Gran Canaria Holidays
Take a look at a selection of our top 3 resorts in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria holidays – The UK’s favourite Canary Island resorts
Dependable beach holiday sunshine and a choice of nicely contrasting resorts have made Gran Canaria immensely popular with holidaymakers from the UK. Gran Canaria caters brilliantly to a wide range of ages and holiday styles. Couples and families will enjoy terrific all-round resorts like Maspalomas and Puerto Rico. You will also find smaller neighbouring resorts that remain quiet and relaxed in peak summer. For Gran Canaria at its liveliest it has to be Playa del Ingles.
Top beaches include the man-made perfection of Playa Amadores and the long stretches of fine sand at Las Palmas. Perhaps the only thing missing is the wilderness beaches of islands like Fuerteventura.
Complete your holiday with watersport action, long promenade walks, world-class golf or an excursion into the dramatic mountain interior. Parents will find exceptionally safe beaches and easily accessible attractions. A top destination for affordable restaurants, good quality self-catering and family-friendly resort hotels with in-house entertainment.
When to go to Gran Canaria
Holidays to Gran Canaria are rewarding at any time of year thanks to idyllic summer temperatures and warm sunny winters. For the liveliest nightlife scene choose July or August. There is also an enjoyably animated atmosphere at Christmas and New Year. The large resorts of Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico offer lots to do throughout the year.
June and September see peak summer temperatures but fewer visitors. Spring and autumn will find a lot more space on the beach and an enjoyably relaxed atmosphere. All resorts are very relaxing throughout the winter. Las Palmas holidays coinciding with the city carnival are an unforgettable experience.
The weather in Gran Canaria
The Gran Canaria climate is close to beach holiday perfection No other European destination can match the Canaries for reliable beach holiday sunshine. Winter visitors will feel the warmth as soon as they step from the plane. Even December and January see average highs around 20º and 6 hours of sunshine a day! Spring is simply idyllic.
Summer weather does not get much better than this. Expect long days of uninterrupted sunshine, with comfortable temperatures in the high 20’s. Lovely evening temperatures around 20º. Conditions remain remarkably similar throughout the year. Gran Canaria has very few days of rainfall, normal levels of humidity and heat that never feels extreme.
Getting the best deal to Gran Canaria
Start your holiday search as early as possible. Early booking will guarantee a wider choice of hotels and apartments in every price range. The most popular accommodation soon fills up during the Easter, Christmas and summer school holidays.
Great bargains can be found in early spring and autumn. Package holidays to Gran Canaria in June and September are often significantly cheaper than July and August. Quiet months like October and February are cheaper still. All the Canary Islands offer tremendous value winter holidays.
The sheer amount of accommodation means few problems when it comes to finding affordable holidays. Keep an eye on our late deals and last-minute holiday offers and take a look at our current best deals below.
Airport and transport need to know
Getting to you resort is straightforward. Flights arrive at Gran Canaria Airport (LPA), also known as Las Palmas Airport. The airport has a few shops, bars and restaurants. Transfers to the popular south coast resorts take 30-60 minutes. Airport taxis are metered and well organised. About €30 (₤25) to Las Palmas. Maspalomas €45 (£37). Puerto Rico €60 (₤50). Regular buses head for all the main resorts. About €7 (₤6) to the south coast www.globalsu.net.
Driving to your resort is easy on a good coast motorway. Do take care if driving in the mountainous interior. Avoid congested Las Palmas. Drive on the right. Cheap local buses are great for exploring neighbouring resorts and beaches. Ferries also travel up and down the coast. Resort taxis are plentiful and cheap by UK standards.
Gran Canaria holidays depart all year round from London, Manchester and Birmingham. Also flights from regional airports like Newcastle, Bristol, Liverpool, Bournemouth and Cardiff. Flight time is about 4 hours 15 minutes.
View Gran Canaria resorts in a larger map
A selection of top resorts in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria resorts have exceptionally wide-ranging appeal. Beaches are more developed than islands like Fuerteventura and are invariably clean and well supervised. Expect to find toilets, showers, changing rooms and an area with sunbeds. Promenade seafront areas are usually free of traffic. Affordable bars and restaurants are close to the beach.
Gran Canaria beaches are great for relaxed sunbathing, safe swimming and watersports like windsurfing and scuba diving. Some beaches have been superbly crafted with imported sand while others are natural black volcanic sand. Extensive areas of sand dunes between Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles. The short distance between resorts makes it easy to combine several resort beaches in one holiday.
Maspalomas is a great family resort in the heart of the popular south coast holiday region. The key here is variety. An excellent resort centre beach leads on to the famous Maspalomas sand dunes, a beach nature reserve offering undisturbed sunbathing and terrific shoreline walks. This in turn leads on to Playa del Ingles, a famously lively resort with limitless nightlife.
Smaller family resorts like Playa Amadores have a completely different atmosphere. This is a place to relax and enjoy quiet sunbathing. All the fun of Puerto Rico is right on your doorstep. Protective harbour walls enclose a perfect curve of soft sand and beautifully calm seas. A great beach for children. No high-rise hotels and none of the nightlife bustle associated with the larger resorts.
Puerto Mogan offers a clear alternative to the big commercialized holiday centres on Gran Canaria. This attractive resort is a genuine fishing town with a scenic sheltered beach, a sparkling harbour, smart bars and classy restaurants. The traffic-free centre, with its canals and bridges, is one of the most atmospheric resorts in the Canaries.
For a selection of our best-value holidays to Gran Canaria take a look at our latest deals below or contact our friendly sales staff on 020 8239 8000.
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Cheap holiday deals to Gran Canaria
The Club Hotel Riu Vistamar is situated on top of a cliff, in the Amadores area of the resort, overlooking the sea and the sweeping golden beach. A stunning setting for an all inclusive holiday to Gran Canaria.
