GRAN CANARIA PLACES

In Spain we have four major cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Valencia. Besides these four bigger cities, there are six incredible cities with around half a million inhabitants that are full of life and history: Bilbao, Zaragoza, Málaga, Palma, Murcia and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria! This is a great surprise for all those visitors that were expecting a touristic-resort-island. Gran Canaria is not just a natural paradise for relax vacations, you can also experience a European-City-like vacation. Las Palmas is one of these Gran Canaria places that you have to discover, at least for a day.

Las Palmas is a city full of history. It starts with the conquest of the Canary Islands by the Spaniards in the 15th century, just before the Spanish Empire was born with the discovery of America. It was the first colonial city founded by the Spaniards and Christoph Columbus was here just before his departure to America. His discovery transformed the city into the gate between Europe and America. You can enjoy an interesting visit to the historic city centre Vegueta, one of the best city beaches in Europe and, in general, a city full of life with museums, theatres, great restaurants, shopping centers and festivals all year around. 

You have probably already heard about this world famous Gran Canaria places in the south of the island. Both locations are actually part of the same 8km-long beach, which is divided in two parts: Maspalomas & Playa del Inglés. The incredible sand dunes are part of the beach and a protected natural wonder of the island. A must see when you visit Gran Canaria. 

Even if they share the same nature, Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés are two different worlds. Playa del Inglés is full of apartment complexes and family hotels. This area was built in the 70s and although there are still many older hotels, the renovation of the area is continously happening with some great new hotels. Bars, clubs and classic touristic businesses for eating, relaxing and shopping surround the hotels. Maspalomas on the other site has a 5-star-charachter with some of the most incredible hotels in the island together with a bungalow-complex area. However, nightlife is not so active as in Playa del Inglés. In any case a taxi between both areas costs no more than 5 euros. The best advice: look for the accommodation that better suits your needs in terms of amenities & walking distance to the beach. And then enjoy these awesome Gran Canaria places by foot, bike, car or bus.

Despite the sand dunes of Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés, there are many touristic Gran Canaria places in the south of the island such as Puerto Rico, San Agustín, Amadores... All of them are worthy of picking them as your hotel location for holidays. As a visitor of the island however is Puerto de Mogán the location that is worth a visit. 

Like in many other Gran Canaria places in the island, Mogán has a Puerto (in the coast) and a Pueblo (higher in the mountains). When people recommend you Mogán they are meaning the part of the village that is right at the coast: Puerto de Mogán. This former fisher village was built with a sense of beauty. Taking a walk around its Venice-like streets, eating a nice lunch or dinner, riding on its submarine or hiking around the area are some of the possibilities when you visit Mogán. 

Speaking about fisher villages: this is The Fisher Village to visit in Gran Canaria. A wonderful small village in the nort west coast of the island far away from the touristic south of the isalnd and the capital of Las Palmas. The contrast between its white houses and the dark volcanic landscape arround it is beautiful. But it is another contrast that makes this place magical: the highest cliffs in Europe and the wild Atlantic ocean plus a perfect view of Tenerife and Mount Teide almost every day. This is one of the many magical Gran Canaria places.

FIshers wake up very soon in the morning and go out fishing local Canary fishes. Early in the morning they are back on land to sell the fresh product to the local restaurants. Enjoy the best products from the Canary sea and a peaceful day in Agaete. There are several spots to swim in cristal clear waters. Don't forget to check the natural pools which you can find after a 5 minutes walk from the main avenue. If you already made it to Agaete consider about driving to the Valley of Agaete just a few kilometers from the harbour. A beautiful green valley with incredible peaks, great coffee and wine plantations which you can visit, and an archeological site. All in one of the most beautiful Gran Canaria places.

Within the area declared as WORLD UNESCO HERITAGE you will find these unique very small but special villages. The peaks of the island are a magical place. It was already magical for the ancient aborigins of the island who placed their religious temples all over this area, which were awarded by UNESO in 2019. No wonder it is considered to be a magical place: you will feel like touching the sky when you take a walk at almost 2.000 meters. A paradise for hiking and for vulcanology. A rocky storm full of crazy shapes created by the volcanos that gave birth to the island. 

In the middle of this idyllic location you can find the villages of Tejeda (in the middle of the island's center crater) and Arternara (at the side of the crater). Both are worthy of an afternoon walk. You can also find cute museums about the traditions of the island in Tejeda and the living caves in Artenara. Renting a car would be necessary to make the best out of your excurssion to these wonderful Gran Canaria places.

The real protagonists in the peaks of the island are without any doubt its natural wonders. Pico de Las Nieves is the highest mountain of the island, which you can easily reach by car. The incredible view of half of the island with Tenerife's Mount Teide in the background is a must. One of the top elements of these view are Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga.

Both rocky peaks are the result of violent volcanic eruptions and are one of the best hiking Gran Canaria places you could ever imagine. A hike to Roque Nublo is a must for everybody who loves nature. In Roque Bentayga, located in the middle of the island's center crater, you can visit a small but well designed museum about the aborings of the island. 

Teror is the house of the Holy Virgin of the Pinetree: the religious figure that watches over all Gran Canaria places and inhabitants of the island. And as such only a beautiful village could be built around it. Teror is located in the middle of the way from the coast to the peeks of the island, the greenest area. In this background emerges a charming village with a beautiful church and handsome streets surrounding it. This is a quiet place to enjoy any day of the week in peace, or with hundreds of people on its Sunday Market, where you can try many typical products of the island. 

In this area of the island, Teror is the highlight for sure, but there are other smaller villages that can be worth a short visit like San Mateo or Valleseco. 

Moya is a tiny village located at the top of a rocky mountain surrounded by deep canyons. Just the view from its church or enjoying some of its local sweets with a coffee make this village worth a visit. But its biggest secret is hidden just one mile away: los Tilos de Moya.

In this area of the island are the last remainings of the once vast forests of Laurisilva that used to cover a great surface of the island and many Gran Canaria places. This humid forest that is present in most of the other Canary Islands is an spectacle of nature. The forest in the island of La Gomera for example is a National Park. In Gran Canaria the quick economic growth after the conquest by the Spaniards decimated these forests. Los Tilos is one of three protected Narual Reserves around Moya. You can park the car and choose one of many hiking routes: from easy to very long to disover this forest that once covered Europe. You can also walk there from Moya by the side of the road. Many locals do it everyday.

Gáldar and Arucas in the northern coast and Telde next to the airport are small cities of the island with the biggest population after Las Palmas. These Gran Canaria places are all worth a visit. Take a walk to discover their historic city centres and highlights. A quick look at the tourist information offices will give you ideas about what to do. 

You can visit the Arehucas rum factory in Arucas or the Painted Cave Museum in Gáldar. The Natural Reserve of Osorio close to Arucas is a good options for hiking and discover the island's greenest forests.

Agüimes is small but charming. In the last decades it has become an example of how to make the best out of a small village. Craftwork and ecological agriculture establishments, a history museum, awesome local restaurants and cute monuments on every corner guarantee a nice afternoon experience in one of the most special Gran Canaria places.

This was just a list of the main Gran Canaria places to discover in the island. But there are many other awesome places. Even if it is your tenth time on the island don't give up on your curiosity and keep discovering all corners of the island. And don't forget to stay active: check out some great ideas for Gran Canaria activities.