Tips for travelling to Gran Canaria
We want to share with you our best tips for traveling to Gran Canaria that are applicable to all the Canary Islands. Especially if you are traveling for the first time, since there may be things you do not know yet. The most basic and that you may already know is that the Canary Islands belong to Spain, so the currency used is the euro. In the same way, Spanish is spoken in the Canary Islands, although with a peculiar accent, more similar to Venezuelan than Castilian. If that’s OK with you, let’s go there with our tips for first-timers in the Canary Islands.
1. We do not recommend drinking tap water
Unlike in most European countries and cities in Spain, it hardly rains in the Canary Islands and the water in homes is usually desalinated. In addition, enough chlorine is added so that you yourself will notice a somewhat strange taste. In general, in the homes of the Canary Islands we do not drink tap water and as a general rule it is not recommended. There are houses in which there is a water filter in their taps or American refrigerators, in that case yes.
2. Take some warm clothes
The weather in Gran Canaria and in the Canary Islands in general is one of the best in the world. However, it is important that you bring some warm clothing if you plan to visit its mountains and inland towns. Especially in the fall, spring and winter months. Keep in mind that the highest mountain in Spain is in Tenerife with 3,718m of altitude.
Therefore, if you are going to visit El Teide, the Roque Nublo Natural Monument or any other mountain or inland area, temperatures may drop below 5 degrees in winter. And, at the same time, on the south coast of the Island enjoy 20 degrees.
3. Rent a car, tips for traveling to Gran Canaria
Whenever we can we repeat it, Gran Canaria is an island with totally different landscapes that are worth knowing. Many of these corners are found in remote places where you can not easily reach by public transport. Therefore, one of the best tips that we can give you is to hire a car in Gran Canaria to discover the island. Compare all the car rental options on the island at RentalCars. Here you will also find the local rentals such as Cicar, Autoreisen or Top Car. If you also want to know the prices of private transfers in Gran Canaria, you can check all the options and reviews here.
4. Benefit from reduced taxes. Tips for traveling to the Canary Islands
In mainland Spain we have the IVA tax, which as a general rule is 21%, but the Canary Islands are governed by a different tax. It is the Canary Indirect General Tax or IGIC and as a general rule it is 7%. Therefore, you should know that for the purchase of certain products, it is cheaper to do so in the Canary Islands. These are: alcohol, tobacco, perfumes and electronics, for example, an iPhone or a camera. Take a look at the post about perfume shops in Las Palmas.
5. Arrange a travel insurance
Like every trip, we advise hiring an insurance. So at least we do it whenever we travel. You will have coverage of flight delays, loss of luggage and even coverage of health expenses at destination in the event of an accident. We offer all our readers a 5% discount on any of their policies by booking through the following image. Be informed that this discount will be valid for any destination, not only for the Canary Islands ๐
Find below the different options of travel insurances and prices depending on the number of days.
Iati seguros6. Be careful with the sun the whole year, tips for traveling to the Canary Islands
In Gran Canaria and in the Canary Islands in general it is usually sunny all year round, so if you visit the island outside of the summer season, remember to also use sunscreen, since although the solar radiation is less, it also burns and is harmful to your skin.
Travel connected to the internet with an eSIM
If you are visiting the Canary Islands and need internet because your home carrier does not have roaming in Spain, we have a 5% discount on the Holafly eSIM. You can see all plans and benefit from this discount on the button below. All options of this eSIM in Gran Canaria include unlimited data, with no extra cost surprises. You can also use the code LOCALGUIDEGRANCANARIA for when you travel to Gran Canaria or any destination in the world, so save it.
8. Avoid staying in tourist areas, tips for traveling to the Canary Islands
Surely the cheapest accommodation on the island is found in the most crowded areas. Please, take a look at our post about hotels in Gran Canaria and the best areas to stay on the island if you don’t want to stay in an area for tourists.
9. Taste the Canarian gastronomy
We recommend you take a look at the article on Canarian food and what to order in restaurants. Highlight the internationally awarded Canarian cheeses, gofio, potatoes with mojo, fruits such as avocado, banana and papaya, fresh fish, among others. In the case of Gran Canaria, we have a guide that includes more than 80 restaurants throughout the island that we would recommend to our friends. That is, they are the ones we visit. We also have some guide packs with special prices that you can check at the end of this post.
10. Get your Revolut card for free, tips for traveling to Gran Canaria
Travel lighter with the Revolut card with no fees on ATM withdrawals and card payments worldwide, youโll enjoy the freedom of knowing youโre ready to explore, whenever. You can get the Revolut card here.
Video: Tips for traveling to the Canary Islands
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Guides to Gran Canaria
If you have any other questions before traveling to Gran Canaria or any other Canary Island, leave us a comment below or contact us at info@localguidegrancanaria.com. Next, we also leave you just one click away from all our guides to the island most authentic side of the island on your own without wasting time organizing your trip. Have a good trip!
We are Ruth & Jorge, Gran Canarians with a travelling soul. Experts in tourism and digital marketing. We share the most authentic side of Gran Canaria (where we live) and… our adventures around the world!
These are some really excellent thought out tips .. we are very excited as a family as we would soon be going during Easters (last week of march 2024). We are staying in the south district of Puerto Rico. Just were wondering what to expect weatherwise at that time of the year – any suggestions ??
Hi Adi!! normally is around 23 degrees, but who knows… the weather is being crazy lately because of the clima change! Let’s see ๐
Hi. I’m so pleased to have found your website. These tips are absolutely brilliant. We are planning to visit Gran Canaria in November and don’t know where to start!
We had thought perhaps about booking one week in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in an apartment. We think this would be an excellent base for exploring the island.
But maybe it is better to be in the south of the island, for better weather in November??
We hope to find a very comfortable apartment or small hotel where we can relax as well as explore, and also be near restaurants and a town with character.
This is a great help. Thank you.
Anne
Hi Anne!! Great!! Las Palmas city is always a good idea, you can drive to the south and in November we have also good weather in the north ๐ You can have a look at our post about the best places to stay in Gran Canaria. We have also a lot of free content about the things to do on the island and also some paid guides with our favorite itineraries ๐ We leave you the links below! Enjoy the blog ๐
https://localguidegrancanaria.com/en/hotels-in-gran-canaria/
https://localguidegrancanaria.com/en/gran-canaria-guides/