Gran Canaria on kanariansaarten paratiisi - Loistava ilmasto ja suorat lennot Suomesta

Gran Canaria

When I traveled to Gran Canaria for the first time, my image of the island was largely based on what I had heard and seen about Maspalomas. Some acquaintance had at least visited Las Palmas a decade ago, but otherwise the stories and pictures repeated the same pattern. 

Gran Canaria may well be the most versatile of the Canary Islands. The pine forests in the north, the sand dunes and sunshine in the south, and the mountains and valleys located in the center are impressively different. In between there are also charming small villages and beaches. So Gran Canaria offers that famous something for everyone.

Las Palmas offers good shopping and dining opportunities. Among other things, I ate some of the best nachos of my life on a Las Palmas terrace. I also enjoyed a couple of excellent meals on the Las Palmas beach boulevard while the warm April sea breeze revived my body that had grown numb in my Barcelona apartment.

The roads on this island were also in excellent condition and there has been no need for any four-wheel drive SUV in the Canaries, unlike on some Catalonian adventures where we probably would have needed one. Somewhat surprisingly, car rental experiences have been even better in the Canaries than on the mainland. Cicar has clearly been the best rental company in the Canaries so far.


On the same trip, in addition to lounging on the beach and turning the wheel, I tried minigolf, hang gliding, and windsurfing. The latter two for the first, but not the last time in my life. In the latter activity, I somehow managed to kick my toes into the mast again when falling and got to know the local healthcare more closely with a few stitches 🙂 The service was really good and the injury left no mental or physical scars. When a year later in Tenerife I dared to try windsurfing again, I made it through the lesson without injuries!

MY 5 FAVORITE PLACES

#1 Maspalomas dunes


These mounds formed of calcareous sand are like from another planet, or at least from the mainland – as if you had arrived in a desert on the Canary Islands, even though you might be just a few hundred meters away from the nearest terrace.

If you think you’re in good shape, I recommend trying uphill running. Rolling down the dunes is also a popular pastime. On the dunes, you shouldn’t forget to protect your skin from the sun or drink plenty of water – the sunshine can really be deceptive, even if the weather doesn’t feel hot.

I myself enjoyed a picnic on the dunes watching the sunset. It was a pleasantly exotic feeling to enjoy the last rays of sunshine on top of a vast sea of sand while savoring baguette, salad and beer. The sand still nicely warmed the backside 🙂 The dunes are part of a nature reserve, so remember to respect nature and take your trash with you.

On the dunes you can also ride camels, from whose backs you can get even better into the desert atmosphere. What amazed me most while on the camel’s back was perhaps how such slender-looking legs can somehow lift even a heavy load to a height of even two meters 🙂 Nicely exotic activity and 30 minutes is in my opinion just the right amount of time.

#2 Tamadaba Natural Park

The beautiful and diverse 7500-hectare natural park in the northwestern parts of Gran Canaria remained, alongside the dunes, the most memorable place for me. Winding (and slow..) roads, absolutely incredible landscapes and 2000 hectares of pine forest were something completely different from what I imagined could be found on Gran Canaria.

Also Guayedra beach in the northern part of Tamadaba is definitely worth a visit if natural beaches or rugged landscapes interest you. Unfortunately we missed the beach, so you can look at pictures on Google.

#3 Arguineguín

Small and charming, and surprisingly authentic-feeling Arguineguín is probably currently my favorite among the smaller beach villages of the Canary Islands, as it was beautiful with its old narrow streets, there were few souvenir sellers at least for a tourist destination, and the restaurant selection also seemed really nice. I myself also enjoyed a really high-quality birthday dinner there cooked by a Finnish chef!


The village’s location is also really convenient whether you’re traveling by car or not, as buses run conveniently both north to Puerto Rico, as well as south to Maspalomas.

#4 Artenara

More beautiful landscapes. I guess I’ve started to appreciate nature and its beauty more and more as I get older. Additionally, landscapes that can’t be found in Finland naturally please my eye anyway. Variety is known to refresh.

Generally it’s convenient to get around Gran Canaria by rental car as well, and outside the season a week’s car rental can easily be around €100. Otherwise such places would remain unseen. And this comment comes from a friend who largely hates sitting in a car 🙂

#5 Las Palmas

The clearly largest city in the Canary Islands (approx. 400,000 inhabitants) is not particularly special for a Spanish city, but still offers good variety from beach villages and mountain landscapes, and interesting areas could be found there too when you explored, searched and got a bit lost.

Of the neighborhoods in Las Palmas, I liked Ciudad Jardín the most, which was founded by British residents in the 1800s. The area is full of beautiful houses, yards and gardens. The same area also has Parque Doramas, where the photo below was taken. If the budget allows, Hotel Santa Catalina would certainly be an excellent choice to stay. I only stayed outside this time 🙂

Are you planning a trip to Gran Canaria? Here are the best hotel and accommodation deals:

Stay22 compares prices between booking.com and other providers.

WOULD A CITY BE BETTER AFTER ALL?

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