26 Dec Highlights of Gran Canaria

When you think of Gran Canaria sunny beaches come to mind. It’s an ideal island to soak up some winter sun. But the place has so much more to offer than the beach and your hotel pool.

Maspalomas

From the busy beach of Playa del Inglés you can walk along the dunes to Maspalomas, or vice versa. It’s about 6 km to the lighthouse “El Faro de Maspalomas”. The dunes make it seem like a desert and it can be a whole experience to walk through it. When it is too difficult to walk along here, you can always walk along the beach. The dunes are generally very quiet but the beach also has a nudist area – so if you’re not a fan, watch out.

In Maspalomas itself the shopping street is nice to walk through and cozy to drink something on a terrace.

Roque Nublo

Roque Nublo is the most known rock of Gran Canaria and also the roof of the island. It’s a 1-hour drive through the mountains with many hairpin bends. There aren’t a lot of parking spaces, so you better arrive in the morning. If you want to hike to Roque Nublo, you should bring some water with you and put on good shoes. At the beginning there’s a stand where you can buy food and drinks.

It’s a short (about 30 minutes) and easy hike, with great views. After the forest part, the trail becomes slightly more difficult and in the last part you have to climb over the rocks. We have been in the morning what makes the hike easier.

Once you arrive at Roque Nublo you have some lovely views. With clear weather you can even see Pico del Teide on Tenerife.

Teror

Teror is the most beautiful village in Gran Canaria. It’s a historic town, high up in the mountains, located in the north of the island. It’s known for its colorful houses with beautiful wooden balconies.

The old cathedral is the main attraction and around there you have a few places to eat. This authentic village consists of many small alleys what makes parking an experience.

Puerto de Mogan

If you want an authentic Spanish experience, then you should go to Puerto de Mogan.

It’s a picturesque fishing town with market day on Friday. The market runs through the whole village and ends in a beautiful bay. On market day the place is very busy but the town itself is charming because of the beautifully colored houses with lush flowers. The harbor and small streets reminded us of Venice.