- Currency: Euro (€)
- Capital City: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Language: Spanish
- Key phrase to learn: Por favor, estoy perdido (Excuse me, I’m lost.)
- Time difference: None
- Average flight time: Four and a half hours
- International phone code: +34
- Emergency services number: 112
- Public holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Epiphany (January 6), Maundy Thursday (Thursday before Easter Sunday), Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday), Labour Day (May 1), Canary Islands Day (May 30),Assumption Day (August 15), National Day (October 12), All Saints’ Day (November 1), Constitution Day (December 6), Immaculate Conception Day (December 8), Christmas Day (December 25).
- Link to FCO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain
Why go to Gran Canaria?
Gran Canaria has got it going on. Dubbed the ‘miniature continent’, it’s an island that boasts a little bit of everything, from rolling sand dunes and rich forests to sleepy villages and world-class cities. If you’re after diversity, a Gran Canaria holiday will deliver.
Far from a fly-and-flop destination, Gran Canaria is all about getting out there and lapping up the good life. Swim in sun-kissed waters, hike among almond blossoms, soak in volcanic spa pools, climb cloud-topped rocks and feast on seafood fresh off the boat.
An effortless mix of nature, nightlife and doing sweet nothing, Gran Canaria holidays in 2016 are hard to beat.
Far from a fly-and-flop destination, Gran Canaria is all about getting out there and lapping up the good life. Swim in sun-kissed waters, hike among almond blossoms, soak in volcanic spa pools, climb cloud-topped rocks and feast on seafood fresh off the boat.
An effortless mix of nature, nightlife and doing sweet nothing, Gran Canaria holidays in 2016 are hard to beat.
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Beaches, beaches and yet more beaches
Almost 60 kilometres (37 miles) of Gran Canaria’s 263-kilometre (163-mile) coastline is covered with sand.
Home to a whopping 80-plus beaches, you’ll never be short of a spot to shake out your towel and snooze in the sunshine. Due to the island’s volcanic roots, you’ll find a whole kaleidoscope of sand, ranging from perfectly golden to silvery grey and lightly toasted brown.
Whether you’re looking for an all-inclusive Gran Canaria package deal, a family resort with child-friendly waters, a party hotspot or somewhere to sunbathe in the buff, Gran Canaria holidays always come up with the goods.
You can get a flavour for the island’s resorts on our page about hotels in Gran Canaria.
Cocktails and cafés in the capital
It’s a serious mistake to think that all-inclusive Gran Canaria holidays are only about the beach.
Stretched across two scenic bays, Las Palmas, the capital of the island, is a buzzy city packed with historic sights, al fresco cafes and trendy tapas bars. With two beautiful urban beaches and a chic marina, it’s a cosmopolitan spot to shop ’til you drop, splash out on cocktails and sit around in the sunshine.
A cheap holiday in Gran Canaria is easily filled with things to see and do, but the island’s capital Las Palmas warrants a break all of its own.
A playground for grown-ups
Beyond the bright lights of Las Palmas and the luxury beach resorts, Gran Canaria is a natural playground just begging to be explored.
Nature buffs and hikers will be in seventh heaven at Roque Nublo (Cloud Rock), set within the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve and surrounded by fragrant pine forests. This iconic chunk of volcanic material is one of the largest free-standing rocks in the world and, with the aid of a few ropes, you can scramble up to its cloud-swirled summit. It’s guaranteed to add some adrenaline to your Gran Canaria holiday.
When to go
Warm and sunny almost all year round, it’s pretty hard to get a Gran Canaria holiday wrong.
However, if you’re headed for Las Palmas in July or August, beware the Panza de Burro (Donkey Belly). This is a grey patch in the middle of summer, when the trade winds push clouds over the city, often making it the only overcast spot on the island. Some years it doesn’t show up at all, while other years it hangs around for weeks. If sunshine is a deal breaker on your Gran Canaria holiday, your safest bet is to swerve these months or avoid the capital.
Like anywhere in Europe, prices surge when schools let out, making it harder, but not impossible, to grab cheap family holidays in Gran Canaria.
If you’re after a bargain package deal to Gran Canaria, stick to the shoulder months and travel between February and May (avoiding half terms and Easter) or from September to mid-December. These months are brilliant for picking up cheap package holidays, whether you’re after a luxury all-inclusive Gran Canaria holiday deal or a budget getaway with a bunch of mates.
Events for your diary
Looking to party with the locals? Book your Gran Canaria holiday to coincide with Carnival (dates change each year, but fall in February or March) or Gay Pride in May, both riotous fiestas that will get you shimmying in the streets.