Canary Islands & Madeira

With more bicycles than permanent residents, the Dutch capital is both charming and quirky. Aesthetically little has changed in the centre since its 17th century Golden Age. Beautiful gabled houses and merchants’ mansions line serene, tree-lined canals, which are laid out in five concentric circles and crossed by numerous bridges. The Royal Palace, originally built as a Town Hall in the 17th century, stands on a large square in the centre of the city. Considered one of Europe’s major art capitals, Amsterdam is home to a number of superb galleries and museums including the famous Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum.

Famously contested, Gibraltar is a renowned headland in the Mediterranean Sea.
In ancient times known as the Pillars of Hercules with it’s African counterpart, Mt Abyla, the Rock has remained under British rule for the last 300 years, despite being connected to Spain.
A towering 1400 ft outcrop that separates the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, Gibraltar was named Jebel al-Tarik by the Moorish General Tarik who landed there in 711 AD.
See the famous Barbary apes that occupy the island as well as St Michael’s Cave and the Siege Tunnels or admire the view to Africa from a cable car.

A city with maritime roots, Arrecife first appeared on maps in the 15th century as a small fishing harbour. It has since 1852 been the capital of Lanzarote, the northernmost and fourth largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. Lanzarote, which lies just four degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer and enjoys a sub-tropical climate, is volcanic in origin. Arrecife’s Calle Leon y Castila has a wealth of shops and is an opportunity for duty free shopping.

The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is dominated by Mount Teide in the central mountain range and several spectacular valleys covered with lush landscape, banana plantations and pinewoods. Santa Cruz, the island's capital, offers a number of museums, and churches to explore together with tempting shops and restaurants. The exotic gardens of Garcia Sanabria Park are worth a visit as is Loro Parque, with its tropical gardens, collection of parrots, and an aquarium with sharks, sealions and penguins.