Deciding on the best beaches in Gran Canaria is not an easy task. And even more so when we talk about an island with nearly 100 beaches and natural pools. Therefore, in this article we are going to try to select the most beautiful beaches in Gran Canaria, avoiding the most touristy ones. Unfortunately, around the most touristic ones, the “Canariness” is barely palpable, nor can we enjoy of delicious Canarian food. That is to say, the whole environment is very touristy. This does not mean that the beaches are wonderful, have a wide range of services and are ideal for families.
Therefore, in this post we are going to talk about what for us are the best beaches in Gran Canaria, we will even mention some hidden beaches on the island. Likewise, at the end of this article you will find information on other beaches and even our complete guide to beaches and natural pools in case you want to continue investigating the coast of Gran Canaria on your own.
Best beaches Gran Canaria
In any case, with this post we hope you discover great beaches in a local environment and as little tourist as possible, that’s why we are your local guide of Gran Canaria. Of course, you will have to accept the challenge of walking a little or a lot to reach the most paradisiacal beaches.
1. Las Canteras beach, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Without a doubt, we can affirm that this is the best beach in Gran Canaria for us and for many of the inhabitants on this island. Las Canteras is not an urban beach, it is an earthly paradise and one of the best places to visit in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Its waters are of golden sand and it offers all the services (showers, toilets, sun beds…) Moreover, along its 4-kilometer avenue there are a lot of restaurants of all kinds. In addition, thanks to the reefs of La Barra, it is a very safe beach without waves (except in the area of La Cícer). It is a nice beach to go with children.
2. Maspalomas beach, San Bartolomé de Tirajana
The second place on our list of the best beaches in Gran Canaria is occupied by the other jewel of Gran Canaria: Maspalomas beach. If you like to walk on the sand, this is your beach. As it is so long and wide you can walk comfortably without feeling crowded at any time. It joins the Playa del Inglés beach at a certain point and together they make 6 kilometers. It has a nudist and gay zone, so don’t be scared if you start to see complete nudes in the middle of the way.
3. Sardina del Norte beach, Gáldar
Who would say that in the north of Gran Canaria we would find golden sand beaches like Sardina del Norte in Gáldar. Also, with blue flag! This is with a wide range of services for the user. At the same time, its surroundings are purely local. Sardina seabeds are also observed by divers from around the world, do you dare? This beach is also recommended to go with children.
4. San Agustín beach, San Bartolomé de Tirajana
San Agustín beach is one of the favorite of the locals. Here many locals spend the months of July and August with their families, so it is highly recommended to go with children. In winter it is the paradise of the Swedes. The beach has the blue flag and a pleasant walk along it. To eat around the area, do not miss El Capitan restaurant overlooking the sea.
5. Tufia beach, Telde
Telde has many quality beaches and we would love to include them all in this list, but we keep this one. Tufia and its marine environment make us fall in love. It is a very peculiar and unique site that you should know on your visit to Gran Canaria. It is also a good beach to start diving. You can go with children perfectly, but there are rocks in the access to the water as you can see below.
6. Gui gui beach, La Aldea de San Nicolás
Here is the most paradisiacal beach in Gran Canaria: Guguy or Güigüi. Worst of all is its access on foot after a 2-hour walk each way. The best, that you will be practically alone on a beach surrounded by cliffs and without phone signal. Only for the most adventurous, given the complexity of the trail, the lack of services and surveillance, although it is not a dangerous beach. If you are curious to discover it, we strongly recommend that you visit this post about Güigüi beach with tips. We cannot recommend this beach to go with children, unless you go on an excursion by boat.
7. El Agujero beach and natural pool, Gáldar
On the northern coast of Gáldar we find El Agujero beach, although there is little beach, since the large natural pool overshadows any other place for bathing that may remain at low tide. We like it because it is ideal for swimming in salt water and, of course, for its local environment. We hope you too! Here you can come with your family perfectly, since being a pool, it has no waves. In addition, there are mini beaches with golden sand for the little ones.
8. Las Burras, cool beaches Gran Canaria
Without a doubt, Las Burras is for us one of the best beaches in Gran Canaria. Its environment, despite being in a somewhat touristy area, is quite local. It has sun beds and umbrellas, showers and footbaths. In addition, it is one of the few that has a beach bar where you can eat delicious tapas or have a drink right on the sand. If we have to put a downside, it is its limited parking. It also has a nice sea promenade that connects it with San Agustín and Playa del Inglés.
9. El Pirata beach (Morro besudo), San Bartolomé de Tirajana
This is one of our favorite beaches on the island. Maybe because we discovered it late and we fell in love. We can say that it is one of the hidden beaches of the island. The atmosphere is very quiet and, although officially not indicated, many people practice nudism. Of course, as in any beach in the world, in summer the panorama changes. The access to El Pirata beach with prams is complicated because there are only stairs to go down to the sand. Otherwise, ideal also for families, but without surveillance.
10. Montaña Arena beach, San Bartolomé de Tirajana
Montaña Arena is a virgin beach of Gran Canaria and difficult to access, although in just 15 minutes you have it. And believe me, it’s worth it. It is a nudist beach and quite frequented by campers (in summer it is impossible to be). Here you will not have phone signal and the water is crystal clear, making it ideal for anyone looking for total disconnection. You should know that it is also a commonly accepted beach to go with dogs, since there is no surveillance. Here we do not recommend you go with the kids because access is not so easy to go with barges + a child, in addition, as we say, there are usually dogs. In any case, many Canarian families frequent it.
As you have seen, most of the best beaches of Gran Canaria are in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, in the south of the island. And, it is where much of the tourism is concentrated. In any case, northern, eastern and western beaches are also mentioned. In short, in Gran Canaria we are lucky ones. We have endless beaches. Which is your favorite? Have we agreed on any? Leave us a comment.
Family beaches in Gran Canaria
Moreover, we take the opportunity to mention the 10 best beaches to go with children in Gran Canaria according to our experience. They would be the following:
- Mogán beach
- Maspalomas / Playa del Inglés
- San Agustín
- Patalavaca
- Amadores beach
- Las Burras
- Anfi beach
- Las Canteras
- Puerto Rico beach
- Taurito Gran Canaria
- Melenara
Guide to beaches and natural pools
Finally, if you want to know all the beaches of Gran Canaria, we recommend our Guide to beaches and natural pools of the island with more than 80 places to swim and sunbathe along the coast. Some of these sites are hidden and we have not wanted to share them publicly to avoid their overcrowding. Thanks for letting it stay that way if you decide to buy this guide 🙂
Hidden beaches in Gran Canaria
Below we leave you with a short video about 5 hidden beaches in Gran Canaria which you are not going to find in any guide. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and don’t miss more videos like this!
Beaches in Gran Canaria
Then we leave you with all the posts of the beaches of Gran Canaria that we, as locals, frequent. We hope you find the one that best suits your tastes and preferences.
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