Many cultures have passed through these Atlantic islands, forging a unique identity over centuries of cultural fusion. Influences from Africa, Europe, and the Americas have combined to create a rich culture that you can experience across all eight islands.
The islands' original inhabitants - the aboriginal people - developed a culture rich in forms of expression, ranging from sculpture and ceramics to intangible traditions and customs that have endured to the present day. These include songs, dances, and other distinctive practices, such as Canarian wrestling and Silbo Gomero (the whistling language of La Gomera). Cultural expressions that you can discover in the various popular festivals on all the islands.
The buildings on the islands are more similar to those of Latin America than to those of the Iberian Peninsula, with a marked colonial style. Even so, the islands have some examples of contemporary architecture, such as the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and authentic jewels that are a perfect mix of architecture and nature, like the Jameos del Agua by César Manrique in Lanzarote.
Thanks to miscegenation, on the Canary Islands you can find artistic references to various styles such as Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance and Baroque. And the islands have seen great native artists like César Manrique, Néstor de la Torre, Manuel Millares and Óscar Domínguez. You can currently view some of these artists’ works at the Espacio de las Artes in Tenerife or at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Palma.Come to the Canary Islands and discover the culture of these creative, open-minded islands, born of cultural fusion.
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