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Language

Castilian Spanish is spoken throughout the Canary Islands, although in most resorts and large hotels there are English and German speakers. Those who travel to remote rural parts will need at least a few basic phrases of Spanish. Anyone with any proficiency in Spanish will quickly realise that the Canarios have their own accent and colloquialisms; for instance, the letter ‘s’ often vanishes from the middle or end of words, to be replaced by a gentle ‘h’, or even a completely soundless gap. Listen very carefully to distinguish between ‘La Palma ’ (the island) and ‘Las Palmas ’ (the city). The latter becomes ‘Lah Palmah ’. A bus is referred to as an autobus in Spain, but as a guagua throughout the Canary Islands. Some natives may sieze the opportunity to practice their English with you, while others may be puzzled by your accent. No matter how bad you think you sound, you will not be the worst they’ve heard!

A basic glossary of useful topographical words for walkers is provided in Appendix B.