Things to do in Gran Canaria
For working holidays, picking a location that won’t have you wishing you were out exploring every second of the day is an important consideration. But I was pleasantly surprised by just how much there was to see in Gran Canaria.
We had some expectations based on our previous trip to Lanzarote, but found that there was even more to do here. However this is in part due to our time in Lanzarote coinciding with the end of Covid restrictions.
But in truth, there is plenty to do in Gran Canaria in the day and night. Whether you’re a digital nomad, a solo traveller, or on a family holiday.
The best things to do in Gran Canaria
Because we were working, we didn’t have as much time as we would have liked to see all the sights Gran Canaria has to offer. However, these were some of our favourites.
Teror
The historic town of Teror is famous for its beautiful colonial-style housing and an impressive church. We were here for about 2 hours including lunch. We paid a couple of euros for parking, as it does get very busy in the small and windy streets. So it’s best to make the most of the small car parks available rather than looking for a space on the road.
Firgas
Firgas is an old water town not far from Teror. We were here for about 30 minutes and were able to park for free in the town. Though the main attraction is a water feature in the middle of the town, there is not much else to do so it’s worth fitting this in as part of a day out rather than as your main event. However, it’s a quaint and quiet spot where you could spend a relaxed afternoon wandering and stopping for food.
El Bufadero de la Garita
A really cool volcanic formation in the sea between two beaches. We sat and watched the waves flow in and out of the formation for about 15 minutes. There is a free car park in a residential area and you have to walk across wet rocks to get there – so be careful!
Mirador la Veneguera
Though this appears to be just a roadside view point, we walked into the valley and spent about 30 minutes here. The trail leads into much longer walks so if you’re doing a bigger hike in the south west of the island you might come across this viewpoint.
Molino de Viento
This only takes about 5 minutes and can be viewed from the road as you drive past. But we pulled in to take a proper look for about 5 minutes because I really like windmills!
Puerto de Mogan
A beautiful harbour town with a small beach and marina. We spent an afternoon wandering around, eating in a waterside restaurant, and looking at the traditional Spanish style houses. Parking here is tricky and though there is plenty of street parking, it’s often full. So you will save a lot of time by heading straight to a car park!
Jardin Botanico Viera y Clavijo
A huge botanical garden on the outskirts of Las Palmas. Jardin Botanico Viera y Clavijo is free to enter and you could spend hours wandering the grounds. We visited on our last afternoon before our flight so time was limited. But we spent about an hour here looking at different plants native to the Canary Islands.
Go for a hike
Covered in mountains, forests, beaches, and rock formations, the hikes in Gran Canaria boast just about every kind of landscape. There are routes for all ability levels, including some very high and steep climbs. However, none of our hikes in Gran Canaria required climbing or even scrambling so you don’t need any real technical expertise. Just a certain level of fitness and mobility.
Find out our favourite walking routes in our blog: The best hikes in Gran Canaria.
Go to the beach
Gran Canaria is known for its beaches. But did you know how different they all are? From volcanic black sand, to miles of sand dunes, to man-made beaches just as stunning as the ‘real’ thing… There is no shortage of playas to explore in the Canary Islands.
Find out which were our favourites in our blog: The best beaches in Gran Canaria.
Other places to visit in Gran Canaria
Due to a busy schedule, we didn’t get to do everything on our list in Gran Canaria. But in a 2-3 week full holiday you could easily fit in all of these sights and still have plenty of time for sunbathing. And if beaches aren’t your thing then even better! But if I returned or had longer in Gran Canaria I would have loved to visit:
Agaete and the natural pools
Artenara village
Las Palmas old town
Barranca de las vacas
Want to know more about planning a holiday in Gran Canaria? Check out our travel itinerary here.