Last updated: 12 January 2025
When you are going on a trip to the Canary Islands, be sure to pack the appropriate travel plug adapter that fits the local sockets. But what do those electrical outlets look like? In the Canary Islands, types C and F are the official standards. The Canary Islands are an autonomous community of Spain and they have – of course – standardized on the same plug and socket system as the rest of Spain.
Just like the rest of Europe, the voltage in the Canary Islands is 230 volts and the frequency is 50 Hz.
Obsolete type C Bakelite wall socket (1950s)
All of Spain’s autonomous communities (including the Canary Islands) have standardized on type F sockets and plugs. Type C and type E plugs can also be used thanks to their compatibility with type F sockets.
Typically, type C plug sockets are not allowed to be installed in the Canary Islands: these outlets are not earthed and are therefore considered dangerous. Only type F power points are permitted because they are grounded and therefore significantly safer.
The only (and rare) exception to this rule is that an old type C outlet should be replaced by a new one. After all, if you hook up a grounded wall outlet (i.e. type F) on a two-wire circuit, the socket will not be grounded, but people will get the wrong impression that it is actually grounded. No need to say, this would be a potentially dangerous situation.
Nowadays, however, type C receptacles are not frequently installed anymore, since older properties are almost always completely rewired when they are renovated or significantly altered.
