What to Do in Gran Canaria: The Best Activities on Spain's Atlantic Island
Updated: 4 days ago
Gran Canaria is the one that works when the rest of Spain doesn't. December on the peninsula means grey skies and 10°C; December in Las Palmas means 22°C, blue water, and a functioning beach holiday. The island also has a volcanic interior that most visitors never see — Roque Nublo, the Bandama caldera, the Guayadeque ravine — and one of the most complete whale-watching operations in the Atlantic. It earns its nickname of miniature continent.
Here's what to actually book.
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Best for First-Timers: Gran Canaria Island Highlights Day Tour
The interior of Gran Canaria is the part most visitors skip, and it's the part that justifies the word 'continent.' The 8-hour island highlights tour from Las Palmas covers the Bandama volcano crater (the oldest extinct volcano on the island), Pico de las Nieves (the highest point, with views to Tenerife on clear days), the mountain village of Fataga, and the Maspalomas sand dunes at the southern tip. One loop around the island in a day that covers desert, volcano, mountains, and beach.
Pavel is the guide most reviews name specifically — the consistent praise across hundreds of reviews for making the geology and history engaging rather than recited. Pickup from Las Palmas hotels included.
Tours: Gran Canaria: 8-hour island highlights tour from Las Palmas · Gran Canaria: highlights day tour, Guayadeque & Maspalomas · Browse all Gran Canaria tours on GetYourGuide → · Search Viator →
Best for Families & Kids: Whale & Dolphin Watching from Las Palmas
The waters around Gran Canaria are among the best in the Atlantic for cetacean watching — the deep waters of the island's submarine cliffs drop fast and bring nutrients up from depth, which brings fish, which brings dolphins and whales year-round. Common and bottlenose dolphins are reliable on almost every trip. Pilot whales, sperm whales, and fin whales appear regularly. December is good: calm seas, no summer crowds, and the whale populations are stable.
The catamaran tours out of Las Palmas are the most comfortable option for families — larger boats, deck space, drinks included. For older kids or more adventurous groups, the rigid inflatable boat tours get you lower to the water and move faster between sightings.
Tours: Las Palmas: catamaran whale & dolphin watching with lunch · Gran Canaria: whale watching RIB boat tour · Browse all Gran Canaria water tours → · Search Viator →
Best if You Only Have a Few Hours: Las Palmas City Highlights Tour
Las Palmas is an underrated city. The Vegueta neighbourhood — the original Spanish colonial settlement, founded in 1478 — is full of 15th-century architecture, the house where Columbus stayed before his first voyage to the Americas (now a museum), the Gothic cathedral, and the Néstor Museum. The Triana shopping district runs alongside it. The Poema del Mar aquarium in the harbour is one of the best in Spain — an architectural statement as much as an aquarium, with a deep-water tunnel and genuine sharks.
A guided city tour covers the essential circuit in two to three hours. Good for anyone arriving by cruise ship or with a single day before heading to the beach resorts in the south.
Tours: Las Palmas: city highlights guided tour with pickup · Las Palmas: Vegueta, Triana & Poema del Mar essentials tour · Browse all Las Palmas tours → · Search Viator →
Most Unique: Bandama Caldera Volcano Hike & Botanic Garden
The Bandama caldera is the largest volcanic crater on the island — about a kilometre wide and 200 metres deep, with a farm still operating on the crater floor. The hike down and back is about two hours, not difficult, and the contrast between the lush crater floor and the volcanic rim is one of those Gran Canaria images that doesn't make it onto the brochures. The combination tour adds the Jardín Botánico Canario — the largest botanical garden in Spain, dedicated entirely to Canarian endemic species — and the colonial old town of Santa Brígida.
Tours: Bandama caldera volcano, botanic garden & old town private tour · Browse all Gran Canaria nature tours → · Search Viator →
Best Guided Experience: Roque Nublo & Tejeda Mountain Village Tour
Roque Nublo is the volcanic monolith at the centre of the island — an 80-metre pillar of basalt standing alone on a ridge at 1,800 metres, worshipped by the island's original Guanche inhabitants. The walk to the base is about 45 minutes from the car park. On clear days the views extend to Tenerife, La Palma, and the Teide volcano across the water.
The guided tours that combine Roque Nublo with the village of Tejeda (known for its almond blossom in January–February and its marzipan year-round), Cruz de Tejeda, and the drive through the pine forest interior give the full picture of an island most people only see from the beach. A genuinely good day out even for people who don't think of themselves as hikers.
Tours: Gran Canaria: Roque Nublo, Tejeda & island interior guided tour · Browse all Gran Canaria hiking tours → · Search Viator →
Looking for Somewhere to Stay?
Las Palmas is the right base if you want a city feel and the beach culture of Las Canteras — one of the best urban beaches in Spain. The southern resorts (Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés) are the package holiday zone: more infrastructure, less character, closer to the dunes. For December, Las Palmas gives you more variety. Browse hotels in Gran Canaria →
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