Tips for travelling to Gran Canaria
We want to share with you our best tips for travelling to Gran Canaria. Especially if you travel for the first time, maybe there are things you do not know yet. The most basic and maybe you already know is that Canary is in Spain, so the currency used is the euro. In the same way, in the Canary Islands Spanish is spoken, although with a peculiar accent, more similar to the South American than to the Castilian. If you like, we go there with our tips for first-timers in Gran Canaria.
1. Do not drink tap water
Unlike in most European countries and cities in Spain, in the Canary Islands hardly rain and water from homes is usually desalinated. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink tap water. That is, always try to drink bottled water
2. Know its weather
The weather in Gran Canaria is one of the best in the world. However, it is important that you bring some warm clothes if you plan to travel around the island and know its interior. Especially in the months of autumn, spring and winter. For example, in the famous Roque Nublo Natural Monument there may be temperatures below 5 degrees and at the same time in the south of the island 20 degrees.
3. Enjoy the sun the whole year
In Gran Canaria and in the Canary Islands in general it is usually sunny all year round, so if you visit the island outside the summer season, remember to also use sunscreen, because although the sun is looser, it also burns and is harmful to your skin. Finally, do not miss the best sunsets on the island in Arguineguín!
4. 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 Gran Canaria 🙂
5. Benefit from reduced indirect taxes. The IGIC
Unlike the mainland Spain, the Canary Islands are governed by a different tax. It is the Canary Indirect General Tax or IGIC. The IGIC is lower than the one in the rest of Spain, both for catering services, accommodation, transport, etc., as well as for the purchase of alcohol, tobacco, perfumes, among others.
6. Rent a car
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 for travelling to Gran Canaria is that you rent a car to discover the island. Compare all the car rental options on the island at rentalcars.com.
7. Avoid staying in tourist areas
Surely the cheapest accommodation on the island is in the most crowded areas. Please take a look at our post about the best areas to stay on the island. In any case, we leave you with a link if you want to do your search for hotels in Gran Canaria now.
8. Find cheap flights to Gran Canaria
There are many connections between Gran Canaria and Europe, as well as between Gran Canaria and Madrid and between Tenerife. We recommend you to look for the combination that best fits your dates, schedules and budget through Skyscanner, since it is often cheaper to make a small stopover in Madrid or Tenerife to fly to the island. Do your search now through the following image.
9. Taste the Canarian gastronomy
You should not miss the local food and the wide gastronomic offer that Gran Canaria offers. Highlight internationally awarded Canarian cheeses, gofio, potatoes, fruits such as avocado, banana and papaya, fresh fish… A sea of flavors. Therefore, we have prepared for you a guide that includes more than 50 restaurants throughout the island that we would recommend to our friends. That is, they are the ones that we visit. Then we leave you a link with access to all our guides, including restaurants. Thus, you will not have to waste time in organizing your trip to the most real Gran Canaria. We have already done it for you!
10. Avoid Euronet’s ATM
ATM Euronet ATMs are usually in tourist areas. These, in addition to forcing you to take out high amounts, apply a very high currency exchange rate. Therefore, it is always better to pay with your credit card wherever you go.
If you have any other questions before traveling to Gran Canaria, leave us a comment below or contact us at info@localguidegrancanaria.com. Have a nice trip!
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