Tenerife, Spain (CNN) — Pristine beaches frame the Canary Islands in multicolored sand as the Spanish archipelago sweeps seaward from Africa's Atlantic coast. For travelers ready to venture beyond resorts, the Canary Islands offer a lifetime of active adventures -- here's where to start. Getty ImagesSome of the earliest trans-Atlantic voyagers, including Christopher Columbus, made the Canary Islands a stopover on their way across the sea. (Even professional star-watchers prize a trip to the Canary Islands, and Tenerife is home to Europe's largest solar telescope .) When visiting the Canary Islands from the United States, most itineraries make a stopover in mainland Europe.

Source: CNN January 27, 2020 12:22 UTC