People often ask where it’s best to vacation, debating between Madeira, the Azores or the Canary Islands. In this short article, you’ll discover the pros and cons of these resorts. You’ll learn which islands might suit you best and how each vacation experience differs. Honest advice and recommendations will help you make the final decision on where to spend your dream vacation.

Madeira, the Azores or the Canary Islands: Common Aspects

Despite being different islands, they share many similarities, more than one might think. So, the question often arises: what to choose if you want to visit them all but haven’t been to any yet 🙂

Summarily, common aspects include:

  • Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands are relatively close to each other, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. Here, it’s not just a sea, a gulf, or a strait; it’s the mighty Atlantic Ocean.
  • All islands are influenced by the Gulf Stream or the Canary Current. This is crucial, and we’ll come back to this later.
  • All the mentioned islands have volcanic origins, meaning they emerged from volcanic eruptions, boasting mountains and hundreds of viewpoints. However, they are seismically inactive zones; there are no earthquakes or tsunami threats. For example, an article on dangers in the Canaries gives you an idea of what threatens tourists in this region.
madeira or canaries
Looking at the map, it’s visually apparent that Madeira, the Azores, and the Canary Islands are in the same region in one part of the ocean.
  • All three regions are autonomous special economic zones. The Canaries belong to Spain, while the Azores and Madeira belong to Portugal.
  • The currency everywhere is the Euro. There are no differences from EU countries. It’s all the Eurozone, and financial institutions are common. Read all about currency in the Canaries for tourists, tips, and life hacks.

Pros and Cons of Vacationing on These Resorts

On the islands, the nature, mountains, and views are very similar. Let me tell you about the pros, cons, and differences between these three resorts. This is perhaps the most important section:

  • The Canaries and the Azores are archipelagos. The Azores consist of 9 main islands, which are of interest to tourists, and the Canary Islands consist of 7. Moreover, the islands vary from each other. If you want to explore and get to know the region, you need to visit at least 3 islands from different parts of the archipelago. This entails additional expenses for ferries/planes and time. Transportation between islands is quite expensive on both the Azores and the Canaries. On some islands, it can take a whole day to get there.
  • However, Madeira is just one island. And a very small one at that. It’s very convenient; rent a car, and within an hour, you can reach any point of Madeira and any attraction.
azores or canaries
Here’s a map of the Canary Archipelago and ferry routes between the islands. There are more islands in the Azores, making transportation even more complex. For example, traveling by ferry from La Palma to Lanzarote takes a whole day with two transfers. You can take a plane, which is only an hour and a half. Such complex transportation is perhaps the main downside of the Azores and the Canaries.

The weather and climate on all three resorts are just amazing. Here’s an important point (the map was mentioned earlier): Madeira, the Canaries, and the Azores are bathed by the Gulf Stream and the Canary Current, which shape the climate on the islands. Despite being in the cold and windy Atlantic, winters here are very mild and warm.

For instance, Madeira and the Azores are year-round destinations. Yes, there’s no beach vacation in winter, but it’s always around +15°C. This is more than enough for active leisure, hiking in the mountains, and island hopping.

It’s important to know:

the Canaries are located further south, just 100 km from Africa, where hot winds blow from the Sahara Desert. It’s a few degrees warmer here. If you’re planning a winter vacation, need a beach, and want to sunbathe, then the Canaries are the place to be. You just need to choose the right resort, but we’ll talk about that in detail, where it’s best to vacation in the Canaries.

And if your vacation is planned from April to November, the weather will be resort-like everywhere.

Where is it better to vacation: Madeira, the Azores or the Canary Islands

An important point:

None of these three resorts are purely beach destinations. Here, you’ll find mountains, rugged coastlines, sharp cliffs, and solidified lava instead of pristine sandy beaches. While there are beaches to be found, they’re not as abundant, and there aren’t long stretches of sandy beaches, except in some areas of the Canary Islands. If all you want is the beach, Thailand, Vietnam, and similar destinations are your go-tos. Check out the list of the best beaches in the Canary Islands.

An interesting feature: Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands have lava pools, which are not so common worldwide. Moreover, there are quite a few of them on some of the Canary Islands. Read about lava pools in the Canaries, which islands they are on, their coordinates, and see photos in the article.

madeira or azores
When I said that Madeira and the Canaries are very similar, I wasn’t lying. The nature, mountains, and lava coasts have a lot in common.

So, who should go where for vacation:

  • If it’s winter, the Canary Islands are your best bet; the beach season even continues into February.
  • For those with short vacations but a desire to see as much as possible, Madeira is better; it’s small, and you can thoroughly explore the entire island in 10 days. You won’t be able to see much of the Canaries or the Azores in 10 days, except if you rush, and even then, you’ll only cover two islands from the entire archipelago.
  • Active tourists who love hiking in the mountains should go to any of the resorts. The nature will blow your mind everywhere.
  • If you’re planning to fly with a child and need infrastructure and good beaches, then the Canaries—specifically Tenerife and Gran Canaria—are your best bet.
  • And for those who seek only beach relaxation, the Canaries are the answer too. Compared to Madeira and the Azores, they offer the widest selection of beaches; the key is to choose the right resort.
madeira vacation
For me, the Azores, the Canaries, and Madeira are not about beaches. Rent a car and explore the islands, the mountains, the cool spots, and attractions, and enjoy views like the ones in the photos. Important note: renting a car is a must in all three resorts. Without a car, using public transport, you’ll miss out on half of the beauty.

In conclusion: Madeira, the Azores or the Canary Islands—it’s a very tough question. All three regions are wonderful. But if you’ve already been to Madeira, for example, then the most similar islands to Madeira in the Canaries are La Palma and La Gomera. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are the least similar. Starting, especially for those with short vacations, I’d probably recommend starting with Madeira. And if you’re traveling with kids, then go with the Canaries, specifically Tenerife or Gran Canaria.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

  • Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.

  • Accommodation:
    • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.

    • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.

  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.

  • Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.

  • eSIM and internet: Airalo.

  • Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.