PADDING through the sand after a swim in the turquoise Aegean, I headed towards a traditionallydressed Turkish woman making pide.

A DEAFENING chorus of birdsong filled the air as we clambered up bamboo staircases and across wooden bridges. Once up there, we were greeted with a view across treetops populated by more than 120 varieties of brightly coloured birds.

CANDY-STRIPED ribbons soared in the warm breeze across a clear Fuerteventura blue sky.

Design is the only low-impact thing about the island’s latest family attraction. We find Siam Park’s rides and exotic marine life awaken the inner child…

Popular though they are, the Canaries aren’t always first choice for a relaxing, sophisticated sunshine break – but things are changing.

There is much more to the largest Canary Island than English-style pubs and teaming beach resorts.

IN SEARCH of a holiday with a relaxing pace, Janis Buckland discovers the joys of pampering in the sun at a spa resort on the island’s south coast.

THE last I heard of Tenerife, Big Bro’s Charley Uchea was being thrown out of a club in Playa de las Americas. If she was the sort of celeb the island attracted nowadays, I was in big trouble, writes LEIGH PURVES.

If you’re desperate to escape the British weather, the much-maligned Canary Islands offer exotic landscapes, guaranteed warmth and great beaches.

LANZAROTE certainly is an island full of surprises.