Cheap flights to Gran Canaria airport

Discover Gran Canaria

Cheap Flights to Gran Canaria Las Palmas Airport

More than 1,500 km southwest of the southern tip of Spain, in the Atlantic close to Morocco, are the beautiful Canary Islands, a wonderful holiday destination that attracts more than 10 million tourists each year. Of the archipelago of a dozen islands, Gran Canaria is the most populous. Las Palmas is its capital.

Far away from mainland Spain though it may be, the atmosphere of Las Palmas can feel very mainland Spanish. It's a multicultural society, however, with great African, Indian and Chinese influences that become apparent in various neighborhoods.

Las Palmas being an important port city, there is a great party scene fueled by sailors from dozens of ships hitting land for the first time in months. The port district thrives with great bars, shopping, dining and nightlife options, as do Vegueta, Playa de las Canteras, and many other parts of this city. Las Palmas is considered a fully functioning city of Spain, and not just a holiday island; but you do get the best of both worlds.

The essentials: when and how to come to Las Palmas

As a district of Spain, the Canary Islands are considered part of the European Union; if you have a Canadian passport, you don't need a visa to arrive here as a tourist on visits shorter than 90 days. There is actually no bad time to visit Las Palmas; as a semi-arid region, the island only gets a few short spring showers in March, April and May. Apart from these showers, it's reliably warm and dry year-around; while it does get cloudy in July and August, it doesn't rain.

With the weather as convenient as it is in Las Palmas, you can use a deal-finder tool like Skyscanner to scan an entire month or year for the cheapest times to come.

Las Palmas has a modern, single terminal airport with a great selection of dining and shopping outlets, many of which are open 24 hours a day. There is even a grocery store, a pharmacy and a post office. Not only is there free Wi-Fi everywhere, there are plenty of power outlets to help you charge whatever devices you have with you. If you're thinking of spending the night at the airport the day you arrive or leave, they are very sensitive to these needs. There is plenty of long seating without armrests, the lights are dimmed at night and announcements are made quietly.

When you're ready to make it to town, there are eight different bus routes that take you all over the island (fares range between €3 and €7). There are affordable cabs, as well.

Finding things to do in Las Palmas

There's a great variety of things to see and do in Las Palmas.

While you could certainly spend time on one of the island's five excellent urban beaches, you should also make sure that you take in El Confital, the beach over a cliff, to see the waves crash and dissolve into spray. Street markets spring up all over Las Palmas every day; going around various neighborhoods, you're sure to stumble upon one or two. Wonderful and lively weekly markets such as Mercadillo de Vegueta, Mercado Cental and San Lorenzo's are must-sees, as well.

Stroll down the beautiful beach promenade of Avenida Marítim, visit the little San Cristóbal fishing village and take in the Triana shopping area; they are all wonderful. If you would you like to see a little bit of the island's wild side, you only need to take a day trip to Caldera de Bandama volcano or the Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo botanical garden. Gran Canaria may be semi-arid and cactus may be all it grows. It's still wonderful to see.