Coming to Gran Canaria in winter is, probably, one of the best decisions you can ever make if you want to experience another kind of holidays. One thing is clear – Gran Canaria’s weather is steady as a table. Thus, say goodbye to your jacket, scarf, gloves and boots and don’t forget to bring your swimwear!
Tamarán (as the ancient aborigines called the island) is located just 100 kilometres off the African coast, so it’s always a safe bet when mercury hits the lowest temperatures. It’s scientifically proven that the thermometer here rarely dips below 20ºC during the coldest months of the year...
Winter? Gran Canaria has an eternal summer!
Is there anything better than getting an instantly out-of-season tan in a destination situated just a few hours flight from the European continent? But the island isn’t only about lying on the beach and sunbathing… In fact, Gran Canaria is known as the “miniature continent” by it diversity of landscapes.
Gran Canaria is an island of sun and sea where millions of visitors come each year to enjoy themselves. But it is also a living island, full of festivals and traditions, exciting adventures and sporting events, museums and heritage, mountain routes and attractive natural surroundings, succulent food, tempting offers for shoppers and places to get lost it on your own, and others to go partying.
5 things to do in Gran Canaria in winter
Gran Canaria is, undoubtedly, a world tourist power, and one of the top holiday destinations for European visitors. Travellers come mainly from mainland Spain, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and Germany, attracted by endless possibilities to suit all tastes, and as such is the favourite destination for families, sportsmen and women, nature lovers or anyone else looking for a place to have a relaxing experience at the finest spa centres.
Gran Canaria has become a safe, close at hand holiday destination, based on a multiproduct portfolio, with high levels of customer service and a competitive range of accommodation establishments like Dunas Hotels & Resorts that are being constantly upgraded to adapt to clients’ ever-changing needs.
These virtues have led the island to becoming a top resort, that reaches its peak during the busy winter season, a time when thousands of Europeans pour into the island to escape the cold back home. That’s why we’ve thought about giving you a useful to-do list that hits the ideal balance between adventure and relax in this piece of land with many microclimates.
1. Enjoying a beach day
Gran Canaria encompasses magnificent natural resources. The most noteworthy are the abundance of high quality beaches, mostly covered in white sand, some of which are unique in the world. Enjoying Gran Canaria in winter in its natural swimming pools (like Roque Prieto or Las Salinas in the northern municipality of Agaete) is a perfect idea for a different day.
Almost 60 of Gran Canaria’s 236 kilometres of coastline are covered by beaches of differing nature – from the impressive Maspalomas Beach with its famous Maspalomas Dunes, Maspalomas Pond and Maspalomas Lighthouse to the recondite virgin beaches of Güigüi or Guayedra, without forgetting the bustling Las Canteras Beach in the island’s capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
2. Theme parks
Children and adults alike will love the many parks dotted around the island, from themed attractions to water worlds full of epic slides and fun pools.
- Holiday World Maspalomas: the leading entertainment center in Gran Canaria has a new image and services such as attraction park, bowling alley, karaoke, escape room...
- Hangar 37: a mandatory activity if you like to experience a fun and adrenaline filled group activity. Airsoft is similar to paintball, just less painful. An ideal family and friends activity for adults and teenagers.
- Palmitos Park: this park full of animals and plant life is super fun and you might learn something too! Come to Gran Canaria in winter and enjoy all its birds, reptiles and mammals, in addition to its aquarium and garden.
- Sioux City Park: how about transporting yourself to the Wild West and feel like a cowboy fighting an indian in an unforgettable adventure like in a western movie?
- Aqualand Maspalomas: a water park with a good range of chutes, slides, rivers, pools and plenty of cool shade in high summer.
3. Open-air dinner
Terraces are always a great option to enjoy a good dinner in southern Gran Canaria. The delicious Canarian gastronomy is joined by an endless number of world cuisines that are represented in the enormous culinary offer of the south of the island.
If you’re looking for tasting many flavours in one place, then there’s no better plan than coming to Nomad Gastro Market at Holiday World Maspalomas to try different food styles from all over the world such as Peruvian, Italian, Moroccan, Mexican, Japanese...
4. Go hiking
Going on a hike is a different activity to do in Gran Canaria during winter break. Not for nothing, the island is an unbelievably beautiful place full with plenty of hiking opportunities as varied as its landscapes. Discover spectacular villages from the interior like Teror, San Mateo, Valsequillo, Tejeda, Artenara, Santa Lucía, Santa Brígida, Agüimes, Gáldar...
Spend time hiking in Gran Canaria in winter, along clifftops, over ravines, across desert dunes and into lush, green valleys and you’ll see why. After all, where else can you climb a mountain, get lost in the clouds, play in the sand dunes and swim in the ocean, all in one day? Well, you can do all that and more on just one island.
5. Resting at the best hotels
Obviously, staying in winter in a hotel at -2ºC outside is not the same as staying in one where you can enjoy the sun and a multitude of services. Gran Canaria has an endless offer of high quality accommodation that suits all kinds of public.
Don Gregory by Dunas
Don Gregory by Dunas is one of the best adults-only hotels in Gran Canaria. In this beachfront hotel in Gran Canaria, located just in Las Burras Beach and very close to both San Agustín Beach and Playa del Inglés Beach, you will wake up in rooms with Nordic style and sea views that will give you a feeling of peace and calm that will make you forget the routine of everyday life.
Enjoy at its facilities that include solariums, a large pool area, terraces to enjoy select cocktails, infinity pool or its relaxing spa. Do you fancy like living Gran Canaria in winter in a hotel like this?
Maspalomas Resort by Dunas and Suites & Villas by Dunas
Maspalomas Resort by Dunas and Suites & Villas by Dunas are two of the best hotels in southern Gran Canaria that generate the sensation (thanks to their lush and well-kept gardens and their impressive villas and bungalows) of staying in a beautiful and welcoming village in the middle of paradise.
They are an ideal option if you are looking for a holiday with a complete travel itinerary where your accommodation allows you to enjoy the privacy you deserve in winter. All only a few minutes from Meloneras Beach.
Mirador Maspalomas by Dunas
Mirador Maspalomas by Dunas is one of the best family hotels in Gran Canaria. In this way, you will also enjoy this all-inclusive hotel in Gran Canaria, where the little ones will have a great time thanks to the animation team and Duni and Dunita, the hotel's mascots. There's no better option than this child-friendly hotel in Gran Canaria.
Bottom line, the mild temperatures in Gran Canaria caused by the trade winds aren’t just a vital ingredient for enjoying an extensive variety of beaches. What are you waiting for to experience a unique vacation at a time of the year more related to cold, rain and snow than to warm and sun? Come to Gran Canaria in winter and feel it first-hand.
