Gran Canaria is an island of extremes: one moment you’re on a sun-drenched beach, the next you’re scaling a snow-capped peak. The coastline is awash with dramatic cliffs, sheltered coves and white-sand beaches, while the interior is a rugged, mountainous wilderness. The capital, Las Palmas, is a lively city with a cosmopolitan feel, and there’s plenty of nightlife and shopping to be had. Away from the bustle, there are quieter villages where you can enjoy a traditional meal of paella and wine, and watch the world go by. Gran Canaria is a great destination for all kinds of travellers, whether you’re looking for a action-packed holiday or a more relaxed break.

green grass field near body of water under blue sky during daytime

Joel Rohland

people walking on street between buildings during daytime

Jan Folwarczny

Melisa Popanicic

Panoramic view of the Fataga valley from the Degollada de las Yeguas viewpoint in south Gran Canaria. A winding, fifteen kilometre canyon with smooth sides and breathtaking sharp, almost vertical ridges.

a scenic view of a mountain range with a river running through it

Jan Brennenstuhl

Reiseuhu

Canary Islands vacation, an ultimate serenity

Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦

Maria Bobrova

The sun-baked, arid coast of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands (taken at the Puerto Rico Resort, Jun., 2015).

K. Mitch Hodge

white boat on sea near brown mountain during daytime

green trees on mountain under blue sky during daytime

brown and white concrete building under blue sky during daytime

gray rocks near body of water during daytime

Lydia Altman

Photo taken at the Canary Islands.
Postproduced image with Adobe Photoshop.
Instagram Account - @therawhunter

Massimiliano Morosinotto

Crowded beach in Gran Canaria, Spain. For more visual travel inspiration visit our instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reiseuhu/

white and brown concrete building near body of water during daytime

Jo Jo

Puerto de La Luz y Las Palmas con Queen Mary 2.

<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_de_Mogan" class="extiw" title="de:Puerto de Mogan">Puerto de Mogan</a>, Gran Canaria, Blick von Aussichtsplattform bei Sonnenuntergang

<p>Lighthouse at Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, looking in direction south-east.
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<th class="type fileinfo-paramfield">Camera location</th>
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<span class="plainlinks"><span class="plainlinksneverexpand"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="//geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=File:Lighthouse_Maspalomas.jpg&amp;params=027.735917_N_-015.599519_E_globe:Earth_type:camera_scale:300_heading:135.00&amp;language=en">27° 44′ 09.3″ N, 15° 35′ 58.27″ W</a></span></span>  <span title="135°"><img alt="Heading=135°" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Compass-icon_bb_SE.svg/25px-Compass-icon_bb_SE.svg.png" decoding="async" width="25" height="30" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Compass-icon_bb_SE.svg/38px-Compass-icon_bb_SE.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Compass-icon_bb_SE.svg/50px-Compass-icon_bb_SE.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1900"></span> <a class="mw-kartographer-maplink no-icon" data-mw="interface" data-style="osm-intl" href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Map/13/27.735917/-15.599519/en" data-zoom="13" data-lat="27.735917" data-lon="-15.599519" data-overlays='["_f2475822f551608b325531083a4be7e7a168743f"]'><img alt="Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap." src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Openstreetmap_logo.svg/20px-Openstreetmap_logo.svg.png" decoding="async" title="Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap." width="20" height="20" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Openstreetmap_logo.svg/30px-Openstreetmap_logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Openstreetmap_logo.svg/40px-Openstreetmap_logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="256" data-file-height="256"></a>
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<td style="border:none;">View this and other nearby images on: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="//wikimap.toolforge.org/?wp=false&amp;basemap=2&amp;cluster=false&amp;zoom=16&amp;lat=027.735917&amp;lon=-015.599519">OpenStreetMap</a>
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<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Geocoding" title="Commons:Geocoding"><img alt="info" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/OOjs_UI_icon_help.svg/18px-OOjs_UI_icon_help.svg.png" decoding="async" width="18" height="18" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/OOjs_UI_icon_help.svg/27px-OOjs_UI_icon_help.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/OOjs_UI_icon_help.svg/36px-OOjs_UI_icon_help.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="24" data-file-height="24"></a><span class="geo" style="display:none"> 27.735917;  -15.599519</span>
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Presa de Chira, Gran Canaria (Islas Canarias, España).

<ul>
<li>Bildbeschreibung: Puerto de las Nieves, Agaete (Gran Canaria) // Fast Ferry <i>Bencomo Express</i> de la compañía <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fred._Olsen_Express" title="Fred. Olsen Express">Fred. Olsen Express</a> que cubre la línea Gran Canaria-Tenerife.</li>
<li>Quelle: selbst fotografiert</li>
<li>Fotograf/Zeichner: Guido Haeger (eMail: wikipedia [ a t ] haeger [ d o t ] de)</li>
<li>Datum: Dezember 2005</li>
</ul>

Roque Nublo, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Gran_Canaria" title="Gran Canaria">Gran Canaria</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands" class="mw-redirect" title="Canary Islands">Canary Islands</a>. <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Spain" class="mw-redirect" title="Spain">Spain</a>.

<i><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia_canariensis" title="Euphorbia canariensis">Euphorbia canariensis</a></i> growing in <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=La_Fajana&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="La Fajana (page does not exist)">La Fajana</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Barlovento" class="mw-redirect" title="Barlovento">Barlovento</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/La_Palma" title="La Palma">La Palma</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands" class="mw-redirect" title="Canary Islands">Canary Islands</a>

Tajinaste Azul de Tenteniguada o de Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria GC-1 Bridge over Barranco de Tauro

Puerto de Mogán Gran Canaria January 2016

Autobús en el puerto, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria

I like the town Las Palmas very much. 
Las Palmas is a wonderful city, which has everything.
Nice beaches, harbor and Old Town.
You can walk everywhere and there are nice footpaths along the water.

The food is very good and there are a lot of places where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. 


Barbara Palm

Gran Canaria is a bit hard to review for me. 

The nature is great, the island has everything from dramatic mountains, volcanoes, and forests to deserts, palm trees, and beautiful beaches. Next time I will bring my hiking boots!

The southern part of the island has a bunch of very touristy villages that at least seem to exist mainly for Northern European tourists that want things to be like home but with better weather and prices. These places are pretty boring, the food is boring, and everything feels fake. There are great activities though, and the climate is perfect. I had a blast taking a padel course in Puerto Rico, and I can't complain about the amazing view from the balcony of the apartment we rented.

The northern part of the island has Las Palmas which was a much more enjoyable city than I expected. The food was great, the people were great, and it felt like a part of real Spain. If I go back to Gran Canaria, it will be to stay in Las Palmas and explore the nature and towns away from the tourist zone.

Anders

We travelled to Gran Canary Island in March 2021 when travel restrictions for the Island had been a bit more relaxed. We started the trip by staying at Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria. The weather was delightful. The place is beautiful with a lovely beach though the restaurants are pretty touristy: most of them serve the same extensive menu in different languages. The last few days of the trip, we stayed in the centre of Las Palmas, the city of Gran Canary Island. Las Palmas was much livelier and had a more local feeling. The food scene was such an upgrade compared to Puerto Rico. 
Overall, we had a great time in Gran Canary Island: safe destination, walkable city, good value for money, great foods, and pleasant weather. If you live in Europe and want to get away from dark and cold winter, Gran Canary Island is a good option for a week or weekend getaway.


Gran Canaria

What people say about Gran Canaria