Boasting sun, wind and year-round waves, the Canary Islands are paradise for surfers. The archipelago is internationally recognised as a leading surf destination, attracting surfers from all around the world in search of the best waves. Although conditions in all the Canary Islands are perfect for sports training, Lanzarote is considered one of the best places for surfing.

Known as ‘The Hawaii of Europe’, Lanzarote is loved, not just for its year-round warm weather, but the quality and consistency of its waves. With 250km of coastline, the island offers surf suitable for levels, from beginner to professional. Professional junior surfers, Conor Donegan Santos and Dylan Donegan Dos Santos, currently live in Famara, Lanzarote, with their mother Aoife. Famara is one of the Canary Islands most iconic surfing locations, making it the perfect training destination for rising stars, Conor and Dylan.

Placing second in the 2021 U16 FES Junior Series Mazarron, Murcia, 14-year-old Conor Donegan Santos, finds the Canary Islands an ideal training base to perfect his surf skills.

Conor explains, “We are in Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands in a town called Famara. For me, this place is ideal because it has all the training grounds. It goes from really heavy waves to beaches, reef breaks. You can learn how to do airs, turns everything”.

Junior surf champion, 12-year-old Dylan Donegan dos Santos, has found Lanzarote the perfect location to practice and continually progress his surfing skills.

Dylan, who placed first in the 2021 U14 FES Junior Series Mazarron, Murcia, explains, “this location is the perfect ground game for surfing because it’s got every type of waves. One day you can go surfing a heavy wave and then next day surfing a beach, and then the next day, a point break. So, it’s like, you’ve got loads of variety of good waves and that’s how you learn and progress.”

For surfers interested in coming to the Canary Islands, Dylan highly recommends Lanzarote as a destination, in particular Famara or La Santa. “If someone comes to Lanzarote, I would recommend them to go or La Santa or Famara, La Santa is more like powerful waves, Famara has also powerful waves but there’s more variety here” says Dylan.

Famara has some of the best surfing conditions in the Canary Islands and has hosted many World Surfing Championship events. Surrounded by spectacular landscapes with views from the shore of imposing cliffs and the small island of La Graciosa. The ocean floor in this part of Lanzarote has both sandy sections and rocky parts with multiple peaks, making Famara an idyllic location for surfers of all levels, from beginner to professional. There are many surf schools located on the beach that offer equipment rental as well as classes for those that want to either learn the basics of surfing or improve their technique.

La Santa, situated on the north-west coast of Lanzarote, is a great destination for more skilled surfers. With strong waves and lots of rocks and slopes, the port of La Santa provides great conditions for expert surfers 365 days a year, with the La Santa left being one of the most sought-after surfing experiences in the world.

Aoife Donegan, Conor and Dylan’s mother, lives with the boys in Famara, Lanzarote. Surfing is very much apart of the family’s day-to-day life. The boys’ father, Claude, has surfed for many years so, when Dylan and Conor were born it was only natural that they’d go to the water. The Canary Islands offer the family the perfect surf life balance.

Aoife explains, “Famara and Lanzarote in general offers them the possibility to mix their school life with home life, with their surf life and home life really revolves around their surfing. It’s all year round. Lanzarote offers that. 365 days, there’s always ways. Some days are better than others but there’s always conditions to catch a wave.”

The natural conditions of the Canary Islands make the archipelago a paradise for professional training and active sports, offering sunny days, trade winds, several hours of daylight, as well as the opportunity to continue training at high level accommodation and sports facilities around the islands. In addition to surfers, many other elite athletes choose the Canaries as their training base, including triathletes, swimmers, paragliders, sailors, beach volleyball players and cyclists from all over the world.

The connectivity of the Canaries, even now, allows athletes to reach the archipelago from Ireland in approx. four hours. The islands have 1,500km of coastline washed by volcanic waters rich in nutrients and suitable for thalassotherapy, perfect for helping athletes with a quick recovery.

For more information on the Canary Islands please visit www.hellocanaryislands.com

Learn more about surfing and other sports in the Canary Islands on the TravelMedia.ie YouTube channel.

ENDS

For more information on the Canary Islands please contact Niamh Waters niamh@travelmedia.ie