The Largest Islands Of Spain By Size

The Spanish islands can be grouped into two major regions - the Canary Islands located in the Atlantic Ocean and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The latter covers an area of 5,000 square km and is 80 km off the coast of central-eastern Spain. The Canary Islands, on the other hand, are closer to the coast of Africa and are of volcanic origin.

The Largest Islands Of Spain

1. Majorca/Mallorca

The island of Majorca is Spain’s largest island by size and the second largest by population. The size of the island is 3,620.42 square km. It is located in the archipelago of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Palma is the capital of Majorca. The island is extremely popular among tourists with UK and Germany being the top tourist sources for the island. The international Palma de Mallorca Airport located in Majorca is one of the busiest airports in Spain.

2. Tenerife

Tenerife is the second largest Spanish island by area and the most populated one. It is a member of the seven Canary Islands. The island spans an area of 2,034.38 square km. The Tenerife island is a popular tourist destination and the economic hub of the Canary Islands. It hosts two airports, the Tenerife South and the Tenerife North airports. The island hosts one of the largest carnivals in the world. It is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Teide National Park which hosts the world’s third largest volcano, the Teide. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the Macizo de Anaga that houses the highest number of endemic species on the continent, is also part of the Tenerife Island.

3. Fuerteventura

The island of Fuerteventura that covers an area of 1,659.74 square km is the third largest island of Spain. It is also one of the Canary Islands and is located in the Atlantic Ocean. Puerto del Rosario serves as the capital of the island which has been designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2009.

4. Gran Canaria

The fourth largest island in Spain, the Gran Canaria, covers an area of 1,560.10 square km. It is also one of the seven Canary Islands and is the second most populous of these islands after Tenerife. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the capital city of this island.

5. Lanzarote

The Lanzarote island in the Canary Islands archipelago is Spain’s fifth biggest island. It is the easternmost island in the archipelago and is located about 125 km away from Africa’s coast. It is the third most populated island in the archipelago. Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote.