Reasons Why You Should Visit Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

Let’s not pretend that sunshine doesn’t make everything better. And with 2,800 hours of it each year, Gran Canaria seems destined to warm your troubles away. But what to do with all that deliciously sunny time on your hands? Hit the beach, of course. There are numerous sandy stretches to choose from, such as the perennially popular Puerto Rico if you want a glossy brochure-style beach and plenty of life. For the polar opposite, try Güigüí on the west coast. It’s something of an adventure to get there – a two hour-ish trek from the town of Tasartico, over hefty peaks and rocky terrain – but worth it once you realise you’ve got this untamed and dramatic spot, and its rugged ravines, all to yourself.

As you’d expect from the Canary Islands’ largest city, Las Palmas is an energetic and exciting place. Don’t be tempted to miss the beach just because you’re in the urban sprawl, as the handsome Playa de Las Canteras – stretching out over 2mi (3km) – is one of the finest city beaches around. But don’t get too hung up on beach life, or you’ll miss Las Palmas’s other best bits. For an aesthetic and architectural fix, wander down cobbled streets and past brightly coloured, colonial-style houses in Vegueta, the Old Town, before unashamedly losing yourself in a blur of shopping, snacking and sipping around the city’s bars, restaurants and cafes. Come nightfall, Las Palmas has a thriving nightlife scene. The Paper Club is a vibey spot, offering late live music from ’80s party jams to blues and jazz. Or you can pump up the volume at sleek and sexy Bravia, complete with DJ sets, industrial decor and fancy cocktails.

These 400ha (990 acres) of sand dunes are quite a sight, especially as they’re on the edge of one of Gran Canaria’s busier and built-up areas, Maspalomas. The rippled sands and perfect peaks really do make you feel you’re trawling through the Sahara, though you’ll have to explore this desert oasis through a marked route, rightly created to preserve the delicate ecosystem. However, certain sections are still allowed to host short camel riding trips, if you want an elevated, albeit bumpier, view of the dunes.

Canarian cuisine is a varied affair, influenced by Latin America and Africa alongside traditional Spanish classics and Mediterranean flavours. Unsurprisingly for an island, seafood features heavily in many specialities (such as sancocho canario: boiled and salted fish with sweet potatoes), but two of its most ubiquitous offerings are made using just a few basic vegetables and plants. Papas arrugadas (“wrinkled potatoes” – local potatoes traditionally boiled in seawater, with a unique flavour from the volcanic soil and climate) are everywhere and often topped with another other signature flavour, mojo: a spicy sauce with garlic, olive oil, cumin, pepper and vinegar. Try both of these at Abrasa, which specialises in grilled Canarian produce and has options for everyone from vegans to carnivores. Try the Canarian padrón peppers for a local take on a Spanish favourite.

Around 43% of Gran Canaria has been designated a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco, which should give you an idea of how ecologically diverse the island is, spanning mountains, canyons, craters, beaches and woodland. It’s all here and ready to be explored, hence Gran Canaria’s status as a hiking and biking haven. Whether on foot or in the saddle, make sure your exploratory quests lead you to Pico de las Nieves, the highest point on the island. At 1,949m (6,394ft) above sea level you’ll quite literally be in the clouds and able to see neighbouring Lanzarote and Tenerife on a clear day. If you’re cycling, smooth roads, hills aplenty and a shifting landscape will ensure you never get bored.

Greek islands don’t have a monopoly on ultra-photogenic whitewashed villages. Set high up in the centre of the island and surrounded by jagged cliffs, Tejeda is a quintessential, picturesque mountain village and offers a base for hiking out to the Roque Nublo, a huge monolith of volcanic rock towering above its surroundings. Tucked away within an area nicknamed Valley of the Thousand Palms (the name doesn’t lie), Fataga is another example of serene village life, despite being a short drive from one of the island’s major hubs, Maspalomas. Apart from a few restaurants and shops, there’s blissfully little to do in Fataga, allowing you to fully appreciate the setting and the fact you’re in the middle of a gargantuan ravine.

Fulfilling your watersporting dreams isn’t hard on Gran Canaria. Jet-skiing, windsurfing, sailing and parasailing are readily available at many beaches – particularly on the south of the island, where bigger, more popular beaches like Playa del Inglés and Puerto Rico are found. El Cabrón, on the east of the island, is a renowned scuba site. But if you’re after a real adventure in the form of a shipwreck dive, head to Puerto de Mogán, where you can easily arrange to sail out and dive down to the spooky remains of the Cermona II.

Standing at 1,270m (4,167ft) above sea level, Artenara is the highest village in Gran Canaria. But it offers far more than just high-altitude thrills on the winding road that leads you there. The village is known for its cave homes, carved into the rock face by Berber communities who are thought to have occupied the site for over 1,000 years before the Spanish. The best way to understand the caves is through the Museum of Cave Houses, which demonstrates how the caves were set up to help with different parts of everyday life over the centuries. One of them still functions as a church (La Ermita de la Cuevita). Afterwards, enjoy the views from your hilltop position or drive down to the pine forest in nearby Tamadaba Natural Park.

An island as biodiverse as Gran Canaria has plenty of fauna to match all that exotic flora. The Gran Canaria Giant Lizard, measuring up to 80cm (31 inches), roams the island freely, but other visitors like loggerhead turtles are far harder to see, given their occasional timetable. Dolphins and whales, however, aren’t quite as shy and can be spotted on boat tours at most times of year. Up in the air or the trees, keep an eye out for woodpeckers or even the striking blue stripes of the Abyssinian roller.

It’s no crime to step out of the sun and into a museum on Gran Canaria, especially considering the range of topics you can delve into. Learning the historical context of your locale is always a good place to start, which you can do at Cueva Pintada Museum’s archaeological remains and the ethnographic artefacts of the Canarian Museum. Modern culture is covered at the Néstor Álamo Museum, which explores the life and work of the respected Spanish composer, and the Atlantic Center of Modern Arts, featuring anything from early 20th-century local sculpture to contemporary photo essays from Latin American artists.