Gran Canaria, Spain has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, IMO. It’s apart of the 8 major Canary Islands archipelago. Gran Canaria is situated off the western coast of Africa and is a Spanish territory. It is a beautiful continent that has great weather year-round.
It’s the perfect place to go to get some sun and warm weather, especially during the winter months. With beautiful weather comes even more gorgeous beaches to enjoy. Here I have collected the best beaches you should visit in Gran Canaria. From the northern to the southern coast, I know that there is a beautiful beach perfect for you and awaiting a visit.
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1. MASPALOMAS
Visit the huge sand dunes of Maspalomas. Located on the southern coast. Ride camels on this desert beach as you explore the dunes. Or just take a walk along the sand and enjoy the great weather. Oh don’t be alarmed but you may come upon a nudist area, which is quite common in Spain.
2. PUERTO RICO
This beach is absolutely gorgeous. It is also located on the southern coast. You will experience amazing views of the beautiful water and the rocky mountains situated behind. You will see a lot of colorful umbrellas here, which you can sit under and relax.
Puerto Rico Beach is where tons of resorts are located as well, nestled between the mountains. If you’ve booked a boat ride, then you will meet-up at this beach at the docks. This beach is also lined with restaurants serving traditional Canarian food and lots of seafood choices.
3. PLAYA DEL INGLES
Play Del Ingles is a popular beach in Gran Canaria and is the most crowded with visitors. Situated on the southern coast, there are nudist areas if you want to let it all hang out. LOL.
If not just stay in the regular area and sit back and relax to enjoy the sunshine and beautiful ocean. This beach is also perfect for the kids with plenty of things for them to do and explore.
4. LAS CANTERAS
Las Cantera beach is situated in the northern part of Gran Canaria in the city of Las Palmas. Walk along the boardwalk and grab a bite to eat and one of the numerous restaurants they have or grab a drink at a bar. This is the location where the cruise ships stop and docks for a day for passengers to debark and explore the city.
5. PUERTO DE LAS NIEVES
Puerto De Las Nieves beach is very unique as it isn’t your typical sandy beach. It is full of rocks and pebbles. This small town is a fishing village, and the beach is as well. People still were laying out catching some sun wherever they could find a smooth surface, which were on wooden platforms set up for people to layout on.
There were also some women sunbathing topless. I guess is the thing to do in Europe. Additionally, you can walk along the boardwalk and enjoy the most amazing views, while staring into the crystal blue waters with the mountains as the backdrop.
6. PUERTO DE MOGAN
Speaking of fishing, if you love to fish then Puerto de Mogan is the beach for you. This harbor is located in the South-West coastal part of the island. Here you can rent one of the boats and take it out for a spin to catch you a fish or two. Try your luck at marlin fishing.
Then you can go shopping in the market. After that, walk around and check out the cute shops in the area or take a break and choose one of the many restaurants to grab some food. The quaint town is known as “Little Venice”, due to the canals running through it.
7. PLAYA ANFI DEL MAR
Playa Anfi del Mar is a beautiful quiet beach on the southern coast of Gran Canaria. There’s plenty of hotels and resorts steps way from the beach, especially if you like to enjoy the beautiful coastal views. We stayed in this area and walked down a path to get to the beach. I
t’s a nice clean beach with plenty of water sports to participate in. The scenery of the gardens of palm trees and other exotic plants is very nice to see. Walking along the beach in the evenings were nice and a little bit more private. The waters of this beach are pretty calm so you can take a nice swim.
That makes it a perfect spot for families and children. Play in the sand and enjoy a day out playing volleyball. Then, rent a sunbed and layout and get some sun.
That’s all I have for now. If you’ve enjoyed this post on the best beaches in Gran Canaria and want to know more about Gran Canaria, check out my post on how my family spent 3 Amazing Days in Gran Canaria where I go over our full itinerary.
