The Canary Islands

Culture & Art, Destinations 5 x 52' 2023 4K

Off the African coast in the middle of the Atlantic, underwater volcanoes raged for millions of years and created a volcanic archipelago: the Canary Islands. Each of them has its own face. Plants grow and animals live here that exist nowhere else. Many call the volcanic islands the "Galápagos of Europe". Large areas of the archipelago are under special protection. 146 nature reserves, including four national parks, seven UNESCO biosphere reserves and Europe's first whale sanctuary.

The five-part documentary series tells of fascinating natural spectacles, unique natural areas and the formation of the volcanic archipelago. Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote and Teide National Park on Tenerife are among the most spectacular volcanic landscapes in the world. The 2021 eruption of the volcano on La Palma was the longest and most destructive in Europe for 500 years. But it also represented a zero point in evolution. This is because new life is conquering its space on the resulting areas and adapting to new conditions.

Despite the small area, the islands have numerous microclimates ranging from deserts to subtropics to high mountains. Although the archipelago lies on the same longitude as the Sahara, the largest desert on earth, eternal spring prevails on the Canary Islands. This is due to the trade winds, which bring large amounts of moisture with them on their way across the Atlantic. Many endangered animal species are at home on the islands: Cory's shearwater, the Canarian camel, El Hierro giant lizard, the angelshark and the Egyptian vulture. 

Episodes
1. La Palma - The Galápagos of Europe
2. La Gomera and El Hierro - A Land Before Time
3. Tenerife - In the Realm of Fire
4. Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura - Of Woods, Wind and Water
5. Lanzarote - An Island from Another World