According to mathgeneral, Gran Canaria is an island in the Atlantic Ocean (Africa) that is part of the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands is one of the autonomous regions of Spain. The capital of Gran Canaria is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas). A number of major cities in Gran Canaria are: San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Telde, Gáldar, Santa Lucía de Tirajana and Arucas.
Gran Canaria is the most visited island of the Canary Islands. The island is visited annually by 2.2 million visitors, who often come for the beaches and the beautiful weather. The coastline of Gran Canaria has wide sandy beaches and clear sea water. A large bird park (Palmitos Park) is located in the south of the island. See clothingexpress for safari trips to Africa.
Where is Gran Canaria located?
Travel information of Gran Canaria
Official name: Gran Canaria
Continent: Europe (political) and Africa (location)
Area: 1,560 km²
Capital: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Las Palmas)
Country code: ES, ESP
Population: 851,231 inhabitants (2019)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Highest point: 1,949 m (Pozo de Las Nieves)
Distance (Amsterdam – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria): 3,178 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in Gran Canaria that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Gran Canaria, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Gran Canaria. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Gran Canaria?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Gran Canaria at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Gran Canaria has a subtropical climate. Temperatures average 20 degrees in winter and 25 degrees in summer.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Gran Canaria can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Gran Canaria can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to Gran Canaria. This avoids mass tourism from the Spanish mainland and the chance of precipitation.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Gran Canaria. In addition, English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Spain: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate on Tenerife (also for Gran Canaria):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Spanish consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Gran Canaria.
Money and Currency
In Gran Canaria you pay with the euro (EUR)
An overview of all ATMs in Gran Canaria can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on Gran Canaria are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -38% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (42% cheaper), food (35% cheaper), imported beer in catering (55% cheaper), cigarettes (51% cheaper) and public transport (59% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Gran Canaria it is customary to tip. In most hotels and restaurants, a service charge is added to the bill. If this is not yet the case, the tip is approximately 10%.
Time difference
On Gran Canaria it is 1 hour earlier than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in Gran Canaria is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Gran Canaria can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Gran Canaria you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Gran Canaria.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Gran Canaria.
Electricity
In Gran Canaria you may need a travel plug in some cases.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Gran Canaria can be found on our electricity page (under the Canary Islands).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
The water from the tap is slightly chlorinated and can therefore cause stomach and intestinal complaints.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Gran Canaria can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Gran Canaria can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Gran Canaria end in.es.
Gran Canaria official websites: grancanaria.com and hallocanarischeeilanden.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Gran Canaria is 0034 or +34.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Gran Canaria? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Gran Canaria Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Gran Canaria.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Gran Canaria.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Gran Canaria.
Public holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Gran Canaria can be found on Lonely Planet.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Gran Canaria, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report about Gran Canaria?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Gran Canaria. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Gran Canaria can be found on Protected Planet.
Gran Canaria is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Gran Canaria? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business on or with Gran Canaria, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Gran Canaria, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Gran Canaria? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, housing, scholarship, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Gran Canaria.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0.3 for novice drivers up to 2 years old).
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Gran Canaria has a diameter of only 50 km?
…The last volcanic eruption in Gran Canaria took place 3,500 years ago?
…There are still several inhabited cave dwellings to be found in Artenara?
…Banana cultivation has long been Gran Canaria’s main source of income?
…There are virtually no mosquitoes and wasps on Gran Canaria?
