Press Notes

• The Canary Islands offer many advantages as a training ground for elite athletes due to its natural diversity and state-of-the-art facilities
• The archipelago’s mild climate allows the islands to declare themselves the best European location to train in all year round
• The wilderness of the Canary Islands offers unique settings for different sporting routes that run between volcanoes and protected nature areas

The Canary Islands, 6 April 2017 – There are at least eight reasons for choosing the Canary Islands as a destination for sports training. Both amateurs and elite athletes find the archipelago to be the best location in Europe to train in all year round for its perfect combination of state-of-the-art facilities, mild climate and amenities adapted to the users’ needs with European quality and safety standards.

Accommodation-wise, the islands offer an extensive range of establishments designed around the rest and recovery associated with high-performance centres to improve fitness, overcome challenges, beat personal bests, prepare for sports competitions and eat properly. The varied, rugged and unique wilderness of the Canary Islands is also the best of outdoor gyms in which to practice sport continuously in a setting that even has its own website: “Training Non Stop”.

1)      Light and clear skies

In the Canary Islands there are 4,800 hours of sunlight a year and barely any precipitation, so the probability of having to call off a training session due to bad weather is very low. On the Canarian archipelago temperatures are mild all year round, with no hot or cold extremes and an average of 23 degrees in summer and 19 degrees in winter, which is why the destination is known for having “The best climate in the world”.

2)      Top-class facilities

The Canary Islands have an extensive range of training and accommodation facilities. Many establishments offer special diets and relaxing treatments for top-class sportsmen and women, while sports centres have highly qualified professionals and services such as sports healthcare, hypoxia chambers and DLF telemetry, as well as other modern equipment.

3)      The force of nature

The uniqueness of the Canary Islands’ landscape allows the archipelago to boast seven unique settings with various outdoor routes for sports that run between volcanoes and spectacular protected nature areas under the sea and trade winds. It is the perfect place to complement sessions at the sports centre with routes on trails past volcanic cones, forest tracks amongst lush vegetation or arid areas and unique and often virgin beaches.

4)      Touch the sky

Training at a height, with lower atmospheric pressure, improves sports performance because it induces an increase in red blood cells to compensate for the lack of oxygen. In the Canary Islands, it is very easy to move quickly from sea level to an altitude of more than 1,800 metres as, given its volcanic origin, the insular orography is full of valleys and peaks – including the highest one in Spain: Mount Teide. This volcano is the preferred training ground for cyclists getting ready for the Tour de France as there is nowhere else like it in the world. Other spots to gain the maximum sporting benefit are around Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma), Pico de las Nieves (Gran Canaria) and Pico de Malpaso (El Hierro).

5)      A fast recovery

Since the time of the Greek civilisation, the Canary Islands have been a destination renowned for their health-giving properties. Sunlight is the islands’ best-kept therapeutic secret and, together with other natural volcanic therapies, positively impact on post-training recovery. Sunlight hours are closely linked to the production of serotonin – a neurotransmitter that will boost mental strength and help overcome difficulties.

6)      1,500 kilometres of coastline

Swimming in the sea helps to eliminate toxins, activate circulation and heal skin problems such as cuts, acne or dermatitis. As well as having vitamins and a high sodium content, volcanic waters are also rich in nutrients and suitable for thalassotherapy. There is more than one reason for making it into the sea, even if it has nothing to do with triathlons or water sports. Furthermore, the sea breeze, loaded with mineral salts and negative ions, has a relaxing and detoxifying effect.

7)      Your sports centre right beside you

The Canary Islands have eight airports (six international and two local) with regular flights from more than 130 cities connecting the archipelago with the main European cities. The islands are two and a half hours from mainland Spain, four hours from the UK, Germany and Belgium, five hours from Italy, six hours from Sweden, Norway and Poland, and seven and a half hours from Russia.

8)      Calendar of championships to measure efforts

The archipelago often stages important international events, the majority of them qualifiers for world championships which are vital in elite athletes’ sporting agendas and serve to measure invested effort. Some of the most renowned events are Lanzarote’s Ironman, Tenerife’s Bluetrail, Transgrancanaria or La Palma’s Transvulcania. Other highlights include El Hierro’s Magma Bike Marathon, Fuerteventura’s Triathlon International Challenge and La Gomera’s Paradise Trail, among others held on the Canary Islands.

About the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands is the place with The best climate in the world for enjoying exceptional holidays any time of the year. Seven different and unique islands, perfect for disconnecting from your daily routine, recharging your batteries and returning home feeling physically and mentally refreshed. The beaches, volcanic landscapes, lively and hospitable lifestyle and the possibility of choosing from all sorts of outdoor activities, as well as a wide range of quality accommodation and leisure activities, mean that the majority of visitors repeat the experience more than once.

About Promotur Turismo de Canarias

Promotur Turismo de Canarias, an entity attached to the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Regional Government of the Canary Islands, oversees the promotion of the Canary Islands tourism brand. Created in 2005, the main goal of this public company is to study, promote and market the huge tourist offer the Canarian archipelago affords, in conjunction with the other institutions on the islands related to the tourist sector.

Press Contact:

brezo.rodriguez@porternovelli.es  // alberto.tapia@porternovelli.es

Follow Canary Islands on social networks!

Canary Islands –http://www.hellocanaryislands.com/