The human colonization of the Canary Islands represents the only known expansion of Berber communities into the Atlantic Ocean and is an example of marine dispersal by an African population. While similar to other island colonizations, the chronology of the first human settlement remains disputed due to differing estimates of the timing of colonization. This uncertainty has led to divergent hypotheses about the motivations behind early settlement, such as ecological or demographic factors. The study presents a comprehensive dataset of reliable radiocarbon dates used to build Bayesian models of colonization. The findings suggest that the Romans likely discovered the islands around the 1st century BCE, Berber groups from western North Africa first set foot on one of the islands between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE, and Roman and Berber societies did not live simultaneously in the Canary Islands. The Berber people rapidly spread throughout the archipelago. The colonization of the Canary Islands is a rare example of marine migration by Berber communities. The islands represent the westernmost limits of the Ancient Mediterranean "farming package," as the first settlers brought domesticated plants and animals from the mainland. This human-mediated translocation of domesticates transformed diverse island ecologies into more habitable landscapes. Research in other regions has shown that advances in maritime technology and the translocation of domesticates facilitated successful island colonization. Farming played a key role in the sustained occupation of offshore African islands. The colonization of the Canary Islands is linked to the movement of Berber populations from North Africa. Archaeological research has not explored connections between the coastal populations of northwestern Africa and the Canary Islands. This oversight is largely due to traditional narratives that associate the colonization of these islands with the long-distance explorations by Punic or Roman peoples. The Late Holocene witnessed significant developments in sailing technology that enabled the colonization of oceanic islands. These technological advancements fostered interconnectivity between regions. However, there are few ethnohistorical descriptions providing evidence of the Indigenous Canarian population having navigation skills. The study uses Bayesian statistical modeling and chronometric hygiene protocols to improve the accuracy of the radiocarbon dataset. The results suggest that the first human presence in the Canary Islands was the Roman occupation of the Islet of Lobos between 315 cal BCE and 15 cal CE. This represents the westernmost limit of the Roman presence in antiquity. The findings also suggest that Berber populations permanently settled the islands between the 1st and 4th centuries CE, leading to a rapid and complete colonization of the archipelago. The study highlights the coastal dynamics of northwestern African societies during the Late Holocene, revealing how the islands were colonized and contributing to our understanding of African farming communities. The colonization of the Canary Islands is a unique case as it represents the only offshore African islands colonized by populations bringing the Mediterranean Neolithic domestic package. The Berber colonization of the Canary Islands was a rapid process, taking around 200 years. The studyThe human colonization of the Canary Islands represents the only known expansion of Berber communities into the Atlantic Ocean and is an example of marine dispersal by an African population. While similar to other island colonizations, the chronology of the first human settlement remains disputed due to differing estimates of the timing of colonization. This uncertainty has led to divergent hypotheses about the motivations behind early settlement, such as ecological or demographic factors. The study presents a comprehensive dataset of reliable radiocarbon dates used to build Bayesian models of colonization. The findings suggest that the Romans likely discovered the islands around the 1st century BCE, Berber groups from western North Africa first set foot on one of the islands between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE, and Roman and Berber societies did not live simultaneously in the Canary Islands. The Berber people rapidly spread throughout the archipelago. The colonization of the Canary Islands is a rare example of marine migration by Berber communities. The islands represent the westernmost limits of the Ancient Mediterranean "farming package," as the first settlers brought domesticated plants and animals from the mainland. This human-mediated translocation of domesticates transformed diverse island ecologies into more habitable landscapes. Research in other regions has shown that advances in maritime technology and the translocation of domesticates facilitated successful island colonization. Farming played a key role in the sustained occupation of offshore African islands. The colonization of the Canary Islands is linked to the movement of Berber populations from North Africa. Archaeological research has not explored connections between the coastal populations of northwestern Africa and the Canary Islands. This oversight is largely due to traditional narratives that associate the colonization of these islands with the long-distance explorations by Punic or Roman peoples. The Late Holocene witnessed significant developments in sailing technology that enabled the colonization of oceanic islands. These technological advancements fostered interconnectivity between regions. However, there are few ethnohistorical descriptions providing evidence of the Indigenous Canarian population having navigation skills. The study uses Bayesian statistical modeling and chronometric hygiene protocols to improve the accuracy of the radiocarbon dataset. The results suggest that the first human presence in the Canary Islands was the Roman occupation of the Islet of Lobos between 315 cal BCE and 15 cal CE. This represents the westernmost limit of the Roman presence in antiquity. The findings also suggest that Berber populations permanently settled the islands between the 1st and 4th centuries CE, leading to a rapid and complete colonization of the archipelago. The study highlights the coastal dynamics of northwestern African societies during the Late Holocene, revealing how the islands were colonized and contributing to our understanding of African farming communities. The colonization of the Canary Islands is a unique case as it represents the only offshore African islands colonized by populations bringing the Mediterranean Neolithic domestic package. The Berber colonization of the Canary Islands was a rapid process, taking around 200 years. The study