Sand dunes in the south, pine forest and 1,900-metre peaks in the middle, and a proper Spanish city in the north. More variety in 50 kilometres than the other islands manage between them.
Most visitors never leave Maspalomas, which means most visitors see about a fifth of it.
The southern resorts are reliably sunny and well set up, and the dunes behind Maspalomas are genuinely remarkable — a protected desert running to the sea. But the interior is where Gran Canaria separates from its neighbours: an hour's drive gets you to Roque Nublo at 1,800 metres, pine forest, and villages where nobody is on holiday. Las Palmas in the north is a working city of 380,000 with a UNESCO old quarter and a superb city beach.
Dunes, mountains, a city, and a beach for every temperament.
A protected desert of shifting sand behind the resort. Walk in at either end, early or late, when the light is low.
An 80m monolith at 1,800m, half an hour's walk from the road. On a clear day you see Teide across the water.
A three-kilometre city beach protected by a natural reef, and one of the best urban beaches in Europe.
Whitewashed villages in a volcanic caldera, almond blossom in February, and almost no tourists.
Canals, bougainvillea and a Friday market. The prettiest corner of the south coast.
Trips from Puerto Rico and Mogán, with resident bottlenose and pilot whales offshore year-round.
The south for sun, the north for a city, the middle for mountains.
Dunes on the doorstep and the best hotels on the island. Calm, well-kept and family-friendly.
The busiest strip, with the widest range of bars and nightlife. Also the island's main LGBTQ+ scene.
Canals and a small harbour in the south-west. Calmest water and the nicest setting.
The capital in the north. A real Spanish city with a great beach, and cloudier than the south.
Warm all year in the south, with the interior and north running cooler.
The southern resorts sit at 22–23°C in January with sea around 19–20°C, and 27–28°C in August. The north is two or three degrees cooler and noticeably cloudier, and the mountains can be ten degrees below the coast. Almond blossom in the interior in late January and February is a genuine reason to go inland.
Las Palmas (LPA), 25–35 minutes to the southern resorts, 20 minutes to the city.
Same as the UK all year.
Euro, at the Canaries' lower VAT rate.
Recommended for two or three days. Mountain roads are steep and winding — allow more time than the distance suggests.
We'll match the resort to what you want, and price the other islands alongside if you're still choosing.
Gran Canaria if you want variety in a small area. Tenerife for the widest hotel choice, Lanzarote for looks and calm, Fuerteventura for beaches.
Close to it. The mountains block the northern cloud, which is why almost every resort is on the southern coast.
If you want a city with a beach rather than a resort, yes. It's cloudier, cheaper and far more Spanish.
Yes — calm water at Maspalomas and Mogán, short transfers, no time difference, and plenty of all-inclusive.
Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
10 nights · May–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £1,449pp
11 nights · May–Jun, Sep · from £1,149pp
10 nights · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · from £849pp
11 nights · Apr, Oct · from £2,699pp
12 nights · Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb · from £3,399pp
12 nights · Jul–Oct · from £3,099pp
11 nights · Jun–Oct, Dec–Feb · from £1,799pp
11 nights · Nov–Apr · from £2,199pp
