10 Best Places to Watch Sunsets in the Canary Islands

The Famara cliffs loom high above the wave-bashed town of Caleta de Famara on the northwest side of Lanzarote. They're far away from the bustle of the popular areas around Playa Blanca, rising nearly 700 metres over the Atlantic Ocean.

There are 2 ways to the top, one of which is by driving past the rustic inland villages of Maguez and Haria. Or you can challenge yourself on a zig-zagging hiking path that weaves up a lush valley from Playa de Famara. Either way, the goal is the same, as you emerge onto a precipitous mirador with 180-degree panoramas of Lanzarote's wilder shoreline.

Playa del Risco is one of the hidden jewels of the Lanzarote coastline. It's tucked away at the less-busy northwestern edge of the island, at the base of a gnarly hiking track that takes you down the side of an ancient volcanic caldera. It's about a 1.5-hour walk in total.

The reward is an often-deserted stretch of sand where sky-blue waters filter in between craggy arms of lava stone. As the sun starts dipping low, you can watch it silhouette the rugged island of La Graciosa across the strait. Don't stay too long, though – you won't want to be hiking in the dark.

The Dunes of Maspalomas are where Gran Canaria does its best impression of the Arabian Desert. They unfold in a swathe of shifting sandhills just south of the resort town of Maspalomas itself, looking like something plucked from the pages of One Thousand and One Nights.

Things get even more mystical at the golden hour. As the light dips to the west, it casts dappled shadows on the dunes and illuminates others in shimmering hues of red and pink. You'll feel like you're lost in the Sahara, only with the bars and international eateries of Maspalomas a quick 10-minute stroll away.

Mount Teide isn't just the highest point in the Canary Islands. It's also the highest point in the whole of Spain. You can hardly miss it because it soars to a cloud-shattering 3,715 metres above sea level in the heart of Tenerife. It's surrounded by a national park that's a mecca for hikers and adventurers by day, but there's also a way to enjoy the evening hour at the summit.

The Mount Teide Cable Car whisks you to the Mirador La Fortaleza and the Pico Viejo lookouts, from where it's possible to see all of Tenerife, the neighbouring island of La Gomera, and great dashes of the wide Atlantic Ocean.

Roque de los Muchachos is a jagged ridge of weathered volcanic stone that pokes to the top of La Palma. It's the highest point on that less-trodden Canary Island but can still be reached by car – just cruise up the hairpin bends that come off the LP-4 road.

You'll be greeted at the top by the UFO-like tops of the Galileo National Telescope and the Nordic Optical Telescope, both prominent astronomy research centres. The sunset spot you're after is the Mirador Caldera, though, which offers panoramic views that are often well above the clouds.

Los Gigantes is best known as one of the main family resorts on the west side of Tenerife. But it's also the gateway to a chain of hulking cliffs that are themselves called Los Gigantes. They string along the shoreline here for about 11 km from south to north, hiding an abundance of places where the sunset views are all but guaranteed to be fantastic.

The way to explore is to drive up the TF-1 highway and take turnoffs into the little villages. They include pint-sized El Retamar and Santiago del Teide, and host family taverns that serve spicy papas arrugadas (boiled potatoes) and mojo sauce with a view of the sunset and the sea.

El Cotillo is a surf-washed beach town on the northwest coast of Fuerteventura. It's popular with wave riders by day, with groups of learning surfers often making the 25-minute drive across from the major resort of Corralejo with the boards in tow.

Those who stay for the evening will get to see the light fading on the powdery white sands of El Cotillo Beach, which unfolds like a conch shell in a series of protected little lagoons. It's great if you want to take a dip in the dying light of the day. There are also a few cafe-bars behind the sands for happy-hour drinks.

Faro Punta Pesebre is just about as far southwest as it's possible to go in Fuerteventura without falling into the Atlantic Ocean. You get there by following a remote dirt track out of the resort of Morro Jable. It's a daring drive that's best done in a 4x4, but the views are wonderful.

Try to arrive well before sunset because there's the white-sand beach of Playa de los Ojos to swim at in the runup to the show. Then, head for the concrete plinth of a lookout point, where you'll watch the sunset through a frame of craggy reefs, often totally alone.

Mirador de Chipeque is a great spot to take in the sheer majesty of central Tenerife. It's tucked deep into the mountain range of the Dorsal of Pedro Gil, which spans the northern half of the island. You can get there on wooded hiking paths or by car on a quick detour off the Carreta la Esperanza roadway.

There's one main thing that makes the adventure here worth it – Mount Teide. The highest peak in all of Spain is visible to the south, with the forested foothills and great ocean cliffs dominating the foreground. In the evening, the sun dips perfectly to the west, illuminating one whole flank of the volcano in glorious style.

Playa de Meloneras is one of the more convenient and accessible options for sunset-viewing in the Canaries. It's right on the doorstep of Maspalomas and the main GC-1 highway that loops Gran Canarias, so you can whiz here in a jiffy from lots of hotels and resorts.

You might want to plan to come earlier, though, as the beach itself is lovely. It offers soft sands and rows of sun loungers, all backed by the strange Dunes of Maspalomas. In the evening, you can retire to the Aqua Ocean Club for well-mixed cocktails and cold beers with a sunset view.