We went all around the island and visited a large number of beaches: fine white, golden or black sand, turquoise waters… We found many beautiful resort beaches, but also some wild beaches to share with you.
It was a tough selection, but here’s our list of Gran Canaria’s most beautiful beaches, with our own photos – and a map to help you plan!
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Content
Gran Canaria’s best beaches: map
Map
Here’s a map of the beaches listed in this article, to help you find your way around:
Where to go in Gran Canaria for the best beaches
Enjoying the island’s beautiful beaches is one of the main attractions. The resorts with the best beaches for sunbathing are on the island’s south coast: Maspalomas (Meloneras and Playa del Ingles), Puerto Rico, Amadores, Puerto de Mogan…
1. Playa de Maspolamas
Why we love it
It’s hard not to love Maspalomas beach: a huge expanse of sand where everyone can find a little spot or take a long walk with their fingers in the sand. You’ve got 6km to enjoy!
The beach starts at the famous Maspalomas lighthouse and continues along the magnificent sand dunes.
We highly recommend a visit at sunset to make the most of the colors.
Access and useful information
- City: Maspalomas
- On the island’s south coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 25min drive
- From Las Palmas: 50 min drive
- If you park in Meloneras, you have to walk a little to reach the seafront and then a little further to reach the sand.
- Some areas are guarded
- Showers, sun loungers
- City-side restaurants
See our article on Playa de Maspalomas.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Gran Canaria
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- If you’re planning to explore the mountains, don ‘t take the smallest cars. A more powerful engine will be more comfortable.
- But don’t take too big a car either, as some roads are narrow.
- There’s a lot of demand and it’s an island, so book early.
2. Playa de Amadores
Why we love it
Playa de Amadores has fine sand, a beautiful cove shape, turquoise waters and few buildings on the front of the beach.
We liked the feeling of space, even though the beach isn’t 6km long here.
This beach is ideal for families, as the two dikes create a calm environment for swimming and playing in the water. And there’s also an inflatable play area at one end of the beach, sure to please young and old alike.
Access and useful information
- City: Playa de Amadores, Puerto Rico
- On the island’s south coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 20 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 15 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h drive
- Parking nearby, but fills up quickly
- Sand with a few rocks
- Supervised swimming
- Toilets, showers, sun loungers
- Restaurants, children’s games, water games
See our article on Playa Amadores.
3. Playa de Puerto de Mogan
Why we love it
Puerto de Mogan is a beautiful cove of fine golden sand surrounded by cliffs.
It’s right next to Gran Canaria’s “Little Venice”. It’s an ideal place to spend a day or an entire holiday.
The access slope to the water is gentle, ideal for families. And there are kayak and pedal-boat rentals for couples and families.
The beach is also protected by sea walls, making its calm waters ideal for swimming.
Access and practical info
- City of Puerto de Mogan
- On the island’s south coast
- From Maspalomas: 25 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h10 drive
- There is a large underground parking lot close to the beach.
- Fine sand
- Supervised beach
- Toilets, showers, sun loungers
- Nearby restaurants
- Kayak and pedal boat rental
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:
4. Playa de Puerto Rico
Why we love it
Here we are in another beautiful cove of fine sand and calm waters.
The difference with the other beaches mentioned above is the proximity of the port. From here, you can enjoy dolphin-watching boat tours! See options.
It’s known for being the sunniest but also the most crowded of all Gran Canaria’s beaches.
We recommend an early morning swim when it’s quiet!
Access and useful information
- City: Puerto Rico
- On the island’s south coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 20 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 15 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h drive
- Port parking lot nearby, fee payable
- Fine golden sand
- Overwater beach
- toilets, showers
- Nearby restaurants
See our article on Playa de Puerto Rico.
5. Playa de Las Nieves (Agaete)
Why we love it
We love beaches with spectacular scenery.
One of Gran Canaria’s most beautiful beaches is Playa de Las Nieves, in Agaete.
It’s a gray pebble beach with a tiny bit of sand.
It offers magnificent views of the sheer cliffs of the island’s west coast.
Please note that part of the beach is inaccessible due to the risk of cliff falls.
Access and useful information
- City: Agaete
- From Puerto de Mogan: 1h15 drive
- From Maspalomas: 1h15 drive
- From Las Palmas: 30 min drive
- Paid parking in town or free (but not asphalted) at the natural pools, less than a 10-minute walk away.
- Pebbles and a little sand
- Showers
- Nearby restaurants
A LITTLE MORE patience
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6. Playa de Las Canteras
Why we love it
Located in the island’s capital, it’s a long urban beach of golden sand with several sections. In fact, it’s often listed as one of Europe’s best urban beaches.
And it’s easy to see why: it offers plenty of space, lots of amenities and all the bars and restaurants of the waterfront right next door.
We loved the atmosphere on this beach, whether it was the lively end-of-day entertainment or the calm of the early morning wake-up call.
Access and useful information
- City: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- From Puerto de Mogan: 1h10 drive
- From Maspalomas: 45 min drive
- Being a city beach, you’ll need to choose one of the city’s public parking lots, as there are very few parking areas in the streets around the beach.
- Sand
- Surveillance in certain areas
- Toilets, showers, loungers, disabled access
- Plenty of restaurants along the promenade, beach volleyball court, children’s playground
See our article on Playa de las Canteras.
7. Playa Hoya del Pozo
Why we love it
Charming black sand beach in a less touristy corner of the island.
It’s also called Playa del Pozuelo.
We really enjoyed the walk along the seafront with its different views of the beach and neighboring Playa del Hombre.
We love the contrasts on this island, with its dark sand (even if it doesn’t appear very dark in the photo above), turquoise water and colorful houses…
Access and useful information
- Near Telde
- On the island’s east coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 1h10 drive
- From Maspalomas: 45 min drive
- From La Palmas: 30 min drive
- street parking and small parking lot nearby
- Toilet, shower
- Monitored in season
- Toilets, showers
- Limited catering options, children’s games
FUN in Gran Canaria:activities
Dolphin watching
Buggy / Quad
Snorkeling
Kayaking in the Mogan caves
But also: Canyoning, Horse riding, Via Ferrata, Coasteering… See all options
7. Playa de la Aldea
Why we love it
This beach is not often listed among Gran Canaria’s most beautiful spots.
That’s probably because this beach is mainly made up of very large pebbles and is far from any seaside resorts. But if you love beautiful landscapes, we recommend you make the detour.
Once there, take the tunnel to the second half of the beach, where you’ll find a little black sand, and beautiful views of the cliffs.
Access and useful information
- City: La Aldea
- South-western tip of the island
- From Puerto de Mogan: 45 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 1h10 drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h drive
- Parking nearby, but beware the place is popular with locals at weekends.
- Mainly large pebbles
- Unattended
9. Playa el Veril
Why we love it
At the far end of Playa del Ingles, we found Playa el Veril to be the prettiest of all.
Admittedly, it’s less central, but it offers a beautiful stretch of fine sand and slightly sheltered waters.
Access and useful information
- City: Playa del Ingles, Maspalomas
- From Puerto de Mogan: 30 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 45 min drive
- Parking in the city
- Sand
- Supervised beach
- Toilets, showers
- Deckchairs
- To reach most of the restaurants, you have to climb up the cliff (stairs).
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10. Playa de Las Burras
Why we love it
Another long sandy beach ideal for sunset strolls!
Its main advantage is its size: 300m long and 100m wide.
Access and useful information
- San Bartolomé / San Agustin
- South coast of the island
- From Puerto de Mogan: 25 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 10 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 45 min drive
- driving time from main towns in the region
- parking nearby?
- type of sand / pebble
- Monitoring
- Showers, sun loungers
- Some nearby restaurants
- Jet ski and pedal boat rentals
11. Playa de Tauro
Why we love it
Playa de Tauro was one of our biggest surprises on Gran Canaria.
It lies between two seaside resorts: Playa de la Cura (with its black sand) and Playa Amadores (with its golden sand), but has very few buildings around it.
It’s a slightly wilder beach that attracts the locals.
And you can see the sand transition…
Access and useful information
- City of Puerto Rico
- On the island’s south coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 10 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 15 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h drive
- parking lot 1min walk away
- Mixture of sand and pebbles
- no monitoring
- no equipment
See our article on Playa de Tauro.
12. Playa de Anfi del Mar
Why we love it
One of the best white sand beaches for families.
Here the waters are protected and calm, the slope is gentle enough and there are plenty of activities planned around it.
Access and useful information
- Anfi del Mar
- On the island’s south coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 20 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 15 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h drive
- Parking area on the upper part of the town. Fills up very quickly.
- Sand
- Supervised beach
- Toilets, showers, sun loungers
- Nearby restaurants
13. Playa Tufia
Why we love it
We return to a beach with beautiful scenery.
The village of Tufia is a small hamlet of white houses nestled in the hollow of a cliff with a few troglodyte houses.
At its foot is a small, picturesque black sand beach.
Access and useful information
- Near Telde
- On the island’s east coast
- From Puerto de Mogan: 50 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 35 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 30 min drive
- Parking lot at village entrance
- Black sand and rocks
- Unsupervised beach
14. Playa Del Ingles
Why we love it
One of Gran Canaria’s best-known beaches: Playa del Ingles.
Ellz is almost 3 km long, and even though it’s very popular, you can still find a little spot to lay your towel.
Just be aware that it’s at the base of a cliff. So if you’re not coming by car to the parking lot next door but on foot from your hotels, you’ll have to go down some stairs.
Access and practical info
- Playa del Ingles in Maspalomas
- From Puerto de Mogan: 20 min drive
- From Maspalomas: 15 min drive
- From Las Palmas: 1h drive
- driving time from main towns in the region
- parking nearby?
- type of sand / pebble
- monitoring
- toilets, showers
- equipment / catering
15. Playa de Güi-Güi
Why we love it
One of the wildest beaches with the most spectacular scenery is Guï-Guï.
It is completely wild and accessible only by boat or hike.
Unfortunately, when we last visited, there were no boats going there.
Access and useful information
- Gran Canaria’s south-western tip
- Start of the hike in Tasartico
- 3-hour average hike in each direction, with quite a bit of climbing
- No installation
- Beach or clothing optional
Other best beaches in Gran Canaria
Playa Guayedra
A wild beach, accessible by unpaved road and then on foot.
At the foot of the cliffs near Agaete
Large pebbles and a little black sand.
See our article on Playa de Guayedra.
Playa de Sardina del Norte
A slightly less touristy beach on the north-western tip of Gran Canaria.
Often photographed for its colourful houses.
White sand.
Playa de la Laja
Not far from the capital and next to natural pools, a long sandy beach with beautiful views.
Playa del Hombre
A beautiful black sand beach popular with surfers.
Near Telde.
Playa Maranuelas
Long beach in the less touristy town of Arguineguin.
Sand and small stones.
South coast of the island.
Playa del Cura
Between Puerto de Mogan and Puerto Rico, on Gran Canaria’s coast, another lovely sandy beach close to hotels.
Playa Costa Alegre
Small sandy beach in the more touristy part of Arguineguin.
Well protected by dykes, for a quiet swim.
Frequently asked questions
When to swim in Gran Canaria
The weather is fine all year round, but the ocean temperature is more pleasant in summer.
In winter, the water temperature drops to 18-20°C, while in summer it rises to 24°C.
So it all depends on your comfort zone for swimming.
Natural swimming pools in Gran Canaria
The other option for swimming in Gran Canaria is to find a natural pool.
There are several around the island. Among our favorites:
- Agaete natural pools
- La Laja natural pools
- …
See our article on the best natural swimming pools in Gran Canaria.
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
