Best things to do in Gran Canaria: beaches, nature, villages and gastronomy

Gran Canaria has the rare knack of suiting almost any kind of traveller. You can arrive thinking only of the beach and end up falling for its mountains, or plan a city break and end up watching the sunset among the dunes. Its best plans aren't confined to the coast: they're also found on the inland roads, in the markets, in the ravines and in the villages where time passes more slowly.

Losing yourself in the dunes of Maspalomas

Few places sum up the surprise that is Gran Canaria as well as the dunes of Maspalomas. It's a living landscape, one that changes with the light and the wind, and it gains a great deal if visited unhurriedly. At sunrise or sunset, the scene turns almost otherworldly.

Living Las Canteras like a local

Las Canteras beach is a good deal more than a beach: it's one of the great meeting points of the Canary Islands. Here people swim, stroll, have breakfast looking out at the sea, exercise and dine with the Atlantic as a backdrop. It's the best way to get a feel for the daily rhythm of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Climbing up to the summit

The road towards Roque Nublo, Tejeda or Artenara reveals a Gran Canaria far greener and more mountainous than anyone who has only set foot in the south might imagine. Viewpoints, pine forests and ravines make the climb one of the favourite plans for anyone travelling with a camera in hand.

Sitting down to eat well

A trip to Gran Canaria is also remembered for what you eat. Cheeses, papas arrugadas with mojo, fresh fish, homemade sweets and produce from the island's mid-altitude farmlands turn up in markets, restaurants and family-run eateries all over the island. Eating inland after a mountain route is often one of the best moments of the whole trip.

Discovering charming villages

Teror, Tejeda, Agaete and Puerto de Mogán show very different faces of the island. Some look towards the mountains, others towards the sea, but all of them help build a picture of Gran Canaria far richer than the one on the postcards.

In the end, the best plans in Gran Canaria are the ones that mix contrasts: beach in the morning, mountains in the afternoon, city the next day and, as a bonus, a sunset that arrives when you least expect it.