Maspalomas
Grand Hotel Residencia
A Gran Lujo hotel of colonial villas around a palm garden at Maspalomas, five minutes' walk from the dunes, with two heated saltwater pools and a spa.
Canary Islands · Spain
Luxury travel in Gran Canaria
Dunes and a long sunny coast in the south, the old quarter of Las Palmas in the north, and between them the highlands, where Roque Nublo stands over ravines and pine forest. Avelia plans private, tailor-made time in Gran Canaria, as a stay of its own or as part of a wider journey.
Gran Canaria at a glance
- Recommended stay
- Five to seven nights: the south coast, the highlands and Las Palmas
- Best seasons
- Mild all year; March to May and September to November are best
- Getting there
- Gran Canaria airport (LPA), 18 km from Las Palmas, 25 km from the south
- Best for
- The dunes and the beaches, old Las Palmas, the highlands, the villages
- In a wider trip
- Tenerife is 80 minutes by fast ferry; the other islands a short flight
- UNESCO
- Risco Caído World Heritage since 2019; a biosphere reserve since 2005
01Inspiration
Experiences in Gran Canaria
Each of these is arranged privately for your dates, subject to availability.
The south: dunes, lighthouse and harbour
A walk through the Maspalomas dunes early in the day, the lighthouse at dusk, the harbour at Puerto de Mogán, and a day on the water.
Las Palmas and the old towns
Vegueta, where the city began in 1478, the Casa de Colón, three kilometres of Las Canteras, and the balconied streets of Teror and Agüimes.
The highlands
Roque Nublo and the caldera of Tejeda, the cave sites of Risco Caído on the World Heritage List, and pine forest in a biosphere reserve.
02Featured hotels
Where to stay in Gran Canaria
A selection of hotels we recommend on Gran Canaria, both at Maspalomas on the south coast. We can also arrange other properties to suit your preferences and travel plans.
Meloneras
Villa del Conde
A five-star resort of 561 rooms built as a Canarian village in Meloneras, with six pools, a Mini Club and the Om Thalasso — the Gran Canaria base for families.
| Grand Hotel Residencia | Villa del Conde | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | Maspalomas | Meloneras |
| Setting | Colonial-style villas in a palm garden at Maspalomas, near the dunes | A resort built as a Canarian village on the Meloneras coast, by the promenade |
| Star category | Five-star Gran Lujo | Cinco Estrellas |
| Rooms | 93 | 561 rooms and suites |
| Beach | About five minutes' walk to the dunes and the beach of Maspalomas | Not confirmed |
| Pool | Two heated saltwater pools: the main pool and a wellness pool | Six outdoor pools: one saltwater, one for adults, two made for children |
| Spa and wellness | Spa with sauna, steam bath and salt cave; seven treatment rooms; outdoor gym | Om Thalasso, 1,200 m², adults over 18; gym, yoga and pilates |
| Dining | The restaurant and its terrace, Pool Bar, Piano Bar; dinners at Seaside Palm Beach | OVO, Alpendre and La Plaza; the Zythum, Akoran and Azotea bars |
Facts from the hotels' official websites and official tourism sources, checked 23 October 2026. A dash means we have not confirmed that detail.
Featured hotels on the map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Gran Canaria’s two ends are what most trips are built on: the south around Maspalomas, by the dunes, and the capital, Las Palmas, in the north-east, with the airport on the east coast between them. Roque Nublo and Tejeda are in the middle of the island. The rest — Teror, Agüimes, the harbour at Mogán and the ferry port at Agaete — is under “Show places”.
03Seasons
When to go
Spring March to May
Warm and drying out: highs rise from about 22°C (72°F) in March to 24°C (74°F) in May, and rain is all but gone by May. The best months for the highlands.
Summer June to August
Hot, dry and sunny: highs of 25°C (78°F) in June and 28°C (82°F) in August, and no rain to speak of. The season for the beaches and the water.
Autumn September to November
Warm and settled: highs ease from about 27°C (81°F) in September to 24°C (76°F) in November, and the first light rain returns in October.
EventsThe Fiesta del Pino in Teror, each September, with the 8th, the Día del Pino, its main day: a festival of national tourist interest since 2026.
Winter December to February
A mild winter: highs of 21–22°C (70–72°F), about half the year's little rain — some 80 of 151 mm — falling now, and still some six hours of sun a day.
EventsThe carnival in Las Palmas, in the weeks before Lent: a festival of international tourist interest since 2023.
For the archipelago as a whole, see our Canary Islands page; for Spain, our best time to visit Spain guide.
04Shape your trip
Routes and itineraries
Each route is a starting point, tailored to you.
4days
Sun and summits
- Places
- Maspalomas, with a day in the highlands
- Suits
- A short stay built around the south coast, with one long day inland
5days
The capital and the coast
- Places
- Two nights in Las Palmas, then the south
- Suits
- A first visit that wants the old city as well as the beach
7nights
The interior, slowly
- Places
- One base in the south, with the island's interior in day trips
- Suits
- A slower week for walkers and for the island's food
Itineraries that include Gran Canaria
Tenerife and Gran Canaria
from $9,800 per person
Beyond Gran Canaria
Another stay
TenerifeEighty minutes by fast ferry from Agaete: Teide and the high mountain, the laurel forest of Anaga, and La Laguna's World Heritage streets.
Another stay
LanzaroteA short flight east: Timanfaya's lava fields, vines in pits of black grit, and César Manrique's centres built into the rock.
Another stay
MadridA direct flight from the island, and the easiest city to put either side of a stay: the Prado, the Retiro and the tables.
05Planning with Avelia
How we plan your time in Gran Canaria
We help you choose where to stay — by the dunes in the south, in Las Palmas, or both — set the coast against the highlands and the old towns, and fit Gran Canaria into a wider journey through the islands or the mainland.
Share your plans
Tell us your dates, interests, preferred pace and any practical requirements.
Shape your trip with us
We prepare a tailored proposal and refine it with you, with a quoted trip price and clear inclusions.
Travel with our support
Once you approve the proposal and complete the agreed booking requirements, we confirm your arrangements. We coordinate the details and support you while you travel.
Peace of mind
- Clear before you commit. A written proposal with a quoted trip price and clear inclusions, before any payment.
- Financially protected. Your payments for a package trip are covered against our insolvency by a guarantee with AXA.
- One point of contact. From the first conversation to the last day, with support while you travel.
What we can arrange
Your proposal sets out the arrangements included in your trip.
- Hotels matched to you — in Maspalomas, at Puerto de Mogán or in Las Palmas, and not only the hotels featured here.
- Private transport — chauffeur-driven transfers from the airport and around the island, and flights on to the other islands or the mainland.
- The highlands, arranged — the walk to Roque Nublo reserved, and a guide for the caldera of Tejeda and its cave sites.
- Days at sea — a private boat along the south coast, or the fast ferry from Agaete to Tenerife with a car waiting on the other side.
- Private guides — for Vegueta, Teror and the highlands; see our private guides across Spain.
- Food and wine — tastings in the DO Gran Canaria, the island’s cheeses and a cooking class; see our food and wine tours across Spain.
- Tables and tickets — reservations, and tickets where they are needed.
- Special occasions — honeymoons, anniversaries and family trips, planned around who is travelling.
06Questions
Questions we are asked
What does it cost to have a tailor-made trip designed by Avelia Travel?
Every trip is priced individually. After discussing your plans, we prepare a tailored proposal with a quoted trip price and a clear outline of what is included.
How many nights should we spend in Gran Canaria?
We recommend five to seven nights. That is enough for days on the south coast, a full day in the highlands around Roque Nublo and Tejeda, an evening or two in Las Palmas, and time at the hotel in between. Four nights works for a stay built around the south, with one day inland.
When is the best time to visit Gran Canaria?
Any month works. At the island’s airport the average daytime high runs from about 21°C in January to 28°C in August, with only around 151 mm of rain a year, most of it between November and February. March to May and September to November are the most comfortable for walking and sightseeing; June to August is the beach season, and the busiest.
Can I combine Gran Canaria with other islands or with mainland Spain?
Yes. The fast ferry from Agaete reaches Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 80 minutes, and from Gran Canaria airport there are flights to all the other islands — Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro — and direct to Madrid. Our luxury trip planning page explains how a multi-stop trip comes together.
Is Gran Canaria good for families?
Yes. The south coast has long beaches, Las Canteras in Las Palmas is a city beach kept calm by its reef, and a boat day along the coast or a day in the mountains around Roque Nublo makes a change from the sand. See our luxury family trips to Spain.
What is Gran Canaria known for?
The Maspalomas dunes, a special nature reserve of more than 400 hectares on the southern tip; Las Palmas, the capital, with its old quarter of Vegueta, founded in 1478, and the beach of Las Canteras; and the highlands at the centre of the island, where Roque Nublo stands at 1,813 m. Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains, the cave sites of the island’s first people, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2019, and 43 per cent of the island’s land is a biosphere reserve.
Do you only plan full itineraries, or can you help with just a hotel?
Both. We plan complete trips, and we also arrange a stay on its own: a hotel matched to you, with transfers, a guide or a few reservations added if you wish.
Is Avelia right for me?
Avelia suits travellers who want a private, well-paced trip planned around them: the right hotel, guides who know the island, tables and tickets taken care of, and one point of contact from the first conversation until you are home.
Start planning your time in Gran Canaria
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. Everything else we can work out together.
Usually answered within one business day.