Gran Canaria

Across mountains, marinas and the Atlantic coast, things to do in Gran Canaria divide cleanly into five categories.

🏞️ Nature & Outdoor Activities

Hike the 1.5km trail to Roque Nublo (Tejeda) — an 80m volcanic monolith standing at 1,813m above sea level.

Reach the Pico de las Nieves viewpoint (San Bartolomé de Tirajana) — on clear days you'll see Mount Teide on Tenerife across the water.

Walk the rim of the Caldera de Bandama (Santa Brígida) — a 1km-wide volcanic crater 200m deep.

Drive the Tamadaba Natural Park loop (Artenara) — Canarian pine forest perched 1,400m directly above the Atlantic.

See the rainbow strata of Los Azulejos de Veneguera (Mogán) — copper and turquoise mineral seams in the cliff face.

🏖️ Beaches

Playa de Maspalomas (Maspalomas) — 6km of pale Saharan-style sand backed by protected dunes.

Las Canteras (Las Palmas) — a 3km city beach with a natural reef calming the swell for swimming.

Playa de Amadores (Puerto Rico) — an 800m sheltered cove with shallow turquoise water suited to toddlers.

Anfi del Mar (Arguineguín) — Caribbean-imported sand and a heart-shaped artificial island offshore.

Playa de Güigüí (La Aldea de San Nicolás) — black volcanic sand reached only by boat or a four-hour cliffside hike.

🍽️ Food & Drink

Order papas arrugadas con mojo (wrinkled potatoes with red and green pepper sauce) at Restaurante Tagoror (Barranco de Guayadeque), built into a basalt cave wall.

Browse fresh tuna and limpets at the Mercado del Puerto (Las Palmas), the city's wrought-iron 19th-century market hall.

Sip locally distilled ron miel Artemi rum-honey liqueur at the harbour terraces of Puerto de Mogán.

Eat freshly grilled vieja (parrotfish) at the seafront restaurants of Puerto de las Nieves (Agaete).

🎉 Nightlife & Entertainment

The Yumbo Centre (Playa del Inglés) — a multi-level plaza that becomes the south's nightlife heart after dark, with the Canaries' largest LGBTQ+ scene.

Carnival galas and live concerts at the ExpoMeloneras Auditorium (Meloneras), peaking in February and March.

The bar-lined Calle Triana (Las Palmas) — the capital's pedestrianised tapas and shopping spine.

Family entertainment at Holiday World Maspalomas (San Agustín) — a fairground open well past midnight in summer.

📸 Instagram-Worthy Spots

Mirador del Balcón (La Aldea de San Nicolás) — a steel platform jutting over a 600m Atlantic cliff drop.

Cueva Pintada (Gáldar) — pre-Hispanic indigenous cave paintings under a glass-roofed museum.

Catedral de Santa Ana (Vegueta) — climb the south tower for the best old-town rooftop view.

Jardín Canario (Tafira Alta) — Spain's largest botanical garden, draped over a ravine with native dragon trees.

Best Value Deals

🌴 All-Inclusive Holidays

Gran Canaria has one of Europe's deepest inventories of beachfront all-inclusive resorts, particularly along the south at San Agustín, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras. A week with UK flights typically starts from £429pp in May and October shoulder season, climbing to £899pp at February half-term. Lopesan Costa Meloneras and the IFA buffet-style hotels remain the most-booked UK options.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Holidays

The south coast was engineered for family holidays from the late 1960s onward. Shallow water at Playa de Anfi suits toddlers, while Aqualand Maspalomas, Sioux City western park and Palmitos Park bird and orchid gardens entertain older children. Lopesan Baobab Resort in Meloneras, themed on an African savannah with twin lagoon pools, is a perennial UK favourite for school-holiday weeks.

✨ Luxury Holidays

Five-star inventory clusters around Meloneras and Maspalomas. Seaside Palm Beach, designed by Alberto Pinto with peacocks roaming the lobby gardens, holds Leading Hotels of the World status. Bohemia Suites & Spa is the leading adults-only address, 800m from Playa del Inglés. Gloria Palace Royal in Amadores adds thalassotherapy treatments looking over the cliffs.

⏰ Last-Minute Deals

Genuine late bargains are uncommon during UK half-terms and the Christmas-to-February window — Gran Canaria fills early with the European winter-sun crowd. The strongest discounts surface in mid-May to mid-June and from late September into October, when southern resorts have remaining bed nights and prices can fall 25–30% inside the four-week window.

Why book with us:

Low deposits from £49pp

Flexible payment plans with balance due 6 weeks before travel

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Free amendment window on selected packages

UK-based customer support, 8am–11pm every day

📅 Best Time to Visit Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria's calling card is its near-flat year-round climate, but there are still patterns. The peak UK season runs December to March, when southern resorts enjoy 21–24°C days and book out fastest. April to June and October to November are the value-strong shoulder months — temperatures of 22–26°C, fewer crowds and noticeably cheaper hotels. July and August push to 28–30°C with occasional calima Saharan dust hazes. The northern coast around Las Palmas typically sits 3–4°C cooler and cloudier than Maspalomas; the south stays sunnier under the trade-wind cloud line.

🏨 Where to Stay

Families: Lopesan Baobab Resort (Meloneras), IFA Faro Maspalomas (Maspalomas)

Couples: Cordial Mogán Playa (Puerto de Mogán), Bohemia Suites & Spa (Playa del Inglés)

Luxury seekers: Seaside Palm Beach (Maspalomas), Lopesan Costa Meloneras (Meloneras)

First-timers & nightlife: Riu Don Miguel (Playa del Inglés), Servatur Waikiki (Playa del Inglés)

Walkers: Hotel Rural Las Tirajanas (San Bartolomé), Parador de Cruz de Tejeda (Tejeda)

🚗 Getting Around

Gran Canaria is small enough — 50km north-to-south — to cover comfortably by hire car. Cicar and PlusCar are reliable local firms, with weekly rates from €130 booked ahead. Global runs the public bus network, and the GC1 motorway connects Las Palmas (LPA) airport to Maspalomas in 45 minutes (€33 by taxi). Inter-island ferries run from Agaete to Tenerife on the Fred Olsen Express (80 minutes, from €40 single) and from Las Palmas to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura with Naviera Armas.

💡 Travel Tips

The southern resorts are reliably sunnier than the north — book Maspalomas/Meloneras for guaranteed beach weather, Las Palmas for atmosphere and food.

Tipping isn't expected, but rounding up or adding 5–10% in restaurants is appreciated.

Tap water is technically safe but heavily desalinated; most locals drink bottled.

Plug type is European C/F at 230V — pack a UK adapter.

The Canary Islands run on WET (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — same time zone as the UK year-round.

IGIC sales tax in the Canaries is 7%, far lower than mainland Spain's 21% — perfumes, electronics and spirits are noticeably cheaper.