FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN GRAN CANARIA
Lighthouse views can also be enjoyed on Gran Canaria’s beaches.
Flights to Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is a very popular package holiday destination and several travel agencies offer package tours to several places in Gran Canaria. The island is also a good starting point to travel to very cheaply.
In addition to package tours, Gran Canaria has very good flight connections from Finland, and there are also direct leisure flights and cheap flights. The direct flight from Helsinki to Las Palmas Airport takes about six and a half hours. Finnair flies to Gran Canaria during the winter season, Norwegian operates throughout the year. At its cheapest, round-trip flights from Helsinki to Gran Canaria cost about 230 euros.
Las Palmas Airport is located on the east coast of the island, about 25 km from the city of Las Palmas. Spain’s fifth largest airport serves passengers at two terminals. There are good bus connections from the airport around the island.
Hotels and accommodation in Gran Canaria
The resorts of Gran Canaria are full of hotels. In the south, hotel areas are often located by the beach and there are many family-friendly hotels and family resort-type places where the needs of children are taken into account. Similarly, there are several hotels on the island that focus only on adult guests.
Gran Canaria offers a wide range of accommodation and all price and quality categories are represented. If desired, the traveler can choose, for example, a luxury spa hotel or a high-quality apartment hotel. However, there are also small, modest and affordable hotels.
A hotel night in Gran Canaria resorts costs an average of € 70-90. At its cheapest, Gran Canaria can accommodate up to 20-30 euros. Renting a villa is also a popular way to spend your holiday, but during the busiest tourist season with a reservation, you should be on the move well in advance.
Getting around Gran Canaria
To get around the resorts, you should use a taxi, which is an affordable one-way trip for shorter trips. Las Palmas also has local buses within the city.
For longer trips, between Gran Canaria’s resorts and major villages, it is worth taking the bus. The route network for buses on the island is comprehensive and travel prices are reasonable. A bus trip from the airport to the resort, for example, costs about a couple of euros.
Gran Canaria bus routes and timetables can be found, for example, on the local Global website.
You can also explore Gran Canaria with a rental car, which is worth booking before you travel. Many international car rental companies are represented at Gran Canaria Airport.
ATTRACTIONS OF GRAN CANARIA
The sand dunes of Maspalomas are right on the beach.
The beaches attract tourists
Gran Canaria is especially known for its long sandy beaches. Popular strips of sand can be found especially in the southern parts of the island.
The sandy beach from Playa del Inglés to Maspalomas Lighthouse is one of the island’s most popular sunbathing spots. Water athletes, on the other hand, thrive in Puerto Rico and families enjoy the small beaches of Agustin, Amadores and Puerto de Mogán.
Quiet and private beaches can be found in the northern parts of the island. Agaete Beach, for example, is a great destination for a holidaymaker looking for peace.
Maspalomas sand dunes
The 400-hectare sand dunes between Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés were designated a national park in 1994.
The scenery of the sand dunes is beautiful all year round, but especially during the migratory bird season, the place is an interesting place to visit. Sand dunes are also home to plants and animals not found anywhere else in the world that have adapted to living in harsh conditions. In addition to special animals, nudist tourists also enjoy the dunes.
Maspalomas Aqualand and other theme parks
Located in Maspalomas, Aqualand is a paradise for water predators. The water park features pools, water slides and activities to suit a wide variety of pedestrians. Gran Canaria also has a range of other water and theme parks, where families with children can enjoy themselves all day long.
Rent a car and tour the small villages
Car lining is a great way to explore the island from deeper than the surface. Rental prices in the Canary Islands are very affordable, and at its cheapest, a small car can be used for up to 30-40 euros a week. In the larger size classes, prices go up, but overall, motoring doesn’t make a big dent in your wallet.
The best way to get to that authentic Canarian atmosphere is to shed the dust of the tourist beaches from your heels and head for the day to the more authentic regions of the island: in the north and central Gran Canaria you see a kind of ordinary life hidden completely in the southern tourist hubs.
Great inland mountain scenery
The heat of midsummer may rise high in the coastal areas of Gran Canaria, but help is at hand: for an easy cooling off situation, go to the center of the island for a mountain hike. Gran Canaria’s highest peak, Pico del Pozo de las Nieves, rises to an altitude of 1,949 meters. There are many wonderful scenic routes in the area. The mountain can be reached not only by hiking or cycling but also easily by direct car. The views are great and the temperature is invariably busier than the coast.
The center of Gran Canaria is located in the mountains of Tejeda. A large stone cross has been erected to mark the place and the symbol of the island, Roque Nublo, can be seen here handsomely. Many tourist trips bring bus passengers to Tejeda and a small concentration of cafes and souvenir shops have emerged around the center.
THE BEST OF GRAN CANARIAN
Gran Canaria also has great natural attractions.
The best activities in Gran Canaria
- Try water activities: diving, snorkeling, surfing
- Explore the sights of Las Palmas
- Play gorfia in stunning scenery
- Spend a rowdy day in Aqualand
- Take a hike in the mountains
The prettiest small villages
- Firgas
- Terror
- Agaete
The most famous beaches
- Playa de las Canteras
- Playa de Amadores
- Maspalomas
