Canary Islands or Balearics - Which islands are better? 2025 Guide
Spain is probably the best holiday destination for a warm and sunny holiday in Europe, no matter the season. But which island is the best choice for your next sunny holiday?
Besides the popular tourist resorts in mainland Spain like Benidorm and Marbella, the country also has several islands that are perfect for beach holidays, so today we will try to compare the most popular Spanish archipelagos: the Canary Islands vs the Balearic Islands.
Which are the best: the Canaries or the Balearics?
First of all, if you're trying to plan your first holiday to a Spanish island, let's see which are the Balearics and which are the Canaries.
Balearic Islands:
- Mallorca (Majorca)
- Menorca (Minorca)
- Ibiza (Eivissa)
- Formentera
- Cabrera
Canary Islands:
- Tenerife
- Gran Canaria
- Lanzarote
- Fuerteventura
- La Gomera
- La Palma
- El Hierro
Weather-wise: Canary Islands climate vs Balearic Islands climate
The Canary Islands are recognized for having one of the best climates in the world, with mild temperatures even in the winter, reaching mid 20s°C during the day in the winter months.
Tenerife, the largest Canary Island, is also known as the island of the eternal spring, as the south always stays pleasantly warm, even through January, February and March, that's why we recommend the Canaries on our list of warm winter destinations in Europe. More so, we think that Gran Canaria and Tenerife are the hottest Canary Islands during winter if you choose to spend your holiday in the south of the islands. You will still be able to spend time on the beach, get a tan and even swim, which is not the norm for Europe in winter.
The Balearics have a more temperature climate, which means that during winter temperatures here can go as low as 0°C, so this is no beach weather by any means. Meanwhile, in the summer, the temperatures can go well above the Canaries, which have a more stable climate, with not so many extremes.
The Canary Islands are a year-round tourist destination, there is no off-season, the restaurants, hotels, as well as resorts don't close during the winter, it's even the opposite, the winter months represent the high season for the Canary Islands, whereas the high season in the Balearic Islands is over the summer, while in winter most of the resorts are closed.
So, if you like really hot weather, go to the Balearics in the summer and then go to the Canaries during the cold winter months, to be able to enjoy a bit of sunshine and warmth.
Canary Islands beaches or Balearics beaches?
The beaches in the Balearics are mostly white sandy beaches, while the Canaries have lots of beaches with black volcanic sand, due to their volcanic nature.
Nonetheless, both the Canaries and the Balearics have some great beaches, some of them man-made, created due to the growing tourism on the islands. So you will also be able to find white sand beaches in the Canaries as well.
For amazing beaches in the Canary Islands, we recommend Fuerteventura, followed by Gran Canaria. For fabulous beaches in the Balearic Islands, we recommend Formentera, hands down the best of the best in the archipelago, followed by Menorca.
Most popular beaches in the Canary Islands:
- Playa del Duque (Tenerife)
- Amadores beach (Gran Canaria)
- Corralejo Grandes Playas (Fuerteventura)
- Playa Grande (Lanzarote)
- Playa Las Vistas (Tenerife)
- Anfi del Mar (Gran Canaria)
- Playa Las Teresitas (Tenerife)
Most popular beaches in the Balearic islands:
- Magaluf beach (Mallorca)
- Playa d'en Bossa (Ibiza)
- Cala d'Or (Mallorca)
- Es Pujols (Formentera)
- Cala Talamanca (Ibiza)
The beaches mentioned above are located in tourist areas and easily accessible, so they are extremely popular among visitors, although there might be other beaches that are considered more beautiful. But in terms of beach beauty, we can't really choose a winner between the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, as they both offer great diversity of choice.
However, what we can say is that the sea will be warmer in Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera and the Balearic Islands in general compared to the Atlantic ocean in the Canary Islands. So especially during the summer months, if you're looking for a warm sea to swim in, then you should opt for one of the Balearic Islands.
Party and entertainment
When it comes to parties, the Balearics' reputation precedes them: Ibiza is probably the Mecca for partying all night long while enjoying the beaches and the great weather during the day.
When it comes to nightclubs, DJs, great parties and music all roads go to Ibiza, no doubt about it. So if nightlife is what you're after, then the Balearics are the better choice, especially Ibiza.
The Canaries also have a few places that are famous for the buzzing nightlife: Playa de las Americas in Tenerife and Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria. So if you want to party during the winter months, look no further than these 2 options.
Six drinks rule for all-inclusive hotels in the Balearic Islands
Please keep in mind that there is a rule in place in SOME areas of the Balearic islands that limits guests to only six drinks per day in all-inclusive hotels.
This rule is NOT in place the Canary Islands.
For further details, please read our article about the six drinks rule in Spain.
Family holiday - the Balearic Islands or the Canary Islands?
We think that the atmosphere in the Canaries is more relaxed and laid back, so they are more suitable for a family holiday with the children.
We like Lanzarote for a family holiday, as the island is small enough to be visited without being too demanding or tiring for the kids. Also, they have a few great theme parks and water parks, nice beaches with calm water and no waves, which is ideal for kids.
Mallorca in the Balearics is also a good choice for a family holiday, especially since the island has so many attractions and wonderful sights, which would provide a great adventure, especially for older children who want to explore and discover new places.
The conclusion: Balearic Islands and Canary Islands - which should you choose?
Well, as we stated at first, we believe that the weather aspect is crucial when choosing a holiday destination. We all want to make the most of our holiday days and so for winter, we would choose the Canary Islands, with a special mention to Tenerife South and Gran Canaria (the area of Puerto Rico, Puerto de Mogan).
You can expect warm and sunny weather, but no extreme heat. For high heat, you should choose one of the Balearic islands like Mallorca, Menorca or Formentera in the middle of summer, like July or August.
Afterward, you can take into consideration the other aspects and think of what you're looking to get from your holiday. Obviously, we are biased fans of the Canary Islands, but we do like other destinations as well and we want to encourage people to keep an open mind and to try different destinations.
