Where you stay shapes the whole trip on Gran Canaria. The island is small, with the south coast about an hour from the capital by road, but each area has a different feel. The south is the classic holiday base with the best beaches and weather, and Las Palmas suits travellers who want culture, food and a city beach. Winter, and November in particular, is high season, so book early. Here is how the areas compare and the hotel we would pick for each kind of trip.
Meloneras: for resort comfort
At the western end of the Maspalomas beach strip, Meloneras has a seafront promenade, restaurants and the lighthouse, and the dunes are within walking distance. Lopesan Costa Meloneras is the big-resort choice, with more than eleven hundred rooms, six pools, a large spa and several restaurants. It suits couples and families who want everything on site. The scale is large, so ask for a room near the facilities you will use most.
Maspalomas: for calm and style
Just inland from the dunes, Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia is a small colonial-style five-star with ninety-four rooms, palm gardens and a short walk to the beach. It is the splurge for travellers who want quiet and refined service. Check the children’s policy for December and January if you are travelling with family.
Las Palmas: for culture and the city
The capital is the best base if you prefer sightseeing to sunbathing. Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, is a landmark colonial building beside Doramas Park with Michelin-starred dining and a spa. It suits couples and food lovers, and a taxi takes you to Vegueta and Las Canteras.
Las Canteras: for city and beach together
The long urban beach is lined with cafés, and two of our hotels stand on it. Bull Reina Isabel and Spa is a four-star hotel about fifty metres from the sand, with sea-view rooms, free spa access and free parking. Hotel Concorde is the value choice, about a minute from the beach, with a rooftop terrace and a pool. Both are easy bases for Vegueta, the aquarium and the Arucas distillery.
Matching base to trip
For a resort holiday with a spa, Lopesan Costa Meloneras. For a quiet, elegant stay by the dunes, Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia. For a historic city hotel, Santa Catalina. For a beach and city break with sea views, Bull Reina Isabel. For value near the sand, Hotel Concorde.
Practical tips
There is one airport, on the east coast near Las Palmas, and the south coast resorts are about forty minutes away. If you hire a car, ask every hotel about parking, because some charge a daily fee or have limited spaces. The south is sunnier than the north, and the capital can be cloudier in winter. You can split a longer trip between the south and Las Palmas to see both sides of the island: three or four nights in Meloneras or Maspalomas for the dunes and the parks, then two or three in the capital for Vegueta, the aquarium and the city beach. Because Gran Canaria is a year-round winter-sun island, November to April is the busiest stretch, and the best rooms at the smaller hotels go first, so reserve as early as your dates allow.
