4 days in Gran Canaria: Complete Itinerary
4 days division
- Day 1: northeast and east part
- Day 2: South of the island
- Day 3: Centre of the island
- Day 4: North West
The best (and we would say only) way to visit the island is by renting a car. For us, the best car rental comparison site on the market is Discovercars.com. Click below to find your perfect car in Gran Canaria.
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Discover our other Canarian Island posts, which will help you to complement the information you find in this post:
Transportation in Gran Canaria
Car hire is almost obligatory to enjoy the island in all its splendour. Distances are long and public transport can be time-consuming.
That’s why we recommend renting a car. We always use Discovercars.com, the best car comparison site on the market. There you will see many car options on the island so you can choose the one that best suits your requirements and budget.
Where to stay in Gran Canaria?
We always like to do this kind of sections to give you details about the best places to stay in Gran Canaria. In this case, as you will see below, we have been visiting different areas of the island, so it would be best to stay somewhere in the middle of the island. However, many people also opt for other areas as there are spectacular and beautiful places to sleep, so we will also give you that detail in case you fancy a different area.
Center area (east) and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
This area is perfect for its location, as the main roads pass through it and it gives you the possibility to reach the main points of the island faster by car. This is our selection of 5 options:
- Hostal Condevega: Very well located in Telde and with all the facilities of a hostel. The rooms are very clean and new. It has bike rental, perfect for those who want to experience the island this way.
- Apartamentos Franchy: For those who prefer to sleep in a fully equipped flat at one of the best prices in the area. Super new and good location.
Santa Ana Suite & Rooms: Location 10 in Las Palmas, great views of the cathedral, and super new and well equipped rooms. The price is low for the location, so it’s a great option. - Boutique Hotel Cordial Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana: We recommend this hotel where we had a drink on the terrace and found it to be very nice. It is a bit more expensive, but the price is quite acceptable. The views are amazing and the rooms are beautiful.
- Triana Rooms EH: Close to the most important street in the city, Triana. The location is perfect and the facilities are very new.
South Area: Maspalomas
It is the most touristic area we saw in these 4 days in Gran Canaria, but many people choose to stay there as there is a lot of beach and holiday activities. In a more expensive area. Here are our recommendations after analysing the results:
- Piso Paraiso: Apartment 3 minutes from the beach with swimming pool and tennis court. It is very well equipped and located in the area and the price is reasonable, so we think it is a very good option.
- Hotel Faro: This is a much more expensive and luxurious hotel, but we think it is quite nice because of its location in front of a lighthouse, with sea views, a huge swimming pool and golf course. This is for those who like to enjoy a hotel with all the comforts 🙂
- Yumbo Room: 9 minutes walk from Playa del Inglés. It has a swimming pool and fully equipped flats. A cheaper option in the area.
Center area accommodations
This area is much more rural and mountainous, so it is a very different option for 4 days in Gran Canaria:
- Angel Caves Farmstay: This agritourism is amazing. You sleep in a super cosy tent style. It seems to us a super idyllic place for its location and charm, so it must be a real blast.
- Fuente Hervera Penthouse: A whole flat in the middle of the mountain with a garden. Another super idyllic place for a different kind of holiday away from the crowded places.
- Parador de Cruz de Tejeda: We would like to recommend it as we went for a coffee in their restaurant and found the views, the spa and everything around it amazing. If we return, we would like to stay there one day because it is really spectacular.
Day 1: La Garita and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 4 days in Gran Canaria
This first day of our 4 days in Gran Canaria started around midday, as we all had to work and we folded at lunchtime. Our friends live in La Garita, a neighbourhood in the town of Telde, in the north-east of the island. After finishing our working day, we went for a walk to the restaurant where we had lunch and could see the small and quiet beaches of La Garita, Playa del Hombre and Playa del Pozuelo.
After lunch, we wanted to go and see El Bufadero, a natural phenomenon that occurs on the rocks where the waves break and where the water makes an impressive effect.
In the afternoon, we went for a walk in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital and largest city of the island. We were taken for a walk through the historic quarter of Vegueta, one of the most characteristic and beautiful neighbourhoods of the city, being one of the origins of the great city it is now. It is very cool to stroll through its narrow streets and pretty squares.
Next, we continue along Calle Triana, the city’s main street of shops and department stores. In the adjoining streets (where there are many people strolling), you can find many places to have a quiet drink.
Finally, we have dinner in the Plaza de la Catedral de Canarias, a neoclassical + gothic style building located in the heart of the Vegueta district.
Where to eat?
A very important part of this post is the places where we ate. The truth is that Chipy and Javi took us to some top places, so we would like to recommend them.
This day for lunch we went to a restaurant in La Garita where they serve fresh fish and other local products. The lady who runs it is lovely and will always recommend you fresh produce of the day. It’s called Restaurante Perico Junior.
For dinner, we dined at a very top place for tapas and typical Canarian products in front of the cathedral of Gran Canaria called El Monje de Santa Ana. Highly recommended if you are in the city.
We also went to a rooftop for a drink and we would also recommend it. It’s the terrace of the Boutique Hotel Cordial Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana (the best views of the city and the cathedral).
Day 2: South of the Island, 4 days in Gran Canaria
The second day of our 4 days in Gran Canaria was dedicated to the southern part of the island. This is probably the most touristy part of the island, with many of the most tourist-oriented resorts and areas on the island. However, there are several places worth visiting.
The first is one of the great attractions of the island, the dunes of Maspalomas. We were amazed by this place. It is a desert in front of Playa del Inglés, with lots of dunes and a feeling of being in the desert. To get there, you have to go to the Riu Palace hotel and enter through the hotel to the viewpoint. Then you have a couple of paths that you can follow to go to the dunes themselves. We think it’s an amazing place and a must-see, it really feels like you’re in the desert.
From there, we went to the pretty fishing village of Mogán, which is quite touristic, but still a great place to have a walk and a bite to eat. There, you can spend some time on the beach in front of the cliffs, stroll around the beautiful area of colourful houses and flowers in the port area of Mogán, go up to the viewpoint which is reached by climbing up the houses of the locals or go to the cliff area from where you can see Tenerife and Mount Teide if there is good visibility.
We had lunch there and, as it was a beautiful day, we decided to spend the afternoon at a super nice beach called Montaña Arena. It is a very quiet beach, we loved it.
At dinner time, we went to the village where Chipy and Javi live, Telde. We loved walking around the village at night, it has quite a mysterious aura and there are stories about rituals and witches. It’s really worth a walk, it’s very beautiful and a good point to go in 4 days in Gran Canaria.
Where to eat?
On this second day, we have several places to recommend.
The first one is a very good brunch near the dunes of Maspalomas called Mr Kale. It doesn’t have a very good Google rating, but we found the food to be very top notch, so we highly recommend it.
We had lunch in Mogán. It’s a bit more touristy and with more international restaurants, but we went to one of them which was really good and the service was unbeatable. It is called Restaurante Mogan Mar.
Finally, dinner was in a super top place if you like tapas and wine. It is located in the central square of Telde and is called Vinoteca San Juan.
Day 3: Center of the island, 4 days in Gran Canaria
On this third day of our 4 days in Gran Canaria, one of the highlights was a visit to the mountainous central area of the island of Gran Canaria. We believe that it is one of the most curious and beautiful areas, as it contrasts completely with the beach and holiday area. Once you get to the top of the mountain, it seems that you are really in a mountain range or a very mountainous area.
The first visit we made on this day was to Roque Nublo, what a beautiful place! It’s a short half-hour hike to a viewpoint that gives you a view of practically the whole island. The scenery and the views are breathtaking. We recommend this place 100%, it requires no physical effort and gives you access to one of the most beautiful places you can see in Gran Canaria.
After relaxing in Roque Nublo, we drive to a small village, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, situated in this valley between mountains. It is called Tejeda. Here, we ate in a spectacular restaurant, which we recommend below, and strolled around the historic area. Afterwards, we also leave you a recommendation for a chocolate palmera, which is one of the best we have ever tasted 🙂
To finish the day, we had coffee at the Parador de Cruz de Tejeda, a hotel with spa and one of the best viewpoints over the valley that you can find on the island. It’s amazing.
Back in Telde, they wanted to show us a small fishing village that you can’t miss. It is called Tufia and we found it to be one of the most charming places on the island, as it is a fishing village where people live in houses built into the rocks. It looks like a place from another time.
Where to eat?
In Tejeda, we ate at a VERY TOP place with spectacular service called Restaurante El Arraigo. SPECTACULAR.
For chocolate palmeras, visit Dulcería Nublo, you won’t regret it 🙂
Day 4: Northwest of the island, 4 days in Gran Canaria
With a lot of sadness as every time we leave a place, the last day of our 4 days in Gran Canaria arrived. This day was spent in the northwest of the island.
As a first stop, we wanted to visit a charming little coastal town called Agaete. This place is very nice and quiet for a walk in front of the sea and cliffs (it has one of the highest cliffs in Spain, the Acantilados de Tamadaba).
After a leisurely stroll through the village, we head to the most famous place in the village, its natural pools. There are several natural pools located where the waves break and where you can bathe in a very beautiful place. The pity was that it was very windy and we couldn’t swim, so we already have a reason to come back 🙂
After lunch, and as the last activity of the trip, we went for a visit to a very famous coffee / wine producer in the area called Bodega los Berrazales. Paying 12€ pp they give you a tour of their farm and a coffee tasting with some pastillas, so it’s a cool place to go after lunch and have a coffee made on the spot.
And after this visit, we went back to La Garita to pick up our bags and head to the airport to go back to Barcelona. 🙁
Map of places
The Canary Islands are always a recommended place to spend a few days with good food, great landscapes, beaches and peace and quiet. In this case, Gran Canaria is not far behind, as it is a place where you can do many and varied things.
If you have any questions about the post, feel free to contact us via social networks or comments and we will be happy to help you 🙂
