Gran Canaria is full of wonderful places where you can enjoy a fantastic stay and have exciting adventures.
Discover the most fascinating sites of our beloved island with iJump‘s list of magical places to visit in Gran Canaria and make the most out of your holidays!
We are confident that you will find some great inspiration throughout the following ideas which include places that have been declared World Heritage Sites, the most charming villages, incredible monuments and more…
Do you feel bold to try the most daring adventure of this island while enjoying incomparable views? With iJump you can see Gran Canaria’s wonderful locations from the sky. Make an unexpected plan and come tandem skydiving with us or surprise your partner with our skydiving gift voucher!
To make many more awesome plans let’s dive into todays post and get to know the magical places to visit in Gran Canaria.
Table of Contents
What are the must-dos in Gran Canaria?
Visiting the capital of the island: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Probably obvious as it is one of the main attractions for all tourists but no one leaves out the capital of Gran Canaria in their agenda of magical places to visit on this island: Las Palmas. You have the option of taking city tours or you can make your own way around, exploring all of the city’s most endearing corners.
If you choose the second option, definitely make a stop in the captivating neighbourhoods of Vegueta and Triana and check out the great Metropolitan Cathedral of Santa Ana. Hot tip: The traditional Carnival of Las Palmas which has been celebrated for more than 500 years, takes place in February. Visit the capital then, to see it at its best.
Walking in the Maspalomas Dunes
The Maspalomas Dunes are a nature reserve of 400 hectares at the southernmost point of the island. Lose yourself in the tranquillity of the sandy hills, the palm trees and the lagoon until you reach the blues of the Atlantic ocean.
It is a wide sandy area of golden shades and fine texture that stretches from the Faro de Maspalomas to Playa del Inglés. Don’t miss out on this one, you’ll have beautiful photos to show off to all your friends!
The views of the ocean from the Balcony lookout
If like us, you love breathtaking panoramic views from above, an alternative to skydiving (but not better;-) is to climb up to the Balcón viewpoint, one of the island’s best lookouts known. It’s one of the magical places to visit in Gran Canaria for the formidable Atlantic Ocean views it offers.
The lookout is located on the west cost of the island, at the top of a series of sensational cliffs known as “The Tail of the Dragon”. Without a doubt, another great place to take an amazing snapshot.
The best beaches of Gran Canaria
Along the 236 kilometres of coastline that our island has, there is no one who leaves without visiting some of the best beaches in Gran Canaria. In addition to the dunes we mentioned before, you have a wide range of outstanding beaches, among which we highlight the Playa de Amadores, Playa Anfi del Mar, Playa de Güi Güi and seven others that you can discover in the linked post.
The warm temperatures are best dealt with by lying on the sand and cooling off in the water. Besides, having a rest after so much sightseeing never hurts.
Explore our most emblematic natural environments
Among the magical places to visit in Gran Canaria we could not leave out two of our most characteristic natural environments. On the one hand we have Roque Nublo, one of Gran Canaria’s main landmarks and the third highest point of the island. It is an impressive 80 meters high volcanic rock located in the Nublo Rural Park.
On the other hand we have the Integral Nature Reserve of Inagua, an authentic landscape full of pine forests and ravines that will allow you to immerse yourself in the nature of Gran Canaria. All you have to do is take the car, drive along the roads and stop at the viewpoints you come across to observe the boundless vegetation you will find.
Discovering the charming villages of Tejeda and Teror
There are two villages where you have to make an obligatory stop. Tejeda is a village that dazzles everyone who passes through because of the spectacular natural landscape that surrounds it. It is located between mountains, in a very charming area, which makes it one of the most beautiful villages in the Canary Islands. It is located near the Roque Nublo.
In Teror we would highlight the Calle Real de la Plaza which is full of colourful buildings filling the town with life and joy, as well as its most important monument: the Basilica de la Virgen del Pino. It is really worth taking a stroll through Teror’s enchanting alleys and discover for yourself why it is one of the magical places to visit in Gran Canaria.
Urban architecture and fishing tradition in Puerto de Mogán
The picturesque decorated white houses that you can find in Puerto de Mogán, in the southwest of the island, are one of the urban architectural landmarks of Gran Canaria and can’t be missing on your list of magical places to visit.
Its a cozy town with attractive buildings full of beautiful flowers and a small, elegant harbour where you will appreciate the fishing tradition of the island.
We recommend you to go sightseeing here on Fridays, as there is the additional attraction of a street market being held then.
An excursion of historical-artistic heritage in Arucas
Arucas is a town that stands out for its historical-artistic heritage, in particular for the church of San Juan Bautista, a treasure for the canary islanders that was built in the early twentieth century. It was made entirely with stone from Arucas and shows detailed decorations. Other places of interest are the Plaza de la Constitución, the Teatro Nuevo or the Casa de Gourié.
Want to know one more hot tip? If you like rum, the name of this town will surely sound familiar to you. Yes, that’s what you were thinking! Arucas is the town where the famous Arehucas distillery is located. If you are interested in knowing more about the production of this Canarian rum definitely go to their guided tours and tastings.
A landscape declared a World Heritage Site
The last stop on our list of magical places to visit in Gran Canaria is the cultural landscape of the Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains, the only one of the 49 World Heritage Sites in Spain belonging to the province of Las Palmas.
It is an archaeological site located on the island’s governing summits and is made up of a total of 21 caves excavated in the volcanic rock by the aboriginal Canary Islanders. These caves have the practically exclusive privilege of being one of the first prehistoric astronomical and religious sites to be recognised by UNESCO with this honourable title.
Enjoy a different experience in Gran Canaria with iJump
We, from iJump hope that this post about the magical places to visit in Gran Canaria gave you inspiring ideas for your next visit to our island. Remember that you can also experience the most unique adventure here.
Do you dare to consider the idea of jumping from a plane to see the whole island from the most privileged point of view you can find? We from iJump offer tandem skydives for all kinds of occasions and special celebrations, such as birthdays, bachelor parties, marriage proposals… or if you just want to have a good time with your group of friends without any additional reason, you will also be welcomed with open arms.
We will make sure you have everything you need to carry out the activity under all safety measures. Further we have the option to capture your entire skydiving experience with state of the art camera equipment. Take your video and photos home with you to remember this rarely experienced moment forever.
Contact us if you need more information or want to book your skydive adventure now. We are excited to meet you and take you to the top of the island, flying through the skies of Gran Canaria. Are you ready to discover all the magical places from above?
