Three days is enough to see the best of Gran Canaria if you accept that the island is small but its roads are slow. The south coast, the capital and the mountains each need a day of their own, and the plan below keeps the driving sensible by grouping sights that sit close together. It works from a base in the south, such as Meloneras or Maspalomas, and it can be flipped if you are staying in Las Palmas. A hire car makes it easier, but organised tours with hotel pickups cover the mountain day, and buses link the south and the capital.
Day one: the dunes, the sea and a south coast evening
Start early at the Maspalomas Dunes, when the sand is cool, the light is soft and the ridges are free of footprints. Walking in is free, and a short camel safari adds the classic photograph if you want it. Spend the middle of the day on the beach at the dunes edge or by your hotel pool, because the sun is strong all year. In the afternoon, choose one active outing: a dolphin and whale cruise from Puerto Rico if you like boats, or the Virgin Beaches catamaran if you want swimming stops along the wild west coast. Both depend on the sea, so book a day or two ahead and keep the other as a fallback. Finish with a walk along the Meloneras promenade towards the lighthouse, where the restaurants fill up at sunset.
Day two: into the mountains
Gran Canaria changes completely a few kilometres inland, and the interior is the reason to hire a car or join a tour. The signature outing is the Roque Nublo hike, a walk to a basalt pinnacle at 1,813 metres that stands above a sea of clouds on good days. Leave early, wear proper shoes and bring a layer, because the summit area is much cooler than the coast. If you would rather not drive the winding roads yourself, a jeep tour into the interior covers viewpoints and villages with a guide at the wheel, and the sunset and stargazing tour turns the same high country into an evening trip under very clear skies. Lunch in a mountain village, with Canarian dishes such as stewed meat, wrinkled potatoes and local cheese, is part of the experience. Allow extra time for the return journey, because the bends are slow.
Day three: Las Palmas and the north
The capital is about an hour from the southern resorts by motorway. Begin in Vegueta, the colonial old town, where the cathedral square, the narrow streets and the old merchant houses reward a slow walk, and a short guided walk helps if you like context. Move to the harbour front for the Poema del Mar aquarium, then to Las Canteras, a long city beach sheltered by an offshore reef, which is the best place on the island for a late swim and a promenade stroll. If you have a car and the energy, swap the aquarium for the north: Arucas has a neo-Gothic church and the Arehucas rum distillery, which opens on weekdays only, and Teror has a basilica and balconied houses, with a lively market on Sundays.
Choosing between options
The main trade-off is breadth against rest. If you want a slower trip, drop the afternoon boat on day one and keep it for a morning of beach. If you love food and culture, give the whole of day three to Las Palmas and skip the north. If you travel with older children or teenagers, add the buggy safari to day two in place of the walk. Active travellers with a head for heights can book a tandem paragliding flight above the coast near Las Palmas on day three, weather permitting. Wind and cloud affect the paragliding, the boats and the stargazing, so keep your most flexible tickets for the middle of the trip and leave at least one open morning.
Practical tips
The currency is the euro, and cards are widely accepted, although village bars and market stalls may prefer cash. Roads in the mountains are narrow and winding, so allow more time than the distance suggests, and fill the tank before you climb. The south is usually the sunniest part of the island and the north the cloudiest, so pack layers even in a warm month. Sunscreen and a hat are essential at every stage. Opening days and hours change, particularly on holidays, so confirm each attraction before you set out. If you can stretch to a fourth day, spend it in Puerto de Mogan, the prettiest harbour village on the island, or on the Mogan sea caves by kayak, and you will have seen almost every side of Gran Canaria.
