gabriel in Arrecife, the fortifications of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and countless watchtowers along the coasts testify to centuries of perpetual readiness for defense.

The strategic location of the Canaries — last stop before America, first after the return — made the archipelago one of the most important trade hubs of the Atlantic. The economic cycles of the islands read like a miniature world economic history:

• Sugar (15th–16th centuries): The first sugarcane plantations made the Canaries wealthy — until the Caribbean produced cheaper
• Wine (16th–18th centuries): Canary Malvasía wine was famous throughout Europe. Shakespeare mentioned it several times; the English nobility drank “Canary Wine" as a status symbol. The trading port of Garachico on Tenerife was the center — until a volcanic eruption in 1706 buried the port under lava
• Cochineal (19th century): The cochineal insect, which provides carmine dye, was cultivated on prickly pear cacti. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were major producers until synthetic dyes ruined the business
• Bananas (from 1880): Banana cultivation, especially on Tenerife and La Palma, became the economic backbone — and partly still is today

The economic crises led to massive emigration: Hundreds of thousands of Canarians emigrated to Cuba, Venezuela, and Uruguay. In Havana, there is an entire district of former Canary immigrants, and the Venezuelan accent closely resembles Canary Spanish. Many Canarians still have relatives in Latin America today, and returnees brought traditions with them — the Canary Carnival has clear Cuban influences.

The transformation of the Canaries from a poor agricultural archipelago to a mass tourism destination is one of the most dramatic changes in European tourism history. It all began in the late 1950s when the first charter flights from Scandinavia and the United Kingdom landed.

The chronology of the boom:

• 1957: Opening of Gran Canaria Airport (Gando) for international traffic
• 1960s: First hotel complexes in Playa del Inglés and Puerto de la Cruz. Swedish and German travel companies discover the year-round potential
• 1970s: The construction boom explodes. Playa del Inglés/Maspalomas becomes the largest tourist city in the Canaries. On Tenerife, Los Cristianos/Playa de las Américas grows from nothing
• 1980s: Lanzarote develops thanks to César Manrique's visionary concept as a counter-model — controlled tourism instead of concrete fortresses. Fuerteventura follows with a focus on beaches and windsurfing
• 1990s-2000s: The Canaries reach 10 million tourists annually. All-inclusive resorts dominate the south of the major islands
• 2010s-2020s: Reorientation: Hiking tourism on La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro, ecotourism, digital nomads (especially on Tenerife and Gran Canaria)

Today, the Canaries welcome over 16 million tourists per year — with only 2.2 million inhabitants. Tourism accounts for about 35% of GDP. The downsides — water scarcity, overtourism protests, rising rental prices for locals — have been a hot political topic since 2023. In 2024, there were large demonstrations in Tenerife and Gran Canaria under the motto “Canarias tiene un límite" (The Canaries have a limit).

With the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the Canary Islands became the Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias — one of 17 autonomous communities of Spain. The Canaries have their own parliament (based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife), their own government, and extensive powers in areas such as education, health, spatial planning, and environmental protection.

A unique feature: The Canaries have two equal capitals — Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The seat of government alternates with each legislative period between the two cities. This solution reflects the centuries-old rivalry between the two largest islands.

Within the EU, the Canaries enjoy the status of an Outermost Region (RUP), granting them special rights:

• IGIC instead of IVA: Instead of the Spanish VAT (IVA, 21%), the significantly lower IGIC applies in the Canaries — the general tax rate is only 7%. Therefore, electronics, perfume, and alcohol are often cheaper here than on the mainland
• ZEC (Zona Especial Canaria): Special economic zone with greatly reduced corporate tax (4% instead of 25%), attracting international companies
• EU special rules: Subsidies for agriculture, transport, and renewable energies

Politically, the Coalición Canaria (CC) is an important force — a nationalist party representing Canary interests against Madrid without demanding independence. The sentiment is clear: Canarians feel first as Canarios, then as Spaniards. The distance to the mainland (over 1,000 km) and the proximity to Africa (only 100 km to Morocco) shape a unique self-identity.