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City guide

Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria, also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. As of 2023 the island had a population of 862,893 that constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago.

Type IslandPopulation 862,893

Why go

  • Spanish island in the North Atlantic.
  • Served by Gran Canaria Airport (LPA).

History

Gran Canaria, also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. As of 2023 the island had a population of 862,893 that constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital of the island, is the largest city of the Canary Islands and the ninth-largest city of Spain.

Airports

Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) 18 km to the centre
Gran Canaria Island, CN, ES — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 36 airlines (Ryanair, Binter Canarias, Iberia Airlines, Air Berlin…) · direct flights to 80 destinations incl. Madrid, Manchester, London, Cologne, Duesseldorf… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 36 airlines, 80 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor

Regional airports

Further out, but often the cheapest way in — the airports the low-cost carriers use. Each links to its own town's guide for getting from there into the city.

Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport (TFN) 97 km to the centre
Tenerife, CN, ES — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 10 airlines (Iberia Airlines, Binter Canarias, Air Europa, Vueling Airlines…) · direct flights to 17 destinations incl. Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Malaga, Sevilla… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 97 km from Gran Canaria · Iberia Airlines, Binter Canarias, Air Europa · Getting around Santa Cruz de Tenerife →
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 10 airlines, 17 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Gran Canaria Airport (LPA). Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: LPA has direct flights to 80 destinations on 36 airlines (incl. Madrid, Manchester, London, Cologne, Duesseldorf…).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Gran Canaria. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Tours & experiences