Travelling to Gran Canaria: paradisiacal beaches, rock formations, dunes, inspiring villages… The island will offer you an unforgettable vacation!
But to make sure your trip to Gran Canaria is a success, it’s best to have a few things in mind and be well prepared.
On this page, we’ve put together all our Fuerteventura travel tips to help you make the right choices and find the trip that’s right for you: when, how, where…
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
The essentials for a successful trip to Gran Canaria
If you don’t want to read the whole article, here’s a summary of our answers. But you’ll find more detailed information in each section below.
And let’s start with a beautiful photo to inspire you…
When to go
Gran Canaria’s temperatures are quite pleasant all year round. The peak season is between June and September, but that’s mainly because it’s vacation season in Europe. May, September and October are often excellent months to make the most of the island.
How long
We recommend a stay of between 7 and 10 days to discover the whole island.
Where to go in Gran Canaria
Our favorite cities to stay are:
- Puerto de Mogan – see our selection of the best hotels
- Meloneras – see our selection of the best hotels
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the south – see our selection of the best hotels
But the island is pretty big, so if you’re staying for 10 days, to cut down on driving time, you can spend 5 days in the south and 5 in the north.
And our favorite hotels are:
- Boutique-hotel: Hotel Marina Suites Gran Canaria in Puerto Rico – See prices, photos and availability
- 5 stars: Hotel Santa Catalina, in Las Palmas – See prices, photos and availability
- All inclusive resort: Hotel Lopesan Baobab in Meloneras – See prices, photos and availability
- Family: Hotel Maspalomas Princess – See prices, photos and availability
A simplified map for orientation
Here’s a map to help you understand Gran Canaria’s well-known essentials:
- Large towns and villages
- The airport on the east coast
- You’ll find some in Maspalomas to the south, and Roque Nublo in the heart of the island.
How to get around
It may be tempting to stay in the hotels with their superb swimming pools and all amenities, but we recommend renting a car to discover the island’s magnificent landscapes. It’s really easy to drive – see the car offers on our favorite platform.
Our top 3 things to do
We love many places in Gran Canaria. Apart from discovering beautiful beaches, our top 3 are..:
- Visit the mountains in the center of the island
- Take a boat tour to see the dolphins – See boat tour options.
- Visit the old town of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Not to worry
Travelling to Gran Canaria is easy enough.
Just remember to protect yourself from the sun and check the sea conditions before jumping in.
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information and addresses you need to make your stay in the Canaries a success will soon be available in a single ebook!
If you’d like to be notified when our guide to the Canaries is published, please subscribe:
Tip 1. When to go to Gran Canaria
The Gran Canaria travel season is year-round.
It’s an island with very little rainfall, even in winter.
So there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy sunny weather whatever the month.
Depending on what you’re looking for:
- For guaranteed, substantial heat: June to September
- For swimming: July to October
- For hiking and exploring: April, May, September and October
- For winter sun: December to March (but the sea water is much lower).
But here are a few things you should know:
- Crowd –
The seaside resorts are very popular. And the circular route is always busy.
But as soon as you get away from the tourist spots in the mountains, it’s much quieter.
The island also gets quite a few tourists in winter, as people seek out the sun! - Weather –
Temperatures become very high in summer, are very pleasant in the intervening months and are always pleasant in winter. You’ll be able to walk around in a t-shirt during the day in winter, but you’ll just need a jacket for the evenings.
- Swimming –
July to October are the best months to swim in the warm waters, once it has had time to warm up.
Find out more in our article: When to go to Gran Canaria.
Tip 2. How long to stay
The island is fairly large but well spread out, with a circular road that makes it easy to get around.
Between Las Palmas and Puerto de Mogan, it’s a 1-hour drive by expressway.
- If you’re planning to enjoy the beach and the hotel, plan ahead.
- However, if you want to discover the island’s most iconic sites, 5 days is enough (without a beach day).
- And if you want to take a closer look at all the island has to offer, we recommend 7 to 10 days.
See our guide to deciding how long to stay.
Here’s a map with the main driving times to give you an idea:
Tips 3 to 6. How to get to Gran Canaria
3. Where is Gran Canaria? In which country?
Gran Canaria is an island in the Canary Islands.
It is part of political Europe, being a territory of Spain.
In terms of geography, it lies to the east of the Canary Islands, not far from the Sahara coast of Africa.
As it’s an island, you can get there by plane or ferry.
4. Flights to Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria airport is on the east coast, halfway between the capital and the tourist towns of the south.
Its code is LPA.
Direct flights from many major European cities: Paris, London, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Zurich, Milan, Leeds… Ryanair offers many low-cost flights to Gran Canaria.
Discover flight options on Skyscanner
5. Ferry to Gran Canaria
You can also reach Gran Canaria from the other Canary Islands or from Cadiz in mainland Spain.
See ferry schedules and availability
6. Visa and identity papers for Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is part of Spain, and therefore within the Schengen area.
If you are one of them, you don’t need a visa. Otherwise, you need a Schengen Visa.
For everyone, you need a valid ID to travel within the country, and also to take a plane or ferry.
Tips 7 to 10. Where to go in Gran Canaria
7. Where to stay in Gran Canaria
There’s absolutely no better place to stay in Gran Canaria. It all depends on what you’re looking for. Here are some of our recommendations and more tips in our article on where to stay in Gran Canaria.
Meloneras
We fell in love with Meloneras because we love open spaces. We really felt like we could breathe.
Here you’ll find the great Maspalomas beach, the dunes and the wide seafront promenade.
This is where you’ll find the highest concentration of 5-star hotels on the island.
See our selection of the best hotels.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is one of the island’s most popular destinations, as it is the sunniest city and a lively but not overly large seaside resort.
It’s known for its pretty beach with calm waters, boat excursions and accommodation to suit all budgets.
It’s easy to explore the center of town, although you should be aware that it’s a valley and the hotels on the charque side can be well above beach level.
See our selection of the best hotels.
See the city’s attractions.
Puerto de Mogan
Puerto de Mogan is one of Gran Canaria’s best-known towns. Tourists have nicknamed it Gran Canaria’s “Little Venice” because part of the town around the port has a few canals. We loved its different neighborhoods, its simplicity and its atmosphere.
See our selection of the best hotels.
See our article on the best attractions in Puerto de Mogan.
Old town of Las Palmas
We fell in love with the old town of Las Palmas and its hotels.
If you’re looking for refined boutique hotels and a sense of time travel, this is the place for you, in the Vegueta and Triana districts.
You’ll be surrounded by excellent restaurants and museums.
On the other hand, no easy access to a beach.
See our selection of the best hotels in Las Palmas (whole city).
See the best attractions in Las Palmas
But there’s also the Playa de las Canteras area in Las Palmas, Playa del Ingles in Maspalomas, Agaete…
8. Best hotels in Gran Canaria
If the hotel is more important to you than the location, some of our favorite hotels are:
- Boutique-hotel: Hotel Marina Suites Gran Canaria in Puerto Rico – See prices, photos and availability
- 5 stars: Hotel Santa Catalina, in Las Palmas – See prices, photos and availability
- All inclusive resort: Hotel Lopesan Baobab in Meloneras – See prices, photos and availability
- Family: Hotel Maspalomas Princess – See prices, photos and availability
Or read our selections with our reviews of the best hotels (we’ve been there, with an independent approach):
- The best 5-star hotels in Gran Canaria
- The best boutique-hotels
- The best resorts (coming soon)
- The best tour-inclusive hotels (coming soon)
- The best hotels for families
9. Single or multiple units?
It’s a 1-hour drive from Puerto de Mogan to Las Plamas.
So you can explore the whole island from a single hotel.
But if you’re staying for more than a week, we think it’s worth the cost to stay half in the north and half in the south so you can experience the parties and restaurants in two different cities.
10. Always check parking conditions
Parking can be a problem in many cities and in some tourist areas.
If you’re renting a car, check your hotel’s parking conditions.
And for the most touristy places, plan to visit them early to make it easier (for example, the Roque Nublo hike).
10 à 13. Getting around Gran Canaria
Here are the 4 options for getting around Gran Canaria. Of course, if you’re staying in the hotel, all you have to do is take a cab or bus.
10. Rent a car
Our preferred option is to rent a car. Prices are reasonable for an island and driving is easy. The only difficulties are some of the narrower mountain roads.
A small car is sufficient, but you can take any size you like, as there are no narrow streets and parking spaces are fairly wide.
The platform we personally use (since we discovered them) is Discovercars. See their current car rental offers in Gran Canaria.
As soon as we decide on a destination and dates, we look at their offers, which are often among the best. It is one of the highest rated comparison sites in the market.
Or read all our car rental tips.
11. Excursions
From most hotels you can also find numerous excursions to explore certain parts of the island: the mountains, the dunes, the island of Lobos, the Ajuy caves…
See all offers on our preferred platform: Getyourguide
Or read our guide to the best excursions (coming soon)
12. Cabs
If you’re not traveling too far from your hotel, you can also choose to visit a place by cab. But don’t forget to book your return trip. They offer tourist circuits.
13. Public transport
You can find buses connecting all the major towns in Gran Canaria. It won’t be possible to get to more remote areas. See routes.
14 to 17 – Food and beverages
14. Is tap water safe to drink in Gran Canaria?
Yes, you can drink tap water. There’s no danger.
Just be aware that Gran Canaria receives little rain. So tap water comes from desalinated seawater. So it doesn’t taste the best, or the taste we’re used to. Most people drink bottled mineral water.
15. Type of food
Gran Canaria is a tourist island, so you’ll find everything:
- Mediterranean cuisine, tapas
- Italian restaurants
- Indian restaurants
- Chinese restaurants
- …
Gran Canaria has an interesting range of gourmet restaurants. Some even try to combine traditional food with modern gastronomic techniques.
See our favorite restaurants in Gran Canaria.
16. Bread and water
Please note that the bread placed on the table is chargeable if you touch it.
And water, even in carafes, is not free.
17. Tip
Tipping is not obligatory in Gran Canaria.
It’s a good idea to round up if you’re paying cash, or to leave a few euros if you’re really satisfied with the service. It’s a voluntary act, to reward quality.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
- Get away from it all with Region Lovers’ beautiful destinations!
- Once a month
- Advertising-free
18 to 21 – Planning your vacation in Gran Canaria
18. Suitcase – what to take to Gran Canaria
All year round, pack light summer clothes.
And if you’re traveling during the winter months, add a small jacket for evenings or potentially cloudy days.
19. Sun protection
Beware, the sun can be brutal.
Don’t take any risks, protect yourself with sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
20. Language
Gran Canaria is in Spain. The language is Spanish. But as it’s a very touristy island, almost everyone speaks English. We also met a lot of teams who also spoke German and French.
In Gran Canaria you’ll also find teams who speak Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian. And some restaurants even have adapted menus, but not all.
21. Power strip and adapter
In Spain, and therefore in Gran Canaria, the plugs are 2 round holes (Type E which also work with a Type C).
If it doesn’t match yours, remember to take a plug adapter with you.
22 to 25 – Safety when travelling to Gran Canaria
22. Security
Gran Canaria is a pretty safe island. Nothing special to specify.
Like all tourist destinations, there can be a certain amount of theft. Don’t leave anything visible in the car.
See our article on safety.
23. Insurance
If you are a resident of the European Union, your national medical cover also applies. Don’t forget to ask for your European medical insurance card to make the process easier.
If you are coming from outside the EU, remember to take out insurance.
24. What to do in an emergency
In Europe, 112 is the number for all emergencies: police, ambulance and fire. Operators on this number can speak several languages.
This is the only number you need to keep in mind.
25. Using a VPN
As everywhere else, you run a risk when using shared wifi in hotels.
We know, because we had a bad experience in a Paris hotel.
We now systematically use a VPN to protect our data, especially banking data.
See what our favorite VPN has to offer.
Must-see things to do in Gran Canaria
We share all our favorite places on this site in our article on Gran Canaria’s best attractions. But here’s a quick summary:
- Enjoy the most beautiful beaches
- The old town of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Puerto de Mogan, Little Venice
- Roque de Nublo and the center of the island
- Northern villages: Arucas, Teror…
- The Maspalomas dunes
- Village of Aguimes and its canyons (Barrancos)
- Dolphin watching boat tour
- Agaete, its cliffs and natural pools
- Archaeological sites
- Hiking in the mountains
- The gardens
- The museums
- Gems off the beaten track
- Amusement parks
- …
And there’s plenty of fun to be had too
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
Itineraries in Gran Canaria
See all our itinerary suggestions (we’ll be writing them up soon):
- 3 days
- 4 days
- 5 days
- 1 week
- 10 days
Travelling to Gran Canaria: FAQs
What is the time zone in Gran Canaria?
Gran Canaria is at the same time as London, i.e. GMT.
Which is more beautiful: the north or the south of Gran Canaria?
We love both regions equally, so it’s hard to tell them apart:
- The north has more charming villages and natural swimming pools.
- The south offers dunes, long sandy beaches, Little Venice and amusement parks.
