Gran Canaria map
Gran Canaria is a Spanish island in the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is part of Spain, a quick look at a world map shows that it lies much closer to the north-west coast of Africa than to mainland Spain. The island is around 200 kilometres from the African coast and approximately 1,250 kilometres from the Spanish mainland.
As the map shows, Gran Canaria is almost completely round and measures around 45–50 kilometres across. It covers a total area of 1,560 km², making it the third-largest of the Canary Islands. Tenerife is the largest at 2,034 km², followed by Fuerteventura at approximately 1,660 km². The other five main islands are Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, shown in the north-east corner of the map, is the island’s capital. Gran Canaria has around 880,000 inhabitants, of whom approximately 382,000 live in Las Palmas. Telde, just south of the capital, is the island’s second-largest city.
Most of Gran Canaria’s popular holiday resorts are located along the south coast. Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas and Meloneras form the largest continuous tourist area, while resorts such as Puerto Rico, Playa Taurito and Puerto de Mogán occupy a series of bays and valleys further west.
Gran Canaria’s beaches vary considerably around the island. The south and south-west are home to many of the best-known sandy beaches, including Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas and Playa de Amadores, as well as several smaller beaches sheltered by harbour walls. In the north, Las Canteras is the island’s outstanding city beach in Las Palmas, while Gran Canaria’s most popular pebble beach is in Puerto de las Nieves on the north-west coast.
Explore our guides to the beaches of southern Gran Canaria and northern Gran Canaria.
Gran Canaria Airport lies on the east coast between Las Palmas and the main resorts in the south. The GC-1 motorway follows much of the east and south coasts, making travel between these areas relatively straightforward. Journeys into the mountainous interior usually take longer than the distances on the map might suggest, as many of the roads are narrow and winding.
Gran Canaria is volcanic in origin and has a rugged, mountainous interior. Its highest point is Morro de la Agujereada at 1,956 metres above sea level. For many years, the nearby Pico de las Nieves was believed to be the island’s highest point, but it is seven metres lower. Gran Canaria’s best-known rock formation is Roque Nublo, generally regarded as the island’s third-highest point. The surrounding Nublo Rural Park is our favourite area for walking on Gran Canaria, with routes of varying length and difficulty.
The central mountains divide Gran Canaria into several distinct climate zones. The north is generally greener, cooler and more likely to be cloudy, while the south is drier, warmer and sunnier. This contrast helps explain why the south coast is both the island’s main holiday area and home to many of its most popular beaches.
Close to the centre of Gran Canaria lies the charming mountain village of Tejeda. The island’s geographical centre is traditionally marked by the stone cross at Cruz de Tejeda, approximately two kilometres north-east of the village. Other attractive places include the town of Arucas and the mountain villages of Firgas and Teror.
In our opinion, the Maspalomas Dunes are Gran Canaria’s greatest natural attraction. This spectacular 400-hectare dune landscape, popularly known as the Maspalomas Desert, was designated a Special Nature Reserve in 1994. We recommend visiting early in the day, before the crowds arrive.
See our guide to more of Gran Canaria’s best attractions.
