Gran Canaria is located in the centre of the Canary Islands’ archipelago. The ‘round island’ – so called because of its circular shape – is 47 km (29 miles) wide and covers an area of 1,532 sq km. Its highest peak, Pozo de Las Nieves (1949 m/6431 ft above sea level), is situated right in the centre of the island.
Gran Canaria belongs to an area of the Atlantic Ocean, known as ‘Macaronesia’, which includes the Canary Islands as well as the archipelagos of Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde and part of Morocco. The nearest point on the African coast is approx. 210 km (131 miles) away, while Cadiz, the closest port on the European continent, lies about 1250 km (781 miles) north of Gran Canaria.
Gran Canaria, which is the third largest island of the Canaries, boasts 236 km of coast with sandy beaches, predominantly located on the southeast coast. This is also the area where you’ll find the famous beaches of Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas with its amazing sand dunes. The southwest and west coasts are dominated by cliffs, and in the north and northeast of the island the coastline is very diversified, offering a wide variety of beaches and coves. The centre of the island is mountainous with a few high peaks and many gorges radiating out towards the sea.
Coves and beaches, impressive cliffs, hidden corners, magnificent mountains, stunning craters and amazing ravines with their lush, subtropical vegetation and natural reserves are some of the many natural delights, which mark Gran Canaria’s personality … so very diversified and unique!
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Climate and Temperatures
