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The Canary Islands are a very popular holiday destination nowadays and people travel to them not only from elsewhere in Europe but from all over the world for a holiday. The Canaries are only a short trip from most places in Europe but they still have high temperatures for most of the year. There are lots of beaches all around the different Canary Islands and they have been developed so that tourists have plenty to do.

The Canary Islands were created when a series of volcanoes under the water erupted for long periods of time. The Canary Islands are what are known as volcanic islands and have been there for millions of years now. This occurred because beneath them is a hot spot with many volcanoes and upon erupting the lava and other debris began to pile up getting closer and closer to the sea surface. It then passed sea level, cooling and hardening to create the islands which sit there now.

The reason this occurs is because the hot lava after it has erupted does not spread but instead it builds up while it is still liquid. As it continues to spill out and pile up the sea water gradually cools it and it becomes much denser. This continues to happen for the whole time the volcano is erupting but once the volcano stops the cooling happens at a much faster rate. The lava eventually sets hard as there is no heat source any more from the volcano.

The volcanoes around the area of the Canary Islands are still a threat although they do not erupt very often at all. The last notable eruption lasted six years from 1730 and was on the island of Lanzarote. The eruption did a great deal of damage but the responsible volcano is now classed as dormant and has been for some time.

A new eruption began in 2011 off the coast of El Hierro which many believed would either create a new Canary Island or eventually connect with El Hierro. The eruption began just 70 metres off the coast of the island and debris and lava was being shot high into the air around it.