Gran Canaria packs three trips into one round island: a real Spanish city in Las Palmas, the sun-and-dunes resorts of the south around Maspalomas, and a mountainous interior of pine forest, ravines and villages. Stay in the city for culture and a year-round town beach, in the south for guaranteed sun, and give at least a day to the mountains.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The capital is one of the largest cities in the Canaries and lives its own life beyond tourism.
- Playa de Las Canteras, about 3 km of city beach with a natural reef (La Barra) offshore that calms the water, and a seafront promenade lined with bars.
- Vegueta, the old quarter where the city was founded in 1478, with the Cathedral of Santa Ana (you can climb its tower) and the Casa de Colón museum on Columbus's stops in the islands.
- Triana, the shopping street next door, and the Mercado de Vegueta for local produce.
- The Carnival in February or March is one of the biggest in Spain.
The city buses (Guaguas Municipales, yellow) cover Las Palmas; the blue Global buses run to the airport, the south and the interior.
Maspalomas and the south
The Maspalomas dunes are a protected nature reserve of shifting sand between Playa del Inglés and the Maspalomas lighthouse. Walk only on the marked trails: the Cabildo de Gran Canaria asks visitors to stay on the paths, not to move or stack stones and not to feed animals, and wardens patrol the reserve. The beach in front of the dunes stays open as normal. Nearby are the Charca lagoon, the lighthouse promenade and the busy resort of Playa del Inglés.
Further west, Puerto de Mogán is a small harbour of canals and flower-covered houses, with a Friday market. Amadores and Anfi del Mar offer calmer, sheltered beaches.
The interior
The mountains in the middle of the island are a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and part of them, Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2019 for its cave dwellings and sacred sites of the island's pre-Hispanic people.
- Roque Nublo, a basalt monolith about 80 m tall and the island's symbol. Since February 2025 entering the protected area between 9:00 and 17:00 requires a timed reservation on the official Roque Nublo booking site, with places limited per hour. The car park at the trailhead has been closed to general traffic; the nearest parking is at Cruz de los Llanos, and Global line 18 runs to the trailhead from there, Tejeda and Maspalomas. Check current hours, conditions and bus times before you go.
- Pico de las Nieves, the highest point at about 1,950 m, with views to Teide on Tenerife on clear days.
- Tejeda, a pretty mountain village known for almond sweets.
- Teror, with balconied streets and the basilica of the island's patron, the Virgen del Pino.
- Agaete, in the northwest, with the Puerto de las Nieves harbour and coffee grown in its valley.
Mountain weather changes fast: bring a warm layer, and expect cloud in the north when the south is sunny.
Getting around
Gran Canaria airport (LPA) is on the east coast, roughly halfway between Las Palmas and Maspalomas, roughly 20 to 30 minutes from each by motorway. Global buses link the airport, the capital and the southern resorts frequently. For the interior a hire car is far easier: roads are narrow and twisting, and some villages have only a few buses a day. Ferries to Tenerife leave from Agaete and from the port of Las Palmas.
Before you go
The Canary Islands are Spain and part of Schengen. Spanish and EU citizens need only a valid ID card or passport. UK and US visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, and the EU Entry/Exit System now records their fingerprints and photo at the border. UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after you leave. The EU's ETIAS authorisation is due to be introduced, so check the EU ETIAS site for your dates and the UK government advice for Spain before travelling, as requirements change.
Heading on to another island? See our guides to Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Staying connected
The Roque Nublo reservation arrives by email on your phone, and you will check bus times and navigate mountain roads with mobile data. Since Brexit many UK plans charge for roaming in Spain. A data eSIM for Spain, installed before you fly, gives you local data from the moment you land and keeps your own SIM in place; see how much data you need.