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Rippled sand dunes of Maspalomas under a blue sky with a few clouds, with the sea on the horizon

Where to stay in Gran Canaria

Photographed in 2020. Photo: Marcela Střelcová, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Gran Canaria

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About Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria splits between Las Palmas, a real city, and the resort coast of the south. The airport sits between them, about 21 km by road from Las Palmas and about 32 km from Playa del Inglés.

Spain. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Gran Canaria (LPA), about 21 km by road from Vegueta in Las Palmas and about 32 km from Playa del Inglés. Distances are road estimates. Source
Tourist tax
Mogán only: EUR 0.15 per person per night, no exemptions, collected by the accommodation. Annulled by the Canary Islands High Court on 28 May 2026; under appeal, and the council says it is still payable. Source
Holiday-home register
Canary Islands Ley 6/2025, in force since 13 December 2025: the regional register number must appear in every advert for a holiday home, on platforms or elsewhere. Source
Lets of 31 days or less
Ley 7/2026, in force since 15 August 2026: a home let for 31 days or less, or offered through a tourist channel, is presumed a tourist let unless the lease states why the tenant needs temporary housing. Source
Access in listings
Homes newly declared for tourist use must say in their advertising when the access road is unpaved or the last stretch has to be walked. Source
National rental register
Spain's Supreme Court largely annulled the national registration procedure of Real Decreto 1312/2024 in May 2026. Regional registers still apply. Whether a national number must still appear on a listing is unsettled as of September 2026. Source
ID at check-in
Real Decreto 933/2021: hotels and tourist homes record each traveller's ID, address, contact and payment method, and every guest over 14 signs the entry form. Source
Parking with a rental car
Las Palmas: blue zone two hours at most, paid in the LPA Park app; green zone one hour at most for non-residents, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 20:00. San Bartolomé de Tirajana has had no blue zone since March 2020. Source
Monthly stays
Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay and charges the first month up front. A direct lease of 31 days or less is a seasonal lease only if it states the tenant's reason for a temporary stay; its legal deposit is two months' rent. Source
Emergency number
112 Source

Areas of Gran Canaria

Cobbled street in Vegueta between old houses with stone-framed doorways and a wooden balcony, with palm trees and a glimpse of sea at the far end
Photographed in 2016. Photo: Bengt Nyman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Vegueta and Triana, Las Palmas

The old quarter and the shopping streets of the capital: museums, restaurants and daily life on the doorstep, with the airport close by. It suits people who want a real city rather than a resort, and a month of normal living. The southern beaches are about 50 km away by road.

Gran Canaria airport
about 21 km
Las Canteras beach
about 8 km
Playa del Inglés
about 52 km

Car and parking

Vegueta and Triana are in both the blue zone, two hours at most and paid in the LPA Park app, and the green zone, where a non-resident may stay one hour at most on weekdays from 09:00 to 20:00. Resident permits need a local registration and a car registered there, so a rental car cannot get one. Book a place with a garage or plan on a paid car park.

People walking along the sand of Las Canteras beach with apartment blocks and hotels on the seafront and hills behind
Photographed in 2016. Photo: Bengt Nyman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Las Canteras, Las Palmas

The city beach, with Santa Catalina and Guanarteme behind it: a long promenade, plenty of flats and life all year without a resort feel. It suits long-stay visitors and remote workers.

Gran Canaria airport
about 26 km
Las Canteras beach
under 1 km
Vegueta old town
about 8 km

Car and parking

Guanarteme and Puerto are blue and green zone sectors under the same rules as the rest of the city: two hours in the blue zone, one hour for non-residents in the green zone. Ask for a garage space when booking.

Playa del Inglés

Sun-first holidays with a big choice of apartment complexes and hotels, nightlife, and the Maspalomas dunes close by.

Gran Canaria airport
about 32 km
Faro de Maspalomas
about 6 km
Vegueta old town
about 52 km

Car and parking

San Bartolomé de Tirajana stopped its blue zone in March 2020 and removed the meters, so street parking is unregulated; no source states how easy a space is to find. The municipal company EMURSA runs the Anexo II public car park.

Rippled sand dunes of Maspalomas under a blue sky with a few clouds, with the sea on the horizon
Photographed in 2020. Photo: Marcela Střelcová, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maspalomas and Meloneras

The dunes, the lighthouse promenade and larger resort hotels and villas, a little calmer than Playa del Inglés. It suits couples and families.

Gran Canaria airport
about 37 km
Playa del Inglés
about 6 km
Vegueta old town
about 56 km

Car and parking

No municipal blue zone since 2020. EMURSA runs the Maspalomas public car park between Avenida Cristóbal Colón and Avenida Touroperador TUI, reported in 2018 at 1,129 spaces on three levels; current prices and hours were not verified.

Yachts moored in the marina of Puerto de Mogán with low white houses and palm trees along the waterfront
Photo: Jl FilpoC, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Puerto de Mogán

A small harbour village with a marina, canals and low white houses. It suits slower holidays and couples. It is the one part of the island where a municipal tourist charge was found, EUR 0.15 per person per night, currently under appeal.

Gran Canaria airport
about 55 km
Playa del Inglés
about 26 km
Vegueta old town
about 74 km

Car and parking

Mogán runs a paid blue zone with a EUR 6 day cap and a 24-hour maximum stay; the official page does not say which streets in Puerto de Mogán are regulated. Bus line 1 links the village to Las Palmas by way of the airport.

Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves

The green north-west: quiet village stays, rural houses and a ferry port. It suits people who want nature and local life over beach resorts, and who will drive.

Gran Canaria airport
about 57 km
Vegueta old town
about 38 km

Car and parking

No official parking information was found for Agaete. The old GC-200 cliff road at Andén Verde, south of Agaete, is permanently closed, and the new El Risco to Agaete section is due from 2027.

Guides

Questions

Is there a tourist tax in Gran Canaria?

Only in Mogán, as far as could be found: EUR 0.15 per person per night since March 2025. The Canary Islands High Court annulled it in a ruling of 28 May 2026, but the council has appealed to the Supreme Court and says it must still be paid while the appeal runs. No other charge on the island was found.

Is it easy to park in Las Palmas?

Not on the street in the central districts. In the blue zone a visitor may stay two hours, and in the green zone, which gives residents priority, one hour. A garage space or a paid car park is the practical answer.

Which area is best for a first visit?

Playa del Inglés or Maspalomas for sun and the dunes, about 32 to 37 km from the airport. Las Canteras in Las Palmas for a city beach with year-round life and a shorter airport run.

How can a guest tell a holiday home is registered?

Canary Islands Ley 6/2025 requires the regional tourism register number in every advert for a holiday home. A listing without one is worth a question before paying.