If big resorts and packed beach clubs are starting to feel a bit samey, Spain’s lesser‑known islands are a nice surprise. Scattered around the Canary Islands and the Balearics, these spots offer quieter beaches, proper hiking, and dark skies for stargazing. These islands work well as authentic alternatives beyond the usual Spanish resorts, if you’re after more nature and less nightlife.
La Palma
La Palma is the Canary Island people often discover last and then wonder why they waited so long. It is lush and steep, with banana plantations on the lower slopes and dense pine forests climbing into the clouds.
Higher up, the landscape switches to lava fields, calderas and dark volcanic ridges that feel almost other‑worldly. The island is far less built up than Tenerife or Gran Canaria, so evenings tend to be about watching the sunset, finding a family‑run restaurant and actually hearing the waves.
Highlight not to miss
Head up to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory area on a clear night for some of the best stargazing in Europe.
La Gomera
La Gomera sits just off Tenerife in the Canary Islands, but feels like a different universe once the ferry pulls away. Deep ravines cut into the island, with tiny whitewashed villages clinging to impossibly steep slopes.
The interior is covered by the ancient laurel forests of Garajonay National Park, something out of a fairytale. Around the coast, you find small black‑sand bays and low‑key harbour towns that are more about long lunches and card games than nightlife.
Highlight not to miss
Walk one of the classic circular trails in the UNESCO-protected national park, then catch a demonstration or exhibition of Silbo Gomero, the island’s traditional whistled language, in a local cultural centre.
El Hierro
El Hierro is the Canary that people into maps, diving and renewable energy get quietly excited about. It is small and remote, with a coastline of cliffs, lava arches and natural sea pools rather than long sandy beaches.
The interior mixes pine woods, pastureland and strange wind‑bent juniper trees, and you still get a strong feeling of old rural Canary Islands life. Tourism has grown slowly, with an emphasis on sustainability, local products and outdoor activities rather than mass development.
Highlight not to miss
Spend a day around the La Restinga marine reserve in the south, where clear waters, volcanic seabeds and protected status make for brilliant shore diving and snorkelling.
Formentera
Formentera is often described as Ibiza’s calm little sibling, and that is about right once you dodge the peak August crowds. The island is mostly flat, with long white beaches, shallow turquoise water and salt flats that glow pink at certain times of day.
Away from the ferry terminal, you find sandy tracks, cyclists heading to swim spots and small settlements with simple bars and beach shacks. It can feel busy in high summer, but in May, June, September and October the pace slows down, and the island shows a much softer side.
Highlight not to miss
Time your visit to Cap de Barbaria lighthouse for sunset, when the cliffs drop away to the sea, and the sky turns every shade of orange and pink.
La Graciosa
La Graciosa is a car-free island that sits just off the north coast of Lanzarote and feels more like a sleepy fishing outpost than a classic holiday island. There are sandy tracks instead of paved roads, and people get around on foot, by bike or in a handful of authorised 4×4 taxis.
Low houses in soft colours line the streets of Caleta de Sebo, where boats bob in the harbour and life is pleasantly slow. Once you leave the village, it is all dunes, volcanic cones and wide, wild beaches where you can often count the other people on one hand.
Highlight not to miss
Walk or cycle out to Playa de las Conchas, a sweeping golden beach with views to the uninhabited islet of Montaña Clara and some of the most dramatic Atlantic scenery in the Canaries.
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