Gran Canaria is much more than its southern beaches. A round island barely 50 kilometres across packs in a desert of dunes, pine forests at almost 2,000 metres, ravines with cave houses and a capital with one of the best-preserved colonial old towns in the Canaries. That's why it's called a miniature continent. The most common mistake is never leaving Maspalomas: the interior is less than an hour away and it's what makes the island unique.
Book the essentials
| Activity | Rating | From |
|---|---|---|
| Off-road buggy tour through the southern ravines | 4.8★ (3,728) | €65 |
| Dolphin and whale catamaran cruise with snorkeling | 4.4★ (6,154) | €38 |
| Summit sunset and stargazing tour | 4.8★ (302) | €45 |
| Day tour from Las Palmas: Guayadeque, Maspalomas and Mogán | 4.6★ (716) | €48 |
| Camel ride through the Maspalomas Dunes | 4.5★ (5,263) | €18 |
| Jeep safari through southern valleys and villages | 4.5★ (1,443) | €69 |
How many days you need
With four or five days you'll see both sides: one for Las Palmas and Vegueta, one for the summits (Roque Nublo, Tejeda, Pico de las Nieves), one for the north (Teror, Arucas, Agaete) and the rest for beach, sea and Puerto de Mogán. With three days, choose between interior and capital; with a week, add the wild west coast and a ravine such as Guayadeque.
The south: dunes, beaches and Puerto de Mogán
The Maspalomas Dunes are the island's icon: a nature reserve of more than 400 hectares of sand by the sea, with La Charca lagoon and the lighthouse behind. Next door are Playa del Inglés and Meloneras, the big sun-and-beach resorts. Further west, Puerto de Mogán is the prettiest fishing village: canals, white houses with bougainvillea and a harbour made for sunset. In between, Puerto Rico is where the dolphin-watching boats leave from.
⭐ Tip: walk the dunes at sunrise or late afternoon. At midday the sand burns and the light is harsh for photos. Everything is in our Maspalomas Dunes guide.
The summits: Roque Nublo and Tejeda
The centre of the island is another world. Roque Nublo, a monolith of around 80 metres at more than 1,800 m, is reached by a short trail; next to it is Pico de las Nieves (1,949 m), the island's highest point, and on clear days you can see Tenerife's Teide. The village of Tejeda and Cruz de Tejeda are the perfect base for lunch and views of Roque Bentayga. Nearby, Artenara and Risco Caído are a World Heritage Site for their aboriginal caves. Read our Roque Nublo hiking guide.
Heading back south, the Fataga ravine (the valley of a thousand palms) and the Chira reservoir are the setting for the buggy and jeep trips.
Las Palmas: Vegueta and Las Canteras
The capital deserves at least a day. Vegueta, the founding district (1478), has Santa Ana Cathedral, the Casa de Colón and cobbled streets with wooden balconies. On the other side of the city, Las Canteras beach has about 3 km of sand sheltered by a natural reef, La Barra, ideal for swimming and snorkeling right in town.
The north and east: towns and ravines
Teror, with the Basílica del Pino and its balconies; Arucas, with its neo-Gothic church and banana plantations; Firgas and its tiled promenade; and Agaete, with Puerto de las Nieves and the only valley in Europe where coffee is grown. In the east, the Guayadeque ravine hides houses and even a chapel carved into the rock.
Getting around
Buses (Global) connect Las Palmas, the airport and the south very well. For the interior and the northern towns, it's practical to hire a car or book a tour: mountain roads are narrow and winding, and parking at Roque Nublo is limited.
Where to stay
Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras for sun and beach; Puerto de Mogán for something quieter and charming; Las Palmas for city life, food and easy trips north. The interior has rural houses in Tejeda or Artenara for sleeping under the stars.
Eating in Gran Canaria
Try papas arrugadas with mojo, queso de flor de Guía, sancocho canario (salted fish with potatoes and mojo), gofio and, for dessert, Tejeda's bienmesabe. To drink, Arucas rum and Monte Lentiscal wines.
What we DON'T recommend
- Never leaving the south. The interior is what sets the island apart.
- Going up to the summits without a jacket. It can be 25 °C on the beach and 8 °C on Pico de las Nieves.
- Leaving the paths in the dunes. It's a nature reserve and it's forbidden.
- Going to Roque Nublo at midday at the weekend. The car park fills up; go early.
In one sentence
Gran Canaria is dunes, summits above the clouds, a colonial capital and balconied towns: in four or five days you see a whole continent without leaving the island.
