Gran Canaria in 7 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

If there is one thing that distinguishes Gran Canaria from other places, it is that it has attractions for everyone. Deserts, beaches, mountains and seaside coexist in one of the most important tourist destinations in Spain and lend themselves to a complete tour. If you are planning a 7-day stay on the island, with the right itinerary you will be able to see the best places.

Some of the best things to see and do in Gran Canaria include boat trips, dolphin watching, swimming on paradisiacal beaches and adventure excursions.

If you plan to stay during your stay in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, then the first step will be to visit the main points of the city,

. Thus, you will be able to get to know the historic centre of the capital of the island, the most complete markets and some of the busiest beaches. You can also visit the Poema del Mar Aquarium, the largest in the Canary Islands, and enjoy the island's gastronomy.

Take a tour of Vegueta, the old town of Las Palmas

The old quarter of Las Palmas is characterised by its colonial landscapes, its range of museums and its cobbled streets that hark back to the years when the city was founded at the end of the 15th century.

In Vegueta you can visit the Casa de Colón, the Plaza de Santa Ana, the Parque de San Telmo and the Cathedral, the main sites of the old city of Gran Canaria.

The winding alleyways of the old town are built high up, so I recommend that you take comfortable shoes and water for hydration when walking around the neighbourhood, especially in summer, as the weather can get very hot. The best time to walk around the neighbourhood is in the morning.

If you want to go shopping, you can also do so in the area of the historic quarter, as you'll find a large number of shops on Calle Mayor de Triana.

For a lunch stop you can visit the Mercado de Vegueta, which is not that big but has a great variety of stalls to eat.

Tour the Castillo de la Luz

The Castillo de la Luz, now a haven for contemporary art, is one of the most important monuments in the Canary Islands, not only because it houses the island's historical heritage, but also because during the years of the Viceroyalty of America it was an obligatory passage for the fleet of ships returning to Spain, fulfilling a vital defensive role against pirate siege.

On a visit to the Castillo de la Luz you can see its drawbridge, the two circular towers, the sentry box and the cistern in the inner courtyard. It is interesting to note that although it is now surrounded by dry land, when it was built more than six centuries ago it was located on a reef outside the island.

You can get to the Castillo de la Luz from the Vegueta Market by car taking the GC-1 route, by bus line 12 to the Juan Rejón stop or on the hop on-hop off tourist buses of Gran Canaria. The entrance to the Castle has a general admission fee of 4 euros.

Visit the Poema del Mar Aquarium

A few streets away from the Castillo de la Luz is the Poema del Mar Aquarium, which is the largest aquarium in the Canary Islands and also a reserve of the island's natural fauna.

Divided into three themed exhibits, Jungle, Reef-Beach and Deep Ocean, this aquarium features sharks, dolphins, rays, octopus and crabs, as well as schools of fish and crocodiles.

The aquarium is a perfect alternative in Las Palmas to the best dolphin watching excursions, which usually start in Puerto de Mogán or Playa de Puerto Rico.

The Poema del Mar Aquarium is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm and general admission costs approximately 25 euros for adults and 18 euros for children under 11.

The full tour of the aquarium, including the interactive experiences, will take approximately 3 hours. To end the day with a Canarian experience you can dine at the Mercado del Puerto.

A tour of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is not complete until you visit the main beaches of the island, which is where the itinerary of the second day begins.

In the afternoon, after lunch, the tour continues with a half-day excursion to some of the island's highest points and the Roque Nublo Natural Monument.

Visit Las Canteras Beach and Confital Beach

Located in the western bay of Las Palmas, Playa de las Canteras and Playa del Confital are two of the main beaches of the island's capital. Playa del Confital, located on the Isleta Peninsula, stands out for being a naturist beach, inclusive and with ramps for the disabled.

Playa del Conf ital is a rough beach, so the best time to enjoy it is during the early hours of the morning. When the surfers start to arrive, it is best to move to Playa de las Canteras, which is 10 streets away and can be reached on bus number 21.

Playa de las Canteras is the most famous beach in the city and possibly the whole island. It will amaze you with its length and diving tour options. It offers a large number of restaurants, making it the ideal place to have lunch before continuing with the second day's excursions.

Take a guided excursion to the Roque Nublo Natural Monument

The interior of the island is home to some of the best natural attractions in Spain and you can discover them on some of the best tours in Gran Canaria.

On these excursions you can visit the villages of Teror and San Mateo and take in panoramic views from the volcanic mountain peaks before reaching Roque Nublo.

The Roque Nublo National Monument is located in the geographical centre of Gran Canaria and is one of the symbols of the island, because it is 80 metres high in volcanic rock and is more than 1800 metres above sea level. This makes it the third highest point, behind Morro de la Agujereada and Pico de las Nieves.

From Roque Nublo you can access one of the clearest open views on the island and if you plan to visit Gran Canaria in Decemberor January you can also see the sunset.

On the third day the itinerary will include a visit to the south of the island to see the unique dunes of Maspalomas, which have a direct correlation with the landscape of the Sahara desert, and the Maspalomas Lighthouse, one of the oldest in Gran Canaria.

In the afternoon, I suggest an excursion with whale and dolphin watching from the beach of Puerto Rico.

Walk around the Maspalomas Dunes

Is it possible to visit the Sahara in Gran Canaria? It seems so, at least from the dunes of Maspalomas, because they offer a unique landscape that is similar to the desert, even sharing the same climate and some of the migratory birds that also inhabit the African continent.

You can reach the dunes of Maspalomas by car from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the GC-1 route in a journey of about forty minutes or by bus combining lines L1 and 1 to the station Avenida de Bonn.

The best time to visit the dunes is in the morning, as the heat rises in the afternoon, especially in summer.

Entrance to the Natural Park is free and once inside, at an extra cost, you can take a camel ride through the dunes of Maspalomas or a guided tour that will take you through the best landscapes of the site where you can take the best pictures of what is known as the great desert of the Canary Islands.

See the Maspalomas Lighthouse and take a swim at Playa del Inglés beach.

Once you finish your morning tour of the dunes of Maspalomas you can have lunch in one of the coastal restaurants of Playa de las Mujeres and then visit the Maspalomas Lighthouse, one of the oldest in the Canary Islands.

The Maspalomas Lighthouse is a symbol of the Canary Islands and also one of the highest points in the south of the island, along with the Mirador de las Dunas, which you can access in the vicinity of the Hotel Riu Palace.

A few streets away from the lighthouse you can visit Playa del Inglés, the most distinctive of the southern beaches and noted for its golden sand and calm, crystal-clear waters, as well as its enormous expanse.

Go on a dolphin watching tour

A dolphin watching tour is one of the best things to do in Gran Canaria. From Playa del Inglés you can reach the beach of Puerto Rico by car on the GC-1 road in about 20 minutes and there you can book an excursion to discover the cetaceans of the Canary Islands.

On these afternoon excursions, which last about 3 hours and start at 41 euros, you can sail on an open water cruise looking for dolphins, whales and other cetaceans of the Canary fauna, such as beaked whales and sperm whales.

During the summer or high season months, and when weather conditions permit, the dolphin watching excursion cruises usually make some stops so that visitors can take a swim.

Some Gran Canaria boat tours also include an open bar with soft drinks and reduced rates for children.

If you haven't found the tour adventurous enough so far, get ready, because the fourth day includes a visit to the Pico de las Nieves, the second highest point of the island, a walk through the volcanic caldera of Bandama and a relaxing swim in the natural pools of Agaete, on the west coast of Gran Canaria.

Visit the Bandama Caldera

The Caldera de la Bandama is an inactive volcanic caldera with a viewpoint from which it is possible to contemplate the remains of the volcano and also part of the island.

The tour of Bandama can be done on two trails, one of which will take you to the bottom of the crater, so if you want to opt for this route you should ideally start very early in the morning.

You can reach the Caldera de la Bandama by car from Las Palmas on the GC-802 road, a journey of about 20 minutes, or by bus, combining lines L1 and 311. If you opt for a guided excursion to Bandama, you will understand the volcanic origins of the Canary Islands and its relationship with the African continent.

Reach the summit of Pico de las Nieves

After Morro de la Agujereada, Pico de las Nieves, at over 1900 metres high, is the highest point on Gran Canaria and if you reach the top you can see some of the most spectacular views on the island.

If the weather conditions are right, you can also experience the strange phenomenon whereby the winds push the clouds against the mountains and they accumulate on the cliffs, creating the sensation that the visitor is walking on clouds.

You can get from the Caldera de la Bandama to Pico de las Nieves by car along the winding GC-15 road in just over 40 minutes. You can either reach the summit by car or hire a hiking tour with an expert local guide.

Relax in Agaete's natural pools

If you want to rest your legs after the exhausting tour of the Caldera de la Bandama and Pico de las Nieves, you can visit Las Salinas.

Las Salinas are made up of three pools in the rocks that provide a refuge from the strong waves and also create a space for relaxation, from which it is possible to catch a glimpse, on clear days, of the Pico del Teide, on the neighbouring island of Tenerife.

Las Salinas de Agaete can be reached by car from Pico de las Nieves on the GC-150 road in just over an hour.

For the fifth day, and after an adventurous tour, I suggest you visit Gáldar, the colonial town in the north of Gran Canaria which was the first capital of the island and which still maintains its ancient architecture.

Then you'll head to Sardina del Norte Beach, a paradise of crystal-clear waters flanked by cliffs and seafood restaurants.

Tour Gáldar, the island's first capital city

If you liked the old town of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gáldar, a town in the north of the island that still preserves its pre-Hispanic architectural heritage and a large number of colonial attractions, will also catch your eye.

In Gáldar you can visit the parish church of Santiago, the Town Hall Theatre, La Recova Market and the Cueva Pintada Archaeological Park, one of the largest remains of cave art in the Canary Islands. The Cueva Pintada is one of the most interesting attractions on the island and you can visit it free of charge at weekends.

You can reach Gáldar from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria by car on the GC-3 road, a journey time of just over half an hour, or by public transport on a combination of bus routes 1 and 105.

Visit Sardina del Norte Beach

In Gáldar, Playa de Sardina del Norte is a paradise lost in a coastal village that lacks nothing. On the spectacular beaches you can experience scuba diving, rent kayaks, fish, do water sports and try the most delicious local food overlooking the sea.

Sardina del Norte is one of the most beautiful beaches in Gran Canaria and stands out for the crystal blue of its calm waters and the cliff walls that flank the beach area. It is an ideal place to have lunch after walking around the old part of the city and to spend the afternoon waiting for the sunset.

You can reach Sardina del Norte Beach by car in just over 10 minutes or hire some of the local private transport services, as there are no regular buses that run this route.

If you enjoyed Gáldar and the beaches in the north of Gran Canaria as well as the adventure tours in the interior of the island, for the sixth day I suggest a full day tour in the ancient forest of Doramas.

Join The Rainforest Tour, a full-day jungle excursion

With these excursions with return transfer and hotel pick-up, you can visit the Barranco de Azuaje ravine, which is the gateway to the ancient Doramas Forest of Gran Canaria. In this natural area you will see the Laurisilva Forest and you will take the first walk of the day following the water course.

During the tour you will also visit the Azuaje Viewpoint, one of the most beautiful on the island, and you can take a dip in some of the natural pools in the ravine.

These adventure tours will immerse you in the exotic green trails of northern Gran Canaria, which still preserves some unspoilt areas, and you will learn the stories of the local native peoples and pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the Canaries.

These tours usually include entrance fees to attractions, tastings, local guide assistance and transfers in the reference price, which has a starting cost of approximately 81 euros per person.

On the seventh and final day the itinerary includes a tour of two of the most picturesque villages of Gran Canaria and also a tour of the Bodega Los Lirios, one of the island's leading wine producers since its foundation.

Visit Telde and Agüimes, two of the island's most picturesque villages

Telde is the second most populated town in Gran Canaria, but it is also a beautiful place that still preserves some of the architectural jewels of its pre-Hispanic past, such as the Basilica of San Juan Bautista and the Casino.

In Telde you can also visit the Cueva de Cuatro Puertas cave and the paradisiacal Playa de Tufia beach.

Telde can be reached by car from Las Palmas on the GC-3 road in just over 10 minutes, and by public transport on bus lines 54 and 12. On the outskirts of the town you can also visit the Corredor Paisajístico, an ideal place for hiking and cycling.

20 kilometres from Telde, along the GC-1 road, you can drive to Agüimes, which, although a little smaller, also stands out for its parish church, the Plaza del Rosario and the Bahía de Formas, which is why they are considered sister towns.

End your visit to Gran Canaria with a tour of the Bodega Los Lirios winery

The Bodega Los Lirios is one of the most traditional wineries in Gran Canaria and a must for anyone visiting the island.

Located in Los Lirios, very close to the Cuesta de los Alvarados, this winery and vineyard is an ideal place to end your tour of the Canary Islands with a wine and cheese tasting.

You can reach the Bodega Los Lirios by car from Agüimes on the GC-1 road and take an afternoon excursion of about 3 hours to taste red wine from the vineyard and sample local products, while you wait for the sunset and plan, why not, a second trip around Gran Canaria.