If you have 5 days in Gran Canaria, you’re in for a treat! Beautiful beaches, small mountains, and lots of sun!
We’ll take you to the best sites and experiences on the island with our ideal itinerary for visiting Gran Canaria in 5 days, with accommodation in the south or north.
We’ve also included alternatives if you don’t want to drive or if you have special interests.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
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Gran Canaria in 5 days: what you need to know
General advice
- In Gran Canaria, year-round, the days are long enough to explore without difficulty.
- If it does rain, it never lasts long, and it’s not everywhere on the island. So get out there!
- The island is not very large, so it’s possible to cover large areas every day. With 5 days, you have to make choices, you can’t see everything, but you can still discover a lot!
- It’s a popular island, so we recommend that you visit certain places early so you can park and visit easily, such as Roque Nublo.
Do you need a car?
With 5 days, we strongly recommend renting a car. This allows you to:
- visit the most beautiful places before the tourists
- explore the most beautiful roads
- go a little off the beaten track
- more freedom to explore your favorite places
Don’t worry, the driving isn’t difficult apart from a few narrow, winding mountain roads. However, if you don’t want to drive, we suggest alternatives further down the article.
Find out more in our article: how to rent a car in Gran Canaria.
>> See car rental offers on our preferred platform
Gran Canaria: where to stay
Gran Canaria isn’t very big, so you can discover the whole island from a single location.
See all our selections:
WHERE TO STAY IN Gran Canaria
Our independent picks for the accommodation of your dreams:
- Where to stay in Gran Canaria
- Our favorite: Marina Suites Hotel
Select by hotel type:
- 5-star hotels
- Best boutique-hotels
- Best adults-only hotels (coming soon)
- Best all-inclusive hotels (coming soon)
- Best hotels for families
Select by city:
5-day itinerary in Gran Canaria: map
It’s not easy to make choices, but we’ve created our ideal itinerary for you in Gran Canaria.
It allows you to see a bit of every type of landscape, and visit all the most famous places.
The days are balanced as best we can, so as not to be too long or have too much time on the road.
Here’s a map of our ideal itinerary:
If you’re based in Maspalomas, here’s how much driving time you’ll need for each day:
- Day 1= 1h
- Day 2 = 2h45
- Day 3 = 3h30 with Artenera and Tejeda / 3h without Artenara
- Day 4 = 2h30 with the Fortaleza / 1h30 without the Fortaleza
- Day 5 = 2h35
Day 1 – Dolphins, Puerto de Mogan and dunes
Stop 1 – Dolphin cruise
Start gently, but with excitement: a boat trip to watch dolphins and whales and admire the island from the sea.
A large number of whales live around the Canary Islands, and you can see them all year round (although the species change). Observation is never guaranteed, but the chances are excellent
There are tours in catamarans, speedboats and more traditional boats. Departures are mainly from the port of Puerto Rico, but also from Puerto de Mogan, in the south of the island.
See boat tour options.
If you book it on the first day, you can always change to another day of your stay if conditions aren’t right.
Stop 2 – Exploring Puerto de Mogan and Little Venice
Then it’s on to Puerto de Mogan for several hours.
Tourists have nicknamed it Gran Canaria’s “Little Venice” because part of the town around the port has a few canals.
The atmosphere of this town is quite unique on the island. You can:
- stroll through the narrow streets with their white houses with coloured borders
- enjoy the beach
- visit the archaeological site of Canada de Los Gatos
- enjoy the restaurants and atmosphere in the evening
Find out more in our guide to Puerto de Mogan.
Stop 3 – Sunset at Maspalomas dunes and Meloneras lighthouse
End the day in Meloneras.
You can explore around the lighthouse, along the beach and lagoon and have fun in the Masplomas dunes.
They are even more beautiful at sunset, when their color turns orange.
A LITTLE MORE patience
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Day 2 – Agaete and archaeological sites
Stop 1 – Cenobio de Valeron
Of all the archaeological sites, Cenobio de Valeron is one of the most fascinating.
Perched on a rocky escarpment, it’s a spectacular collection of over 300 man-made caves. Built by the ancient Canaries over 800 years ago, this archaeological site fascinated us both for its size and its function.
These cavities, dug into the soft rock, served as collective granaries to store grain harvests and other foodstuffs, a vital function for the survival of the populations.
They are organized in terraces, demonstrating their know-how and ingenuity.
We loved this truly unique site (apart from the difficulty of parking).
Visit at opening time (10am), to make parking easier. Closed on Mondays.
Stop 2 – Galdar
Then off to the town of Galdar if you like art and archaeology.
It’s a pretty town with colorful houses (though not as beautiful as others). But its two main attractions may be of interest to you:
- the archaeological site of Cueva Pintada with its few remaining paintings
- the Antonio Padrón museum with several of his works and his studio
Find out more in our article on Galdar.
Stop 3 – Maipes
To continue the day’s theme, visit the Maipes archaeological site in the Agaete valley.
The Maipés Archaeological Park is an open-air sanctuary with superb views over the Agaete valley. Its 700 funerary structures bear witness to civilizations.
The partially reconstructed tumuli are imposing. They date back over 1300 years and were built from volcanic stone in a lava field.
This site offers a fascinating mix of historic sites and magnificent landscapes. We imagined what life would be like in this beautiful valley.
Closed Mondays. Find out more in our article on Maipes.
Stop 4 – Agaete and its natural pools
End the day in Agaete.
You can cool off in the magnificent natural pools of Agaete, and stroll along the seafront at Puerto de las Nieves. It’s a very relaxing spot overlooking the western cliffs.
Plan your visit with our article on Agaete.
Day 3 – Roque Nublo and the mountains
Today you’re going up into the mountains. We’ve listed the main stops, but you’ll also find other viewpoints along the way.
Stop 1 – Roque Nublo
Today, you’re going up into the mountains. It starts with an hour’s drive.
We recommend starting directly with the Roque Nublo hike (if you can walk). The parking lot is small, and fills up fast.
The hike will take between 1h and 1h30. It takes you to discover a volcanic rock at over 1800m altitude with magnificent views over the whole island.
Find out more about hiking.
Stop 2 – Mirador Pico de las Nieves
The mountains of Gran Canaria offer many beautiful viewpoints. With deep valleys, there are often beautiful views of the ridgelines opposite.
The best-known viewpoint is Pico Nieves
It stands at an altitude of 1949m, with breathtaking views of Roche Nubio and the island of Tenerife in the background. And even if the view isn’t unobstructed, the experience can be well worth it as it’s often above the sea of clouds!
On the other hand, you should know that it’s popular, but the parking lot isn’t very large. But as it’s just a point of view, people arrive and leave frequently.
Stop 3a – Tejeda
Next, we offer two villages. They’re both very different and very interesting. If you have the time, we recommend you visit both. If you have to choose, Tejeda is the most popular, but Artanera is our favorite.
Tejeda is an exceptional mountain village in terms of panoramic views. It really is a Balcon village with views over the valley and mountains. It’s right at the crossroads.
Stop 3b – Artenara (or both)
Artenara is the village of panoramic views. From the village, you can admire the valley dominated by Roque Nublo, which stands out perfectly against the blue sky.
These views inspired one of Spain’s most important writers, Miguel de Unamuno. One of the watchtowers is dedicated to him.
We really enjoyed taking in the different views and visiting the museums: troglodyte houses and a reconstruction of an archaeological site.
Day 4 – Agüimes and its barrancos
Stop 1 – Barranco de Vacas
If you’ve been dreaming of going to Utah to visit the canyons, but haven’t yet had the chance, check out the Barranco de Las Vacas, just outside Agüimes. The curves created by the water give you a tiny glimpse of the beauty of such landscapes.
If, on the other hand, you’ve already visited the canyons of Utah, you should know that it’s very small.
There’s very little parking, so we recommend you start here in the morning.
See our full article to find out how.
Stop 2 – Barranco de Guayadeque
Then discover another, very different valley. You can drive up the valley to admire the views. It’s also the starting point for several hikes.
At the beginning of the road is a large interpretation center that shows you how the aborigines lived in this valley. In our opinion, it’s one of the best museums on the subject, but you should know that it’s closed on Mondays.
Stop 3 – Agüimes
Agüimes is truly our favorite spot on Gran Canaria.
We loved the maze of alleyways. The houses in the old center are made of stone and covered with lime. We found the city very photogenic.
What’s more, you can go camel-hunting – a surprising statue in the heart of these alleys – for a fun photo opportunity.
Find out more in our article on Agüimes.
Stop 4 – La Fortaleza de Ansite option
It’s already been a busy day, but if you feel like seeing more, you can combine it with the next route, Gran Canaria-65, one of Gran Canaria’s most beautiful. It takes you to two places:
- Mirador el Guriete with a magnificent view of the canyon
- La Fortaleza, an exceptional archaeological and natural site with a through cave in a rocky outcrop (wear good shoes).
Day 5 – Las Palmas
Stop 1 – La Veguta district
We end your vacation with the magnificent capital of Gran Canaria.
Las Palmas has very distinct neighborhoods. We start in the old town.
The Vegueta district in the south of Las Palmas is the historic heart of the capital. This 15th-century heart of the city is home to numerous monuments, including the Canary Cathedral and the Casa de Colón. We loved wandering through the narrow streets with their colorful buildings and history-laden colonial houses. You’ll feel the soul of Las Palmas and enjoy the city’s rich culture.
See our full article on Las Palmas.
Stop 2 – Cathedral
Don’t miss the Gothic-style Cathedral of Santa Ana, with its twin towers and ornate facade. This place of worship fascinated us above all for its grandiose, heterogeneous architecture, a symbol of several eras. You’ll notice that the building has 3 naves and 11 chapels. Carved wooden choir stalls, baroque organ, numerous side chapels with remarkable works of art… The icing on the cake: the sublime view of the city from the top of the tower!
Stop 3 – A Las Palmas museum
Then, depending on your interests, you can choose to visit one of the city’s other museums:
- The Casa de Colón house museum, in a sublime colonial building
- Poema del Mar Aquarium, the largest in Europe
- The Museo Canario on the history of the Canaries
- The Atlantic Center for Modern Art (CAAM)
- Castillo de la Luz
- …
See our list of the best museums in Las Palmas.
Stop 4, 5… – small towns and villages
In the afternoon, climb up to see the villages and towns of the north. Find out more:
- Arucas, with its impressive cathedral and charming pedestrian center
- Firgas and its stepped, tiled fountain
- Teror and its colourful historic center
Alternative days
For more ideas, take a look at our one-week or 10-day itineraries. This will suggest different days or half-days.
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5 days in Gran Canaria without a car
If you prefer not to rent a car, we recommend staying in the southern seaside resorts of Maspalomas, Puerto Rico or Puerto de Mogan.
You can then alternate beach days with guided tours.
For example, we recommend
- A speedboat trip to watch dolphins and enjoy water sports – see program and availability.
- A guided tour of the Barranco de Las Vacas ravine and the village of Agüimes – see program and availability.
- The emblematic Roque Nublo island rock and the magnificent Pico de las Nieves viewpoint – see program and availability.
See our favorite list of Gran Canaria excursions (coming soon).
Alternatives for families
Gran Canaria also offers a good choice of theme parks for families:
- Aqualand Maspalomas, the big water park – book your skip-the-line tickets
- Holiday World Woodland, for thrill rides – reserve your tickets
- Angry Birds Park, with games for younger children – book your tickets now!
- Palmitos Park, the zoo – book your tickets
- Sioux City, for Western fans
- Lago Taurito, the world’s smallest water park – book your tickets now!
To find out more, see our article on Gran Canaria’s best theme parks (coming soon).
Alternative activities for sporty types
And if you want to get out into nature instead of visiting villages, museums or archaeological sites, you can replace half-days with outdoor activities!
- Do more hiking, like the one at Gui-Gui beach
- Diving
- Kayaking in the Mogan caves
- Snorkeling
- Canyoning
- Horseback riding
- Via Ferrata
- Coasteering
- …
Frequently asked questions and tips
Are 5 days enough in Gran Canaria?
The island of Gran Canaria offers a variety of landscapes. There are lots of different places to see and visit. With just 5 days, you can see all of Gran Canaria’s most famous sights. But you can’t explore everything!
Find out more in our article on how long to stay in Gran Canaria.
What’s the best time of year to visit Gran Canaria in 5 days?
Whatever the length of your stay, Gran Canaria offers excellent conditions all year round. Our favorite months are September and October, when it’s less crowded and the water is warm for swimming.
Find out more in our article on when to go to Gran Canaria.
What to bring for 5 days in Gran Canaria
We advise you to take:
- comfortable walking shoes,
- sunscreen,
- a bathing suit,
- a small jacket to adapt to the weather (in the evening) and changes in altitude.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Gran Canaria
- Best of
Best things to do in Gran Canaria
Most beautiful landscapes
Most beautiful towns and villages
Most beautiful beaches
Best natural pools
Archaeological sites
Best museums
Best boat tours (coming soon)
Secret places, off the beaten track
- Practical advice
25 tips for a successful trip to Gran Canaria
When to go?
How to get around
How to rent a car in Gran Canaria
Driving tips
Best excursions (coming soon)
Itineraries: 3 days – 4 days – 5 days – 6 days – 7 days – 10 days
- The must-dos
Las Palmas and its historic center
Dolphin watching in Gran Canaria (coming soon)
Maspalomas dunes
Puerto de Mogan (Little Venice)
Agaete and its natural pools
The magnificent town of Agüimes
