Geographical location
After Tenerife and Fuerteventura, short for LPA by abbreviationfinder, Gran Canaria is the third largest of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic.
Around 210 kilometers off the African coast, the almost circular island of Gran Canaria is home to around 850,000 inhabitants and is also one of the most popular holiday regions in Europe.
The variety of landscapes and geography has given the Canary Island the nickname “mini continent”.
While the interior of the island is mainly mountainous and protrudes up to 1949 meters at Pico de Las Nieves, the south of Gran Canaria is mainly barren and dry. In contrast to this more desert-like landscape, the north is significantly greener due to increased amounts of rain.
The capital of Gran Canaria is Las Palmas with the important cargo and cruise port of Puerto de la Luz.
Climate in Gran Canaria
The Canary Island of Gran Canaria has 14 microclimate zones, with precipitation in all areas only very rarely. Gran Canaria is in the immediate area of influence of trade winds, which ensure a climatic division and rain down on the northern slopes.
Therefore, the north is also much more humid than the south, where dry Sahara winds can sometimes even cause sandstorms and enormous increases in temperature (Calima). In the region around Las Palmas you will often come across a dense cloud cover, which the locals also colloquially call “donkey belly”.
Especially in the popular holiday regions in the south, the subtropical climate ensures pleasant temperatures between 20 and 29 degrees during the day all year round, the weather is very constant and balanced. In the summer months there is almost no rain, even in autumn and winter it remains very mild with daily values above 20 degrees.
When to go to Gran Canaria?
Due to the mild, pleasant climate, the Canary Islands are real year-round destinations and also very popular retreats for sun-hungry holidaymakers in winter. Even in the coldest month of February, the average night temperature is still around 16 ° C.
So it’s no wonder that the winter months are the most popular travel time on Gran Canaria and that Christmas in particular ensures a real high season. However, our experience and evaluations show that the weather between November and February has been rather inconsistent in recent years.
Our recommendation for the best time to travel to Gran Canaria is April and November, with it between July and August can get very crowded (and expensive) in many European countries during the summer holidays. The months April to June and September to November are ideal.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 20 ° C | 21 ° C | 21 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 24 ° C | 22 ° C |
| Night temperature | 16 ° C | 16 ° C | 17 ° C | 17 ° C | 18 ° C | 20 ° C | 21 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 21 ° C | 19 ° C | 17 ° C |
| Water temperature | 19 ° C | 18 ° C | 18 ° C | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 20 ° C | 21 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 21 ° C | 20 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 15 | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 21st |
| Rainy days | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Hours of sunshine | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Sunrise | 7:55 | 7:40 | 7:10 | 7:35 | 7:10 | 7:05 | 7:15 | 7:30 | 7:45 | 8:00 | 7:25 | 7:45 |
| Sunset | 18:30 | 18:50 | 19:10 | 20:25 | 8:45 pm | 21:00 | 21:00 | 20:40 | 20:05 | 19:35 | 18:10 | 18:10 |
Temperatures
The average annual temperature in Las Palmas is 21.1 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is September (24.3 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 18.4 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Las Palmas is 23 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. The months of July, August, September, October and November have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 111 mm on 26 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. You cannot expect snow in any month in Las Palmas.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines 7.5 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Telde.
Sights and highlights
The main tourist centers of Gran Canaria are located in the south of the island, particularly near the Maspalomas dunes and in the adjacent Playa del Inglés. The towns of Fataga, Puerto de Mogán, Puerto Rico and San Agustin also have high-class hotels and tourist highlights.
Puerto de Mogán in particular is also perfect for day trips and, with its colorful houses and the promenade at the port, is one of the most beautiful sights in Gran Canaria. But the interior of the island and the north are also full of exciting attractions.
Explore the lively Las Palmas, admire the small village of Tejede above the clouds with a view of the Roque Nublo, be enchanted by the Guayadeque Gorge and the Bandama cauldron.
Gran Canaria weather in March, April and May
Daily temperatures averaging 21 to 22 ° C can be expected over the next three months. The temperatures hardly fluctuate during this time.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 18-19 ° C. This is good weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
You can expect around 3 days of rainfall in March, about 2 days in April and about one day in May.
In the period from March to May , the sun shines an average of 7 to 8 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in April in Las Palmas, with a little less sun you will have to get by in March.
