Although they differ significantly from each other, the Hawaiian and Canary Islands have some pretty common features.
This is the reason that prompted us to compare them.
Hawaii is the most popular archipelago in the U.S. and the Canaries – in Europe.
Both island groups enjoy year round nice weather, attract millions of tourists, and are of volcanic origin.
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1. Location
The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic, and are separated by only a hundred kilometers from the northwest coast of Africa.
They are rather close and easily accessible tourist destination, especially if you look through the eyes of European tourists.
The Hawaiian Islands are located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and are considered one of the most detached and remote corners of the planet.
2. Pure environment
Accidentally, or not, the Hawaiian and Canary Islands are quite similar in one very important feature.
Both places enjoy really clean air and environment.
Most tourists visiting the Canaries quickly notice that the levels of dust are really low here, and the freshness is palpable.
The Hawaiian Islands, in turn, are unrivaled.
Thousands of miles away from the nearest continent, they enjoy air that is hard to describe.
3. Area
The Hawaiian Islands occupy an area of 17,364 square kilometers.
The largest island in the archipelago, the island of Hawaii, occupies an area of 10,432 square kilometers and is much larger than all the Canary Islands together.
The Canaries occupy an area of 7,493 sq.km.
The area of the largest island of Tenerife is almost 2,034 sq.km.
4. Number of islands
The Hawaiian archipelago consists of 132 islands, 8 of which (the largest) are of volcanic origin.
The Canary Islands are only 13 and 7 of them are well-known.
Some of the islands are small and uninhabited.
5. Population
Although the area of the islands of Hawaii is twice that of the Canary Islands, the Canaries are much more populated.
They are home to about 2,118,000 inhabitants compared to 1,375,000 in Hawaii.
The population density of the Canaries is very high and this is obvious at first sight.
The largest city is the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu, whose population is about 340,000 inhabitants.
For comparison, the Canary Islands has two capitals.
The first one is called Las Palmas and has a population of about 400,000 people. The second one is Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
It is home to 230,000 residents and together with the neighboring town of La Laguna (150,000 inhabitants) it forms an urban area with a population of about 380,000.
6. Beaches
The Canary Islands have some very attractive beaches, but most of them are artificial.
Most of the natural beaches are black and often rocky.
Hawaii on the other hand, though also of volcanic origin, can boasts greater variety.
It also has some artificial, but also a great number of beautiful natural beaches with fine golden sands.
7. Climate
The Canaries and Hawaiian Islands enjoy a nice warm climate but other similarities are hard to find.
The weather in Hawaii is much more humid and warmer throughout the year.
The average daytime temperatures in Honolulu vary between 26 and 32°C throughout the year, while the average daytime temperature in Tenerife is between 21 and 29°C.
While the weather in Hawaii can be described as an eternal summer, the weather in the Canary Islands resembles rather an eternal spring.
One of the similarities between the islands of Hawaii and the Canaries is that both places have colder and rainier northern, and drier and sunnier southern slopes.
8. What Islands are considered to be the most attractive and beautiful?
If you choose to travel to Hawaii is good to know that Maui is considered the most beautiful and attractive island in the entire archipelago.
If you are planning, however, to spend your vacation in the Canaries, you have to know that the most popular here is considered the largest island of Tenerife, because it offers the greatest variety.
9. Crime
Although both places have low levels of crime, the Canary Islands are considered to be more safe and secure place.
This is true even when it comes to the largest cities of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In Hawaii, the situation is not much different, although there are places in Honolulu that it is better to be avoided.
10. Architecture
The architecture of the Canary and Hawaiian Islands differs considerably.
Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, is like any other American city with its skyscrapers and impressive skyline.
The largest cities in the Canary Islands, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz, are typically looking European cities with lower buildings, old architecture, charming squares and gardens.
11. What islands are considered to be the wildest?
The Island of Kauai is considered to be the wildest in the archipelago of Hawaii.
Its landscapes are spectacular, offering breathtaking gorges, gorgeous beaches and lush rain forests.
Although the Canary Islands are generally much more urbanized, there are also some really wild and untouched places.
The wildest is considered the island of El Hierro.
It offers indescribable tourist routes, passing through amazing ecologically clean areas.
The high-lying areas are covered with fresh and cool rainforests.
12. Nature
The islands of Hawaii are emerald green and covered with dense vegetation.
Deep-water and fast flowing rivers form spectacular waterfalls.
The mountain peaks of the Hawaiian Islands are often covered by clouds.
The Canaries are different.
In most low-lying coastal areas, for example, they are rather dry and semi-arid or covered with sparse vegetation.
The coastal areas are dominated by beige, brown and yellow colours.
The high-lying parts of the Canary Islands, however, are covered with dense vegetation and beautiful evergreen forests.
The highest volcanic peaks are often hidden behind a veil of clouds.
13. Ocean water temperature
The temperature of seawater around the coast of the islands of Hawaii is quite higher in comparison with the Canary Islands.
For example, the water temperature along the coast of Oahu varies between 24 and 27°C throughout the year.
Along the Canaries flows the cold Canary Current.
It keeps the water between 18 and 23°C.
14. Prices
The Canary Islands offer great opportunities for luxurious stay, but also endless possibilities for a very economical, affordable and yet exciting vacation.
The prices are reasonable compared to most places in Western Europe and the Mediterranean.
Hawaii itself is considered one of the most expensive states in the U.S. and one of the most desirable and sought after tourist destinations in the world, and for this reason the prices here are normally slightly higher.
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