Why visit Gran Canaria?

Reasons to come to Gran Canaria or revisit the island.

There are many reasons to visit Gran Canaria, so many, that we’re only going to give you 40 reasons why you should spend your holidays on this island.

1.- Proximity to Great Britain and Europe. Great air connections, with direct flights from various cities in Great Britain and other European countries. Depending on the airport you’re coming from, the flight will last between 3 to 4 hours.

2.- It belongs to the European Union, with the benefits this entails. Some of these advantages are: 1.- No roaming, so you won’t have to pay any additional costs for calling, browsing and sending texts within the European Union. 2.- European legislation regarding plane delay compensations is applied. 3.- Medical coverage – the European Health Card that allows you to receive medical treatment under the same conditions as the country’s residents. 4.- Consular protection in Gran Canaria. Almost all the countries of the European Union have a consulate in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria. No visas or passports are required for European Union citizens.

3.- Spring climate and temperatures. Average temperatures range from 22ºC to 24ºC in winter and 25ºC to 28ºC in summer on the coast. Infrequent rain, especially in the tourist area in southern Gran Canaria. The island has various microclimates and the island’s temperature can vary depending on the altitude and distance from the sea.

4.- Low pollution. The trade winds, land’s orography, scarcity of heavy industry and geographical location make the air quality one of the cleanest in the world.

5.-Landscape diversity. Gran Canaria is known as the miniature continent, due to the variety of landscapes it has within just a few kilometers. We can go from arid and desert territories to palm groves areas, pine forests areas or even strips of abundant vegetation within less than 50 km. Discover all these beautiful places in our guided tours.

6.- Unique sites. Spectacular ravines, natural monuments, charming towns, volcanoes, huge cliffs and massive beaches are some of the most interesting sites one can see in Gran Canaria.

7.- Charming towns. The towns of Teror, Fataga and Tejeda appear in many specialized magazines among the most beautiful towns in Spain due to their surroundings and representative houses of typical Canarian architecture.

8.- Extraordinary beaches. Of the 236 km of coastline, more than 60 km are made up of more than 100 beaches. A large part is white sandy beaches, which are easily accessible and can be enjoyed almost every day of the year. The best known is Playa del Inglés, where the Maspalomas Dunes are located, and the urban beach of Las Canteras, located in the island’s capital.

9.- Safe destination. Gran Canaria is one of the favorite destinations for families, as they can spend their holidays safely and with the confidence that this entails.

10.- Hospital infrastructure. The capital’s island has excellent hospitals both in the southern part of Gran Canaria and in the island’s capital.

11.- Magnificent accommodation range. Hotels, apartment complexes and bungalows, rural houses and quality holiday homes, this is the island’s accommodation offer which also includes an excellent quality/price ratio.

12.- Wide range of golf courses. The combination of 7 well-kept golf courses and an excellent climate, makes it possible to play golf all year round, making Gran Canaria one of Spain’s main destinations.

13.- Natural pools that you cannot skip. They are almost all located in northern Gran Canaria. They’re not well-known by tourists and highly appreciated by the people of Gran Canaria. These natural pools are connected to the sea, from which their waters are nourished, but are protected from the waves. The best-known are Las Salinas de Agaete, El Agujero in Galdar and Los Charcones in Arucas. You can see some of these pools on our private tours around the island.

14.- Good connections to get to know and move around the island. Taxis are very affordable anywhere on the island, bus communications are fluid and can take you practically anywhere on the island. Meanwhile, Gran Canaria has very good roads in case you want to rent a car and there are magnificent tours with which one can visit the most outstanding places in Gran Canaria.

15.- Amazing sunsets. Gran Canaria offers as many sunset options as you’d wish, but the most popular ones are appreciated from its west-facing beaches and the sea on boat trips in the southern section of the island.

16.- Sleep, visit or eat in a cave. Gran Canaria has a huge number of cave houses scattered throughout the island. These cave houses offer the comforts of any house and maintain a constant temperature inside, one of around 21 degrees, throughout the year. On the VIP tour to the Barranco de Guayadeque you can visit one of these cave houses and, if you visit this ravine on your own, you can taste some typical Canarian gastronomy dishes in a restaurant that’s embedded in a cave.

17.- Fantastic for stargazing. The clean and clear night skies, as well as the astronomical viewpoints located at strategic points on the island, make the island a Starlight Destination.

18.- Paradise for hiking lovers. The numerous hiking routes, landscapes diversity where you can find pine forests, palm groves, mountains, volcanoes and deep ravines, as well as spectacular spots to take pictures make Gran Canaria an ideal destination for this activity.

19.- Huge and deep ravines. Discover some of Gran Canaria’s more than 50 ravines that spread throughout the island. Many of the ravines are more than 10 km long and more than 300 meters deep in some sections. In most cases, you can visit and tour them, both by car and hiking, you can see others from the viewpoints located in the ravines. The best known is the Barranco de Guayadeque, located near the town of Agüimes, which you can visit with the VIP tour, meanwhile you can visit the Barranco de Gran Canaria and the Barranco de Fataga with the Gran Canaria Highlights tour.

20.- Dolphins sighting in their natural habitat. One of the most popular boat trips in Gran Canaria is one where you can see dolphins and other types of cetaceans. The chances of seeing dolphins are high and the best catamaran outings for whale watching offer a free ticket guarantee to do the boat trip again in case you don’t see them.

21.- Theme parks to enjoy with your family, partner or friends. Spend a pleasant day in Palmitos Park, a zoo that has animal shows, Aqualand, a fun water park, Sioux City, where you can enjoy a day in the Wild West, Holiday World, a charming amusement park, or Hangar 37, where you can spend some adrenaline in a real set, where you’ll participate in airsoft battles and feel like a character from a video game like Call of Duty.

22.- Camel ride in southern Gran Canaria. One of the most popular activities for families and couples visiting the island is to take a pleasant camel ride in the Maspalomas Dunes Nature Reserve or in the Fataga Ravine. Camel riding has a weight limit of fewer than 110 kilos.

23.- More than 50 different treatments in Gran Canaria’s Thalassotherapy and Spa centers. Take advantage of your vacation to relax and enjoy the circuits, facial and body treatments, and massages at some of the best hotels in the south of the island, which specialize in these kinds of services.

24.- Events throughout the year. Different local, national and international events take place in Gran Canaria throughout the year. The best known are the Carnivals, mainly those of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Playa del Inglés, the Gay pride parade, the Transgrancanaria, the Womad, the cycling week and the ARC regatta.

25.- Unforgettable Christmas on the beach. Spending Christmas in Gran Canaria probably means changing chips, because you’ll be enjoying it in a swimsuit. Don’t miss the enormous sand nativity scene located in Playa de las Canteras.

26.- Opera season. From February to June you’ll be able to enjoy, for one week a month, famous works such as Rigoletto, Aida or Fedora in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Let’s not forget that one of the best voices that opera has given was that of famous Gran Canarian tenor Alfredo Kraus, who was recognized by the people of Gran Canaria for his contribution to opera by naming one of the most emblematic buildings of the Canarian capital the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium.

27.- History, culture and museums. Gran Canaria has plenty of museums, both in art and science, but here we’ll only refer to three due to their historical value. Learn about the ancient Canarian history, before the kingdom of Castilla’s conquest of the Canary Islands, by visiting the Canarian Museum. Recall Christopher Columbus’s voyages, with the stops he made in Gran Canaria to discover the new world, at the Casa Museo de Colón. Visit the house where Benito Pérez Galdós, one of the most illustrious Spanish literature writers, lived until he was 19 years old.

28.- Eden for water sports. Gran Canaria has areas suited for surfing, windsurfing, paddle surfing and kitesurfing along the entire coast. Among them, the Cicer area on Playa de las Canteras stands out, where many expert surfers and surf schools are concentrated, and Pozo Izquierdo Beach, a favorite for windsurfing and kitesurfing connoisseurs.

29.- Fantastic for diving. Take advantage of your vacation and dive on the island. The different diving centers offer dives to the most amazing points. If you’ve never dived before, take the chance to do an initiation course during your vacation. An easier option to see the bottom of the sea is to walk up to 5 meters deep with a scuba, take a submarine trip or snorkel on the coast.

30.- Chance to catch a marlin. Fishing enthusiasts can enjoy boat fishing throughout the year. Depending on the time of year, different species can be caught by using the modalities of trolling or bottom fishing. Don’t worry if you’ve never fished, most of the customers who choose this experience do it the first time with the crew’s instructions and help.

31.- Various boat trips and tours. Choose among the many boat trip options that depart from southern Gran Canaria to enjoy a few hours at sea with your family, partner or friends.

32.- Nightlife. Both in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the tourist areas in the south of the island, there’s great nightlife, which includes clubs and pubs. There’s also a boat party option that you cannot miss.

33.- Hospitality of the people of Gran Canaria. Tourists tend to agree that the people of Gran Canaria are very friendly, always willing to help them with whatever they need.

34.- Tasty Canarian gastronomy. Enjoy the typical dishes of the island’s gastronomy, including potatoes with mojo, Canarian cheeses, goat or black pig meat, gofio escaldón, ropa vieja and watercress stew.

35.- Fun jeep, buggy and jet ski tours. These tours are preferred by tourists seeking adventure and fun. The jeep safari was created to get to know the island’s south and center accompanied by a driver. In both jet ski and buggy tours, you’re the one who drives, and they are designed to let off steam and release some adrenaline.

36.- Water activities. Renting a jet ski, parasailing, riding a banana boat or renting a kayak are among the most requested activities by visitors and residents who spend their holidays in southern Gran Canaria.

37.- Bachelor and bachelorette party plans. Nightlife, boat parties, water activities and jet ski and buggy tours, along with the good weather and impressive beaches make Gran Canaria an ideal destination to celebrate bachelor and bachelorette parties.

38.-Chance to exercise outdoors all year round. Whether it’s walking, running, cycling or any other activity you may want to do, the climate, safety and the many places where they can be practiced, allow tourists to spend a large part of their time, at any time of the year, outside their accommodations enjoying any of these disciplines.

39.- Gay-friendly destination. Gran Canaria is one of the preferred destinations for the LGTB community in Europe. Part of this community is concentrated in an area of the Maspalomas beach, where you can enjoy the day and visit the Yumbo Shopping Center, a great reference and meeting point for the community to go shopping and eat throughout the day, as well as enjoy the many pubs and clubs at night.

40.- Consolidated destination. For more than 50 years, Gran Canaria has been one of the favorite destinations for tourists to enjoy during their vacations, where more than 60% have returned.

All these reasons make Gran Canaria the perfect destination to enjoy your holidays, whether for the first time or to revisit. We’re expecting you…