Cheap Holidays to Gran Canaria: When and Where to Save

Prices follow the British school calendar more than the weather. The summer holidays, Easter, half-terms and the Christmas fortnight are when demand peaks and packages cost the most. Outside those weeks, you usually have more choice. August is the hottest month, with highs of around 33°C in Maspalomas, so many travellers who want to save and avoid the heat look at May, June or late September instead. Those months still bring highs of 25 to 27°C and only a few rainy days.

Winter is the island's great strength. Maspalomas averages 23°C highs and 17°C lows in January and December, with one or two rainy days. That's why cheap holidays to Gran Canaria in December are so popular. If you're travelling then, aim for the first half of the month, before the Christmas school holidays start. March is the wettest month by rainfall, though it still only has around four rainy days and reaches 25°C.

The easiest place to find a bargain is usually a large resort, where lots of hotels compete for the same travellers. On Gran Canaria, that means the south coast. Puerto Rico is the resort British travellers search for most, followed by Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés. With so many places to stay, you have more chance of finding a room that fits your budget. Maspalomas also has the dunes-side lighthouse, Meloneras and Palmitos Park nearby, so you don't need to spend much to fill your days.

Puerto de Mogán, further west, is smaller and more sought after, so it rarely suits the tightest budgets. Las Palmas, the island capital in the north-east, works well for city breaks rather than a beach fortnight. If a short transfer matters to you, Telde and Agüimes are the closest towns to the airport, at 7 and 6 minutes away.

Be flexible with your dates first. Midweek departures are often cheaper than Saturday flights, and you may find better gran canaria package deals from a regional UK airport than from London. Booking early for school-holiday weeks gives you the widest choice. Outside those weeks, a later booking can sometimes work in your favour.

Think about board basis too. Self-catering usually keeps the base price down, while all inclusive can work out better value for families who would otherwise eat out three times a day. A package that includes flights, hotel and transfers is usually the simplest way to book cheap package holidays to Gran Canaria. You can compare holiday deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach on this page, along with hotel-only prices if you prefer to book flights separately.

Gran Canaria airport (LPA) has direct flights from the UK and sits on the east coast, close to Agüimes (6 minutes), Telde (7 minutes), Santa Lucía and Santa Brígida (both 14 minutes). The southern resorts such as Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas and Puerto Rico are further down the coast. On a package, your coach or private transfer is normally included.

If you want to explore inland, car hire is worth comparing here. With a car, it's easy to reach Bandama Caldera, the Barranco de Guayadeque, the basilica at Teror or the Painted Cave at Gáldar. Ferries also run from the port at Las Palmas if you fancy hopping across to Tenerife.