The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald sees singer/travel presenter Jane on an island-hopping journey across the Canary Islands to discover the hidden treasures each destination has to offer. She’ll explore Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, checking out the islands’ tourist sights, dishing out some insider secrets and tasting the flavours of the Canaries on our behalf.
So here’s everything you need know about the Channel 5 series The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald…
The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald release date
The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald is a four-part travel series that starts on Friday January 5 2024 at 8pm on Channel 5.
Destinations and what happens in The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald will island-hop across the Canary Islands which lie in the Atlantic ocean just off the coast of north Africa. Her adventure starts in Tenerife where she snoops around and visits the island's top sights plus she'll be going off the beaten track. Later in the series she’ll journey to Gran Canaria, where she walks across the dunes, rides a jet ski and parties at a cabaret club. Then it’s off to Fuertaventura to help clean the beach and try out yoga with a difference, before heading to Lanzarote to explore its caves and make pottery.
* Read our episode guide below for more about each destination...
The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald episode guide
Here's our guide to The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald which we'll be updating as the series progresses...
Episode 1: Tenerife
Jane takes a cable car ride up Mount Teide before trying out some local dishes at a traditional Canarian restaurant. She also visits a banana plantation, where she samples banana wine and banana jam. Jane visits the beautiful old town of La Oratava then learns how to make baskets from palm leaves on the neighbouring island of La Gomera.
Episode 2: Gran Canaria
Jane travels 70 miles southeast of her starting point in Tenerife to check out the beaches, nightlife and picturesque towns of Gran Canaria. "That’s the great thing about the Canaries, they’re all so different," she says. "In Gran Canaria, you’ll find different climates and temperatures which is why they call it the mini continent, rugged and off-road up north and a beach lover’s paradise down south."
Jane explores the island’s famous 1000-acre sand dunes, where she meets one of the area’s renowned sand sculptors, then ventures up north to see the beautiful town of Firgas, which boasts its own natural spring water, salt-water pools, streets covered in mosaics and a waterfall in the centre of town. She also enjoys tapas made entirely from locally-grown watercress, accompanied by watercress bread, before heading back down to the south of the island where she tries her hand at jet-skiing and enjoys a fun night out at drag club Ricky’s!
"I’ve had a fabulous time in Gran Canaria," she says. "It’s a very welcoming island, full of lively locals and sunny sand dunes and fun things to do. I’ve loved every minute.’"
Episode 3: Fuertaventura
As she works her way around the Canary Islands, Jane McDonald heads to Fuerteventura, known for its long stretches of pristine sand and unique herb-flavoured goat’s cheese. As Jane relaxes with some poolside yoga, there’s a surprise when she realises she’s booked a naked session and must decide whether she dares to bare! "I can see why people would want to do it because it’s very freeing and if I was going to wear my birthday suit it would certainly be here in the warm Canarian sunshine," she says. "But I’m keeping my cossie on." Instead of naked yoga Jane opts for a special mindfulness session with horses. She must free her mind and allow the horse to come to her whenever it chooses. And when it does, it leaves her feeling unexpectedly emotional. "I can’t explain how your soul connects with an animal like that," says Jane. "It’s just you, the animal and total peace." Jane also explores the island’s beaches and takes a day trip to Los Lobos, a stunning island off the northern tip of Fuerteventura that only allows access to 400 people a day. "All the islands are different but I love Fuerteventura,’ says Jane. ‘I could live here and I know I’ll be back one day."
Episode 4: Lanzarote
On the last leg of her trip around the Canary Islands, Jane McDonald heads to Lanzarote, somewhere that has long been on her bucket-list. And to get a feel of the island’s history she tries out some of its celebrated traditions, such as playing an instrument called a timple, making pottery and having a go at pole fighting in the beautiful town of Teguise.
"It’s like a dance," says Jane, as she tackles her opponent with a long stick. "It’s a good way to engage the body and the mind. But it’s hard work."
Jane checks out Lanzarote’s beauty spots, including the arts centre built by artist Cesar Manrique inside a volcanic tunnel, and tastes some unique wine produced in volcanic fields. She also samples some delicious barbecued chicken, cooked using the heat from the earth’s core.
"This is Mother Nature at its finest," she says, as jets of water at 400 degree-temperatures fire out of the ground. "Planet Earth is one big kettle, constantly on the boil."
But then it’s onto one of the island’s more recent attractions, searching for a teaspoon buried into Playa Blanca’s concrete streets. "Local legend says the mysterious spoon has been trapped in Playa Blanca’s pavement for over 40 years," says Jane. "But I am Indiana Jane, and I will find it. I’m so glad I managed to finally experience Lanzarote’s unique delights. From its lava-laid landscapes to its people and culture and the warmest of welcomes. It’s truly been a little island of happiness."
Is there a trailer for The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald?
No trailer has been released by Channel 5 for The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald, but here's a clip below of Jane revealing more about the series on This Morning....
All about Jane McDonald
Down-to-earth singer Jane McDonald won an army of fans when she appeared on the 1998 show The Cruise, which followed the staff on a luxury ship. Shortly afterwards she released her first album, titled Jane McDonald, and she has since made nine more, plus four compilation albums and a live recording. In 2004 Jane became a presenter on Loose Women and in 2017 she fronted her first travel show Cruising with Jane McDonald, which spawned eight series covering everywhere from Alaska to the Caribbean. She has also presented Jane McDonald: Lost in Japan, Jane & Friends, Holidaying with Jane McDonald, Jane McDonald’s Caribbean and Jane McDonald: My Yorkshire. Jane features on Celebrity Googlebox and narrated Celebrity Five Go To… She also played herself in the TV movie Death on the Tyne.
