Gran Canaria at a glance

Next to Tenerife , Gran Canaria is one of the best-known of the seven Canary Islands . In addition, the two neighboring islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote also belong to the administrative area of ​​Gran Canaria.

Where you travel on Gran Canaria makes a big difference as the island is incredibly diverse.

The north is known for its lush green vegetation as well as the peace and serenity of the sleepy mountain villages. You will also find many of the traditional cave dwellings of Gran Canaria’s natives here. The forests also thrive here because there are a few more rainy days compared to the south.

The south, on the other hand, is very dry and home to the tourist hotspots of Gran Canaria. Here one hotel follows the next, there is an active nightlife, plenty of shopping opportunities and a wide range of activities.

But you will also find some of the most beautiful golden sandy beaches in the south and they are perfect for a day at the beach with the whole family.

Arrival to Gran Canaria

You can easily reach Gran Canaria by plane, because direct flights are offered from all major airports in Germany . Depending on where you start from, the flight takes between four and five hours .

According to DISEASESLEARNING, flight prices vary greatly depending on the season. It is definitely worth booking early if you want to travel to Gran Canaria in the high season. In winter, on the other hand, you can sometimes get cheap flights at short notice.

We always check the connections via Skyscanner, here you have a great overview of all connections and prices.

The airport is located about 20 kilometers outside the capital Las Palmas, in the north of Gran Canaria. To reach your accommodation you will find many bus connections, private transfers, taxis and car rental companies.

Getting around Gran Canaria

There are different ways to get around Gran Canaria. We give you an overview here.

With the rental car

Renting a car is definitely a good choice in Gran Canaria. This allows you to get to more remote places, you are not tied to travel times and you are more free.

Unfortunately, since Corona you have been paying significantly more: in summer the prices start from 30 euros per day, in winter from 20 euros.

There are many providers of rental cars on Gran Canaria. We therefore always compare the prices on Check24 in advance.

By public transport

You can also reach the cities on Gran Canaria easily by bus. The bus company Global travels to most major cities. You can find an overview of all routes on their website. You can easily buy your ticket from the driver.

Then there are of course inner-city buses in the big cities like Las Palmas.

However, some of the more remote attractions and some starting points for hikes can only be reached with your own rental car.

Other means of transport

In the cities you can also use the bike and it is highly recommended, especially when looking for a parking space.

Another good alternative in Las Palmas are the hop-on hop-off buses. This allows you to reach all the top sights and is still very flexible.

Island hopping from Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is very centrally located between the neighboring Canary Islands. So how about a trip to another island? We will show you which Canary Islands you can reach very quickly from Gran Canaria.

Are you still looking for tips for the Canary Islands in general or don’t know which Canary Island you want to travel to?

With the ferry

Gran Canaria has two ferry ports: the much larger port is in the capital Las Palmas, the smaller one is on the west coast near the town of Agaete. However, it is only served by smaller ferries from Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

You can reach almost all islands (except La Gomera and El Hierro) directly by ferry. Here you can find an overview:

• Tenerife (about 2 hours drive)
• Fuerteventura (about 3 hours drive)
• Lanzarote (around 6 hours drive)
• La Palma (about 11 hours drive with change)

The ferry crossing usually takes longer than a flight. However, if you have a rental car, you can simply take it with you on the ferry and, depending on the provider, drop it off on another island.

Ferry services are provided by two operators, namely Naviera Armas and Fred Olsen .

By plane

There are many smaller airlines like Binter or CanaryFly that offer connections between the Canary Islands. All islands have at least one small airport, so you can easily reach El Hierro and La Gomera by plane.

In addition, a flight is usually cheaper and faster because the check-in process is less complicated than with a normal flight.

You can also compare prices on Skyscanner for flights between the islands and see all connections at a glance.