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Gran Canaria Holidays

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Sweeping beaches, bustling resorts and villages ripe for exploring make holidays to Gran Canaria a failsafe choice year-round.

A world favourite

As far as holiday destinations go, Gran Canaria is part of the world’s vintage collection. The third-largest Canary Island first appeared on the Spain tourism radar as far back as the 19th century, and it’s gone from strength to strength ever since.

The beach scene

Gran Canaria’s enduring appeal begins with its beaches – and it’s not a case of one size fitting all. On one hand, you’ve got the larger-than-life coastal resorts of Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas, where sunbathing is serious business and nightlife is of the neon variety. On the other hand, you’ve got the sleepier towns of Puerto Mogan, Bahia Feliz and Puerto Rico, where the beaches come with more space and the evening entertainment is a little lower-key.

Meloneras and Playa Taurito

Recently, Gran Canaria has started a collection of more bijoux beach resorts, too. In Meloneras and Playa Taurito, everything comes with a touch of gloss. Shops go down the boutique route and hotels lean towards luxury.

Scenic interior

Another reason Gran Canaria’s popularity has stood the test of time is its good-looking interior, where cliffs and gorges wax and wane. If you want to catch a glimpse of traditional island life, there are plenty of hamlets here, too. Just half-an-hour’s drive from Playa del Ingles, you’ll discover Fataga, where car-free cobbled streets are lined with whitewashed houses.

120 miles of coastline

When it comes to beaches, Gran Canaria has over and above the basic rations. More than 120 miles of coastline surrounds the island, and they’re broken up into everything from stretches of sand that seem endless to the eye to blink-and-you’ll-miss-them coves.
The big beach

In terms of size, nowhere comes close to Maspalomas Beach. This luge of golden sand is 6 kilometres long. Its impressive proportions continue with its height. The beach is topped with rolling sand dunes, some of which are 10 metres tall.
The secret beach

Just a 20-minute walk from Playa de Puerto Rico you’ll find Lovers Beach, which is a mile-long cove of golden sand. Ball games and radio playing aren’t allowed here, so it’s pretty peaceful. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes close by, too.

Bargain Buys

As far as street markets go, the Sunday market in Teror takes some beating. Stalls are weighed down by baton-shaped chorizo sausages, pinwheel cheeses are stacked in tiers, and jars of home-made honey go for a song. Puerto Mogan’s Friday market, near the marina, is also worth a visit. The stalls here sell everything from fresh produce to handicrafts.
Mid-Range Buys

Gran Canaria is a duty-free island, so many shoppers stockpile perfume, alcohol and electrical goods when they come here. The Centro Civico in Puerto Rico has more than its fair share of perfumeries and camera stores, as does the Yumbo Centre in Playa del Ingles. Just remember your duty free allowances while you’re going wild in the aisles.
Designer Buys

Close to the waterfront in Las Palmas, the Triana area of the city is boutique central. You’ll find shops full of Versace sunglasses and watches alongside stores selling bespoke jewellery and haute couture by up-and-coming designers. Meloneras pulls its weight as far as designer labels are concerned, too. Head to the beach promenade to find names like Roberto Cavalli and D&G.

Laid-back evenings

If you’re looking for a low-key evening, head to the harbour in Puerto Morgan or the beach promenade in Meloneras. Both of these spots are dotted with cafes and restaurants, where the menus tip the scales towards fresh fish and Gran Canarian cuisine. If theatre is your cup of tea, try Garbos in Bahia Feliz, where you can enjoy a decade-themed 3-course meal while watching cabaret from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.
Lively evenings

Playa del Ingles is a bit of an insomniac. You can drink and dance your way to dawn here. Visitors converge at the Kasbah Centre where the clubs play everything from rock to hard house. Just outside the Kasbah, you’ll find a long line of music bars like Harley Rock, which serves Tex Mex and rock music in big portions. In Maspalomas, Plaza Maspalomas is a good bet for live music. In Puerto Rico, meanwhile, you’ll find enough bars for several nights’ worth of crawls in the Commercial Centre Puerto Rico and Calle Juan Diaz Rodriguez by the harbour.

Sancocho

Sancocho is Gran Canarian soul food, ladled out to big broods at the end of busy days. It’s a chunky broth made from salty fish and vegetables, and it’s usually served with a side of Canarian potatoes rather than bread. This dish is quite time consuming to make, so you’re more likely to find it on specials boards than main menus.
Flor de Guia cheese

Made in northern Gran Canaria, Flor de Guia is a thick, creamy, stick-to-your-teeth sort of cheese. It’s made from a mixture of sheep, cow and goat’s milk, which is curdled with the juice from cardoon flowers. Gran Canaria locals find any excuse to eat it, topping pizzas with it, shaving it over salads, or eating it on its own with a glass of red wine.
Bienmesable

This one’s not for waist watchers. It’s a rich, gooey, cream dish that’s a bit like syllabub. Made from ground almonds, sugar syrup, cinnamon and eggs, it’s served after dinner with top button-popping consequences.
Honey rum

The world has been put to rights many times over a glass of honey rum on the rocks. Every cocktail bar worth its salt in Gran Canaria will have a bottle of this whiskey-coloured liquid in its back bar. For something special, order a swizzle, which mixes the liquor with lime juice and sugar.
El Monte wine

Grown in the vineyards around Las Palmas, El Monte wine tends to be red and fruity. It’s not heady or smoky, but light and easy to drink, so it’s a great wine to serve with dinner. If you want to learn more about the local liquid, you can visit Casa Del Vino in El Galeon for wine-tasting.

Places To Stay In Gran Canaria View all places to stay

Maspalomas

On the southern tip of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Maspalomas is a quieter, more sophisticated version of its neighbour, Playa del Ingles. Instead of big shopping centres and starry-eyed nightclubs, it serves up first-class restaurants and designer boutiques – all next to a standout strip of beach.

Meloneras

Set on Gran Canaria’s sun-soaked southern coast, Meloneras is a peaceful, purpose-built resort that has class written all over it. Modern shopping malls are filled with high-end boutiques and designer labels, plus an assortment of stylish restaurants and bars. The hotels, meanwhile, fall in line with the town’s upmarket feel. Most of them are sprawling village-like set-ups, with the beachfront right on their doorstep, typical of the Canary Islands.

Amadores

Amadores sits on a hillside on the southwest coast of Gran Canaria. It’s a fairly new addition to the Canary Islands holiday scene, but the place has kept things low-key – waterfront restaurants and a quiet beach sum up the highlights. Evenings here tend to be pretty relaxed, though next-door neighbour Puerto Rico has plenty of lively pubs and bars should you want them.

AT A GLANCE

Navigate the sand dunes at Maspalomas
Tick off the island’s waterparks and theme parks
Enjoy a shopping spree in Las Palmas

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Weather

TEMPERATURE (°C)RAINFALL (mm)

WHEN TO GO

Gran Canaria’s default setting is warm. Even in winter, daytime temperatures tend to average somewhere between 16˚C and 22˚C. Summer is in full swing between May and October. At this time of year, temperatures sit between the mid 20s and the mid 30s. As far as rain is concerned, the wettest months are January and February, but you get the odd shower in summer, particularly in the north of the island.

Latest Deals

Price per person

Cay Beach Princess Bungalows, Maspalomas 10 December 2018, 3 nights London Gatwick

£ 149
Self Catering
Tamanaco Apartments, Puerto Rico 10 December 2018, 3 nights London Gatwick

£ 179
Self Catering

What are these prices

Things To Do View all

Fiesta del Carmen

This festival takes place all over the island so that locals can honour the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of fishermen. In…
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Try out some watersports

Gran Canaria pulls out all the stops when it comes to watersports. If you want to get hands-on, you can try adventure sports…
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Sprawl out on the sand of the Maspalomas dunes

The Maspalomas dunes are a supersized expanse of white sand. The whole area stretches for 400 hectares on the edge of Maspalomas,…
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Hold your nerve at a waterpark

Test your mettle at one of Gran Canaria’s waterparks. The biggest one on the island is Aqua Sur, near Maspalomas. The rides…
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Set off on a hike

You can get your money’s worth from your hiking boots in Gran Canaria. Take on the challenge of Pico de las Nieves, the island’s…
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Ride a camel on Playa de Maspalomas

Maspalomas holds the title of Gran Canaria’s most popular beach. The thick band of golden sand stretches out for 6 kilometres…
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Learn about Guanche Tribes at Mundo Aborigen

There’s nothing stuffy about this museum in Fataga, half an hour’s drive from Playa del Ingles. It’s a miniature Madame Tussauds…
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Hire a jet ski on Playa del Ingles

This beach sits shoulder-to-shoulder with Maspalomas. The swathe of golden sand is 3 kilometres long and it’s backed by a…
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Top 5 resorts in Gran Canaria

Top 5 hotels in Gran Canaria

1

Hotel Suite Princess

From £263
2

Riu Papayas

From £473
3

Riu Gran Canaria

From £593
4

Hotel Riu Palace Meloneras Resort

From £582
5

Riu Vistamar

From £548

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Gran Canaria Holidays

A world favourite

The beach scene

Meloneras and Playa Taurito

Scenic interior

Things to See and Do in Gran Canaria

120 miles of coastline

The big beach

The secret beach

Bargain Buys

Mid-Range Buys

Designer Buys

Laid-back evenings

Lively evenings

Sancocho

Flor de Guia cheese

Bienmesable

Honey rum

El Monte wine

Places To Stay In Gran Canaria View all places to stay »

Maspalomas

Meloneras

Amadores

AT A GLANCE

Weather

WHEN TO GO

Latest Deals

Things To Do View all »

Top 5 resorts in Gran Canaria

Top 5 hotels in Gran Canaria

Where we go in Gran Canaria Show on a map »

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