Spain’s Secret Islands
GettyLa Gomera
Most visitors to the Canary Islands—that sunny archipelago flung 62 miles off the African coast—flock to Gran Canaria or Tenerife, perennially packed islands overrun with chain-brand resorts and selfie stick-wielding tourists. Sidestep the crowds by ferrying from Tenerife to La Gomera, whose cragged coastline and steep, jungle-like interior offer unspoiled tropical serenity. Keep your ears open as you explore the island’s well-marked trails: The geography here is so precipitous that for millennia, locals have conversed between mountaintops using a pre-Columbian, UNESCO-protected whistled language called Silbo.
GettyFormentera
The smallest and least-known of the Balearic Islands, popular among nudists and back-to-nature types, Formentera is the archipelago’s last major frontier for tourism. With neither an airport nor a dock for cruise ships, the wishbone-shaped island sees a fraction of the visitors of its neighbors—and Spaniards hope it stays that way. There are a handful of worthwhile cultural sites here, like the clifftop Es Cap de Barbaria lighthouse and pocket-size Ethnological Museum, but Formentera’s beaches (choose Illetes, Llevant, or Migjorn) are its main draw for their turquoise, Caribbean-esque surf and blindingly white sand.
GettyLanzarote
The Canary Islands received more than 20 million visitors in 2017, but only one in five opted for Lanzarote. The island’s low profile and otherworldly volcanic landscapes have made it a prime hideaway for vacationing celebrities past and present, from Rita Hayworth to Omar Sharif to Justin Bieber. But for those of us who can’t afford $6.1 million villas, there are plenty of high-end hotels and resorts to choose from; the newly refurbished Iberostar Lanzarote Park, whose adults-only areas ensure constant calm, is an excellent home base for jaunts to the island’s main attractions, including a volcano-top restaurant, black-sand vineyards, and Europe’s only underwater museum.
GettyLa Graciosa
La Graciosa (population: 746) is Lanzarote’s very own secret island, located three miles from its northern tip. There are no paved roads here, just sandy lanes plied by rentable Range Rovers and sturdy mountain bikes. Hike (or bike) up island from the port village of Caleta del Sebo, and get lost among the wild sand dunes and solitary beaches. After you’ve worked up an appetite, snag a patio table at Enriqueta, the island’s only non-touristy restaurant, a couple blocks inland from the main port, and rub shoulders with locals as you tuck into char-grilled seafood topped with mojo verde, a bright Canarian sauce packed with cilantro, garlic, and green chiles. No Spanish? No problem: The waitstaff will happily make recommendations in English.
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GettyEl Hierro
El Hierro, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve on track to become the most energy-efficient island in the world, is the smallest and sleepiest of the main islands in the Canaries. With more miles of hiking trails than roads, the island is filled with barren lava fields, undulating sand dunes, and dense subtropical forests. El Hierro’s equally magnificent seascape attracts in-the-know divers from around the world with its year-round warm temperatures and shimmering shoals of tropical fish: Slip on some scuba gear (with the help of diving school Centro de Buceo El Hierro, if you’re a newbie) to take in the best of the island’s vivid reefs and peculiar underwater lava formations.
GettyIslas Cíes
Spain’s most pristine white-sand beaches aren’t found along the Mediterranean, but in the northwesterly region of Galicia. Here, an hour out to sea from the town of Vigo, lie the Islas Cíes, a three-island nature reserve with just three year-round inhabitants. Call the Cíes the Spanish Galápagos: There are no hotels, restaurants, or cars in sight—just swooping seabirds, mossy slopes, and lapping waves. Though most visitors come only for the day, outdoorsy types shouldn’t pass up camping on the dunes. Just be sure to book ahead—when the warm weather rolls around, limited spots fill up fast.
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GettyOns
In its heyday, Ons, a three-mile-long island off the coast of northwest Spain, was home to a vibrant fishing community of more than 500 people. Today, that number hovers around 100, but a healthy influx of day-trippers from mainland Galicia and beyond helps compensate for the lack of permanent residents. Like the neighboring Islas Cíes, Ons is known for its fine-sand beaches; skip the mobbed tourist favorite, Canexol, for the more laid-back Playa de Melide. No visit to the island is complete without sampling Ons-style octopus, a local delicacy, braised in paprika-laced garlic sauce and served steaming on wooden slabs. Casa Checho, a seaside tavern in the tiny town of O Curro, serves an especially notable rendition.
AlamyCabrera
Cabrera is where Mallorcans go to unwind when there’s trouble—or simply too many tourists—in paradise. But visitors to this scrubby, uninhabited islet six miles south of Mallorca weren’t always so tame: Previous denizens have included Berber pirates, French prisoners of war, Spanish soldiers, and misbehaving monks. Aside from a crumbling 14th-century castle and a far-flung lighthouse (a four-hour hike from the harbor), the human footprint here is next to nil. Keep your eyes peeled for rare wildlife such as the Balearic shearwater and Lilford’s wall lizard. Note to prospective overnighters: There are only 12 beds on the island (available in the no-frills Cabrera Hostel), and they fill up quickly.