Family Holidays: Gran Canaria family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

The third largest of the beautiful Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is often described as a continent in miniature, mainly because there are so many microclimates across it. It has a fertile northern section, arid interior and desert south, its startlingly different terrain makes it a very interesting island to explore. You do have to pick and choose a bit on this island though, maybe more so than on the other Canaries. You can get very cheap package holidays here, although the relentless partying in the major resorts might be a bit wearying for parents. The capital city, Las Palmas is a very interesting place with a happening nightlife and beautiful beaches close by. This part of the island is cooler and greener and therefore has less tourists. The undiscovered interior has spectacular volcanic landscapes and lush exotic vegetation, and you can discover whole villages of islanders still living in caves! If you have some budding windsurfers, or sailors, Gran Canaria will be a paradise for them, especially on the beaches in the SE, where there is relentless wind, so maybe not so much fun for everybody else. Leave the kids at a windsurfing school and head for the golf course, there are some superb ones here.

Top left: Puerto Morgan
Top right: Sand dunes

Bottom left: Playa Amadores
Bottom right: Bentaiga

When

As with all of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria has a climate that we can quite reasonably be enviable of. During winter, temperatures rarely dip below 16ºC, and in summer rarely stray above 32ºC. January is the coolest month, with the average daytime temperatures of 18ºC, and the warmest is August with average temperatures of 26ºC, although daytime highs are often over 30ºC. During peak seasons you may want to head inland to avoid the crowds.

How

The airport is ten miles from Las Palmas and has many direct flights from the UK, plus flights to the other Canary Islands. Find flight deals with partners British Airways or check the best flight deals with Expedia. You can also arrive by sea, via ferries from the other islands and the Spanish mainland, (see our ferries page). The island has an efficient bus network, or you can hire a car or even bicycles for the whole family!

Do

Stay away from Playa del Ingles, if you ever want some sleep. Go instead marginally inland to the enormous sand dunes of Maspalomas where you can sand-board or play golf on one of the best courses on the island. Take the children to any number of amusement parks or to Palmalitos nature park for the great animal and bird shows. Hire a car and drive the scenic coastal route from Agaete to Aldea de San Nicolas, or head inland to the awesome landscapes of the interior, for some spectacular walking. Alternatively just give in to the relentless fun, let the kids out on a windsurfer and relax in a spa in any one of the enormous number of resorts down the south east corner of the island.

Eat

In the tourist centres on the sunny south side, there is not much variety - tapas of little shrimp, potatoes with garlic sauce, lots of meat dishes, spicy peppers and always almonds. There's paella everywhere, especially in the fishing towns along the south coast. The best food is off the beaten paths of the beaches and into the mountain towns, but it takes some hunting out.