Canary Islands Las Palmas: City Holidays on Gran Canaria

Las Palmas is a working capital rather than a purpose-built resort, and that is its appeal. You get museums, fortifications and a cathedral alongside long stretches of sand, so a week here can mix mornings in a gallery with afternoons by the sea.

The historic heart is Vegueta, a protected district where the Cathedral Basilica of St. Ann, the House museum of Christopher Columbus, the Canarian Museum and the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno all sit within walking distance of each other. Two old forts, the Castle of San Francisco and Castillo de Mata, are roughly half a mile away.

Vegueta is the place for history and evening walks among old stone streets. Head north and you reach Playa de Las Canteras, about 3 miles from the old quarter, with the smaller Alcavaneras beach roughly 2.5 miles out. Near Las Canteras you also find the Elder Museum of Science and Technology and the Poema del Mar Aquarium, both handy on a cloudier day or with children.

Further north, La Isleta is wilder: Castillo de la Luz guards the approach, the Faro de La Isleta lighthouse stands around 5 miles from Vegueta, and El Confital beach lies about 4 miles out. For a half-day inland, the Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo in Tafira Alta is about 4 miles away and the Bandama Caldera, a volcanic crater near Santa Brígida, roughly 5.5 miles. Car hire makes those inland trips simpler.

The best months run from April to September, plus December. Summer is the warmest and driest stretch: July and August reach 25°C to 26°C with only around three rainy days each and lows of 20°C to 21°C. Spring is gentler, at 21°C to 22°C in April and May.

Christmas in Las Palmas is a real draw for anyone escaping a grey British December, with highs of 21°C, lows of 16°C and around seven rain days in the month. If you are planning Las Palmas at Christmas and staying on, the Las Palmas New Year period runs into January, which is slightly cooler at 20°C with roughly nine rain days.

January to March and October to November are shoulder months. Temperatures barely drop, still around 20°C to 25°C, but showers are more frequent, with October the wettest at about 53mm.

Most British travellers book Gran Canaria as a package holiday: flights from the UK, a hotel and the airport transfer bundled into one booking. The package deal buttons on this page let you compare Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach side by side, check which UK airports they fly from, and choose your board basis, from room only to half board or all inclusive. As a general rule, school holidays, including the Christmas and New Year fortnight, are the busiest and dearest times to travel, so book early if you are tied to those dates.

If you prefer to arrange things separately, you can also check hotel prices, compare car hire for trips out to Bandama Caldera or the botanical garden, and browse tours and tickets for the city's sights, all from this page.