Gran Canaria island is also known as Mini Continent, due to its landscape diversity. It's the perfect holiday destination for those wanting beautiful, warm weather even during winter. In the morning you can sunbathe on a sandy beach, then do some hiking for the afternoon on a mountain trail surrounded by Canary Island pines and in the evening you can enjoy an unforgettable view of a volcanic landscape enhanced by sundown.
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From the second half of the 19th century, Gran Canaria started gaining popularity in European circles as a place of rest for tourists. Shipping companies soon took advantage of the opportunity to equip their vessels with cabins for the transport of passengers. These companies would also take the initiative in building the first hotels on the island, one of which was the Hotel Santa Catalina (1890) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Hotel Santa Catalina (1890) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, this being the only hotel dating from the early beginnings of tourism that remains open. You can find more info about Santa Catalina on Historic Hotels Then & Now page.
Where to stay in Gran Canaria:
Staying in Gran Canaria depends on what you have in mind for your vacation.
For exploring the island I would recommend staying in Las Palmas or somewhere near it. As for the best beaches and nightlife you could stay in the southern part of the island in resorts such as Puerto Rico or Maspalomas.
Budget places:
1. Casa Antonia by the beach
A fully equipped apartment situated in a quiet location with a sea view and a beautiful beach nearby. Antonia pays attention to small details, which makes the stay smoother.
You can enjoy watching the sunrise without having to step out of the apartment.
The location of the apartment is also perfect if you want to visit the whole island of Gran Canaria. You can park a car for free on a street nearby.
2. Apartamentos Natural Park
This aparthotel is situated on the outskirts of a popular family-friendly Puerto Rico holiday resort. It has spacious apartments which are a bit outdated but are spotlessly clean and well maintained.
All apartments have a great view of the mountains and sea, especially at sunset. There are two swimming pools, one with a slide for children. It has a bar, a restaurant, and even a small market.
A rented car is a plus, but you can get a taxi to reach the beach or other places at the resort.
Mid-range:
1. Tabaiba Princess
The 4-star Tabaiba Princess Hotel is a resort near the beach of Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, on the southern part of the island.
It is an all-inclusive hotel, where there are activities and zones for adults and children alike.
This means it’s more for a chillout and relaxes type than exploring and knowing the island type vacation.
2. Riosol Hotel
Hotel Riosol is in Puerto Rico, on the southern coast of Gran Canaria. This terraced building on top of a hill blends into its background and offers beautiful views of the Atlantic and the Bay of Puerto Rico. It offers room-only, breakfast, half-board or all-inclusive options so it’s good for everyone’s taste be it exploring the island or just sunbathing by the pool. It can be a difficult walk to Puerto Rico or Amadores beaches as it is situated on top of a mountain. It is recommended to take a taxi.
Luxury accommodation:
1. Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel
For over a century, the Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel 5*GL has been a privileged witness to the history of the island of Gran Canaria, famous for its white sand and black lava beaches.
Since its opening in 1890, it has been a landmark of the city’s social life.
Some of the most important people of the 20th and 21st centuries (Sir Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, Maria Callas, also prime ministers, presidents, and princes) have passed through its doors, leaving behind traces of their culture and talent.
2. Bohemia Suites & Spa
Bohemia Suites & Spa is a boutique space combining cutting-edge design with stylish interiors, hi-tech features, and quirky touches for a thoroughly modern feel.
The hotel’s “star” is the Sky Suite featuring two fantastic terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows which will more than impress.
When it’s time to take a break, the freestanding bathtub in the bedroom is the ultimate indulgence.
A fully-equipped wet bar with an Illy® espresso machine makes it easy to entertain or just enjoy a nice drink in the stylish living room.
Getting around:
To discover all the places in Gran Canaria, I will always recommend renting a car and the best for this job is Autoreisen.
Buses (guaguas) do not reach all parts of the island, and their frequency and connection are not ideal to reach all the places, so it’s recommended as a cheap transfer option from/to the airport. The line of buses that goes from Gran Canaria Airport to Las Palmas is number 60. The lines of buses that go from the airport to Maspalomas are numbers 66 and 90.
There are taxis, but it’s good for only getting around the same municipality.
You can get anywhere around the capital fast and easily with a bike. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria you can rent a bike at Sitycleta.
Another option to explore the island is by getting a tour. You can find plenty of activities on Get Your Guide website.
Top things to see and do:
Be it a great outdoors, wild sandy beach, or gastronomy tour to a local cave, I will summarise it to your best liking.
By the way – the last one on this list may surprise you!
1. Roque Nublo hike
Clouded Rock or Rock in the Clouds with its lesser companion “the Frog” is located in the mountainous center of Gran Canaria island, in the municipality of Tejeda.
Its unique shape, which is 65 meters tall and sits at 1813 meters height, is visible from multiple places and villages.
In addition, Roque Nublo and its surroundings make up the Nublo Rural Park and in 1987 they were declared a Protected Natural Area.
Getting there it’s fairly easy by car or you can take a tour. There is no public transport you can take to the Roque Nublo.
If you are driving to Roque Nublo you need to enter Aparcamiento de la Degollada de La Goleta or Roque Nublo into your navigation app.
Navigating it, you will get to a car park in about an hour from various places (Las Palmas, Maspalomas, Puerto Rico, LPA Airport, or the Northern side of the island), from which the hike to Roque Nublo begins.
Note that the car park is not of the biggest ones and it can get full fairly easily.
At the start of the trail is a nearby stall that sells local products, refreshments, and souvenirs. It’s a non-circular trail which means you will walk uphill 1,5 km (about 40 min) and then descend 1.5 km (about 20 min).
3 kilometers in total (about 1 hour).
Overall the trail is fairly straightforward, so it is one of the hiking routes that is recommended to go along with kids.
Tips for Roque Nublo:
Get there early – if you want to avoid overcrowding and get a place for a car in a car park.
Go for sunset – if you want amazing photos of you and Roque Nublo in the symphony of color.
Bring something warm – as it can get chilly very fast.
Have proper footwear – that means no flip-flops, Jack!
Get there with your children – for an easy trail. There’s a skull-shaped rock along the path if you can spot it, and in the end, there’s Nublo and the Frog.
Add Roque Bentayga – to your day trip as it is not far from Roque Nublo.
Do a picnic – at Presa de las Niñas or Llanos de la Pez before or after visiting Roque Nublo.
2. Presa de las Niñas
Las Niñas Dam is one of the best recreational areas of Gran Canaria. It is located within the municipality of Tejeda and has stone tables, BBQs, toilets, and parking spaces which make it an ideal place for a barbecue day, picnic, or even camping.
Nearby sights consist of a lake which gets a lot bigger after rainy days (usually winter).
Then there is a mysterious Casandra tree, a four-hundred-year-old huge pine tree.
Legend has it that a young 15-year-old girl Casandra liked to spend pleasant hours in the company of young Iván. After some envy and nasty gossip she was called a witch and burned under that very tree called by her name.
The strangest thing is that the pine tree has survived several fires and by its size easily recognizable in this huge area.
If you are a bird lover. You can spot and hear a great spotted woodpecker in the area, or a blue chaffinch. During our second visit to the Presa de las Niñas, while walking around we saw a beautiful hoopoe near the shore of the lake.
Tips for Presa de las Niñas:
Add Roque Bentayga and Roque Nublo – to your day trip as it is not far from Presa de las Niñas.
Get early or go on a working day – weekends and holidays can get very crowded.
Go during winter or after rainy days – then you can see this campsite at its best.
To stay camping for the night – is free, but you need permission from Cabildo de Gran Canaria (Spanish only, use Google, etc. translator).
3. Roque Bentayga
Bentayga’s special location in the center of the island a few kilometers west of Tejeda and its configuration as a natural fortress, reaching 1415 meters above sea level, offered the native Canarians, the Guanche, perfect conditions for establishing their homes and collective granaries, as well as a means of refuge from attack.
Bentayga was the scene of a last stand against the Spaniards during the conquest of the island in the fifteenth century.
Nowadays after a short drive on a well-marked road from Tejeda, you can reach Centro de Interpretación. Be sure to visit it for some insight into Roque Bantayga and its surroundings, and about walking trails to visit the caves that would’ve once housed the Guanches.
Tips for Roque Bentayga:
Add Roque Nublo – to your day trip as it is not far from Roque Bentayga.
Do a picnic – at Presa de las Niñas before or after visiting Roque Bentayga.
Take an Instagram photo – of the basket of Tejeda. The basket is located just outside Tejeda. Enter La Cesta on your navigation app.
4. Playa de Güigüí
The secret beach, or not-so-secret but hard-to-reach beach, has remained unspoiled up to this day, thanks to the absence of modern establishments around the area.
The hike to the beach offers stunning views on all sides. The mountains display mostly gray volcanic rocks and sparse vegetation.
The beach can be reached by foot or a boat. The trail to Guigui Beach is a challenging one so if you have difficulty walking or with children, it’s better to get a boat from Puerto Rico or Mogan.
To get to a start of a Güigüí trail you need to enter Tasartico into your navigation app. After reaching Tasartico drive a bit farther until you see signs marking the start of the hike.
The distance of the trail is about 9 kilometers (3-4 hours) to both ends. Be sure to take plenty of water and headcover, because there’s almost no shade during the hike.
Tips for Playa de Güigüí:
Depart early – for cooler weather.
Water – do not forget lots of water.
Have proper footwear – it’s a moderate hike after all.
Bring a headlight – or other means of light if you going to the beach during the winter season as the sun sets early.
5. El Balcón viewpoint
This amazing viewpoint is located on the west side of Gran Canaria island, the municipality of La Aldea de San Nicolas.
From the El Balcón viewpoint, you can admire an impressive mountain landscape called Dragon’s Tale. And on the horizon, you can see Mount Teide, Tenerife Island’s highest peak lurking on clear sunny days.
To get there enter Mirador del Balcón in your navigation app. It’s an hour or an hour and a half drive from Las Palmas or the main resorts.
Tips for Mirador del Balcon:
Get to the El Balcon at sunset – for the best photos.
Add some other places – to your day trip. Such as Playa de La Aldea, Tamadaba natural park, Natural Pools, or Charco Azul.
Take some best Instagram photos – not only at the El Balcón viewpoint but there’s a tunnel too near Puerto de La Aldea (just enter Tunel Playa de la Aldea into your navigation app).
6. Barranco de Guayadeque dine at one of the Cave Restaurants
Its location here represents the island’s greatest density of archaeological sites, spread along both slopes of the Ravine, among which troglodyte habitats abound, under escarpment ledges and on hillsides.
It is considered one of the most stunning cultural landscapes in Gran Canaria.
After exploring Guayadeque Ravine stop by for a meal in one of the Cave Restaurants. We chose Restaurante el Centro.
The food was nothing out of the ordinary but the environment and the staff were incredible. I even got lost among a few stone halls and corridors while coming back to my table from the men’s room.
7. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The capital of Gran Canaria is a must-see for all who come to the island. Get lost among quiet cobbled streets, old stone quarters, and colored homes clinging to the hillside in historic Vagueta.
Go for a swim at Las Canteras Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.
Visit some of Las Palmas museums such as Museo Canario, Elder Museum of Science and Technology (take your kids here), or Casa de Colón (Columbus House) one of the most visited museums in the Canary Islands. Or take your kids to the Poema del Mar aquarium, you will all love it.
Tips for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria:
Rent a place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – for exploring the island. Most of the must-see places are within an hour’s drive by car.
Free walking tour – is the best way to discover the history of the Canary island’s capital city.
Park your car for free – on weekends and holidays in public parking spaces for cars (Blue lined spots).
8. Playa de Amadores
Oh, Amadores Beach, it’s my all-time favorite beach!
Playa de Amadores is located in the municipality of Mogan, which is famous for its resorts and beaches. You can reach it by car, taxi, bus, or a short walk from the Puerto Rico resort.
The waters in Amadores Beach are shallow, turquoise, clear, very kid-friendly, and ideal for swimming. There are bars and restaurants nearby. Public showers and toilets.
On the north side of the beach floats Amadores Fun Park consisting of bouncy castles in the water.
We had a great time there with my daughter. So lots of running around, laughing, and falling off and over. We loved it!
Tips for Playa de Amadores:
Get there early – for a parking spot. Of course, it’s possible to find a spot even in the middle of the day, because the car park has many spots.
9. The Maspalomas Dunes
Glamorous pyramids of smooth yellow sand on top of which you can witness the neighboring blue ocean are surrounded by the famous Maspalomas resort.
The Maspalomas Dune stretching 400 hectares to the south of Gran Canaria is protected by the Canarian government as a Nature Reserve of special value.
Because of its popularity the dunes have been under nature protection since 21.05.2020, they may no longer be entered directly.
Tips for The Maspalomas Dunes:
Go at sunset – for amazing photos.
10. Mirador Llanos de La Mimbre and Área recreativa Tamadaba
The first time I heard about this place I had my doubts, but when we came to the Tamadaba picnic area and then went to Llanos de La Mimbre viewpoint for a sunset it easily became my best place in all of Gran Canaria island.
The Tamadaba picnic area is one of the best-known places among the locals in Gran Canaria. Here practically all the locals come with children to spend some family time together.
A recreation area is settled under Canarian pines with picnic tables and a barbecue area. In addition, it has public toilets, drinking water, and a parking area. There was a place for camping but it is closed for an indefinite time.
A short hike from the picnic area you will come across Mirador Llanos de La Mimbre. A miraculous viewpoint offers majestic images of Agaete, La Aldea, and the peak of Teide.
Tips for Tamadaba:
Plan – for me, this place was the hardest and longest place to reach.
No fire months – are July, August, and September. This means the USE OF FIRE is expressly PROHIBITED, even for food preparation. More info on the Council of Gran Canaria page.
Barbeque until 6 PM – then apparently comes the Ranger and informs that all fires should be extinguished.
Go at sunset – to Mirador Llanos de La Mimbre for amazing photos.
We hope this helped you to decide on the best spots to visit while reading The Ultimate Guide To Visiting Gran Canaria Island.
