The Canary Islands are among the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. But what are the conditions for going on vacation to the Canary Islands this winter in the face of Covid-19?
[Updated Dec 5, 2021 6:59 PM] It is again possible to travel to the Canary Islands. Good news for people planning to go on vacation this winter, especially since Spain is one of the favorite destinations for the French. However, several health measures have been put in place to welcome tourists in the best possible conditions. In order to limit the spread of the virus, border controls have been reinforced and a health control form (FCS) must be completed and signed by all travellers. Entry conditions, PCR test, vaccine, open places, beaches, we take stock of the situation in the Canary Islands for your winter holidays.
Border controls to go to the Canary Islands depend above all on the country of origin. Thus, tourists from a low-risk area are subject to a health check at the airport, consisting of a visual check (absence of symptoms) and a temperature measurement. The latter must not exceed 37.5° under penalty of reinforced secondary controls. Tourists coming from a high-risk area must, in addition to complying with a visual check and a temperature measurement, present a document certifying either a vaccination, or a negative test of less than 48 hours, or a certificate confirming a recent recovery from Covid-19.
Many countries around the world require their visitors to undergo quarantine upon arrival. This quarantine generally takes place in a hotel room, from which travelers are not allowed to leave for a period of time that can range from three to fifteen days depending on the country. Good news for tourists planning to go on vacation to the Canary Islands, the archipelago does not impose any quarantine on its visitors from all over Europe. Travelers from India must quarantine for ten days, a period reported at seven days if the test carried out three days after arrival proves negative.
In order to limit the spread of the virus, many countries around the world impose a quarantine on their citizens when they leave and return to their country. In France, the establishment of a quarantine on returning from a trip or a trip abroad is conditioned on the destination. When a French resident returns from a high-risk area, he must imperatively respect a 10-day quarantine, unless he has a complete vaccination certificate. However, this measure does not apply to the Canary Islands, a destination for which no quarantine is necessary either on the way out or on the way back.
Numerous studies have shown that contagiousness increases when crowds take place late at night, when barrier gestures and the wearing of masks are less respected than during the day. This is the reason why many countries around the world have taken the decision to establish a curfew, that is to say a time during which the population no longer has the right to leave their homes, except in the event of a compelling reason. The Canaries are also affected by the curfew, the time of which varies according to the islands. The curfew is midnight to 6 a.m. in Fuerteventura, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Lanzarote.
Because different regions of the same country may experience different health situations, travel restriction measures have been put in place in many territories. These measures are intended to limit the circulation of the virus throughout the national territory, and to isolate the clusters as much as possible. In the midst of the pandemic, connections between the various Canary Islands have been mostly suspended. Today, they have been restored, and daily trips by plane or boat make it easy to connect one island to another. Good news, especially since moving from island to island is one of the greatest attractions of the Canary Islands.
Some islands like Tenerife or Lanzarote are harder hit by the virus than others like Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura. This is the reason why the local authorities have decided to keep certain places closed. On Tenerife, La Graciosa and Lanzarote, bars and restaurants are limited to 4 people per table and close at 11 p.m. Sports facilities are open to groups of up to 4 people, markets are closed, and popular events and nighttime entertainment are cancelled. On the other islands of the archipelago, open-air markets remain open, public transport operates normally, and sports facilities are open to groups of up to 6 people.
At the height of the pandemic, some beaches were completely closed to the public in order to curb the spread of the virus. The latter are gradually opening again, to the delight of holidaymakers. On all the Canary Islands, the beaches remain open to the public, but security measures remain strict. Wearing a mask is compulsory to access the beach and move from one place to another, and each group is advised to leave a distance of four meters between them. In addition, some municipalities also plan to prohibit access to a beach when the latter is already very busy. On the beach, it is possible to remove your mask only when you are sitting or swimming.
All Spanish airports are open again, and the Canary Islands are no exception. For this winter, the airlines usually serving the Canary Islands should continue their services. In particular, it will be possible to take an Iberia, Ryanair, Easyjet, Vueling Airlines or Volotea plane. Air France has also reinforced its flight program to the Canary Islands. For inter-island journeys, the Canaryfly and Binter companies provide the usual air connections. However, care must be taken to comply with the health instructions throughout the plane journey, namely the wearing of a mask without interruption as well as the necessary social distancing.