The Canary Islands are an autonomous community of Spain, but geographically, they lie closer to Africa, just 75 miles off the coast of Morocco. Originally inhabited by the Berbers, the islands were conquered in the 15th century by the Spanish, who saw their location in the Atlantic as fundamental to trade. The scenic archipelago was rediscovered in the 1950s and ’60s as a tourist destination, and today, the “Hawaii of Europe” is a popular vacation spot for Brits and Germans, who enjoy wintertime sun amid beautiful beaches, fairy-tale forests and dramatic volcanic landscapes. It remains, however, relatively obscure to most Americans. Of the eight islands, Tenerife and Gran Canaria are the biggest, but others, like Lanzarote, with its renowned vineyards and art and architecture by César Manrique, and Fuerteventura, with its paradisiacal beaches, are gaining in popularity.