Christmas holiday in Gran Canaria
Many families associate Christmas with cozy gatherings at home, enjoying the warmth of the living room. However, more and more people are discovering the joy of celebrating Christmas in warmer climates, and most are pleasantly surprised. Spending the holidays away from home allows for more family time, as there is less stress with buying presents and preparing the dinner. Families can relax and truly enjoy quality time together.
With its subtropical climate, Gran Canaria is an ideal destination for the Christmas holidays. Average daytime temperatures are around 20°C, and in the island’s southern regions, temperatures often reach 23–25°C. The water temperature also hovers around 20°C in December, making the climate perfect for a beach day or a dip in the pool.
Most holiday resorts on the island celebrate Christmas, including Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas. Here several Christmas markets, such as El Mercadillo de Navidad in Maspalomas, add to the festive atmosphere. The popular Holiday World amusement park also offers a special Christmas program. A beautiful and family-friendly hotel in Maspalomas is the 4-star Maspalomas Princess, which features four large swimming pools, a tropical garden and the option of all inclusive.
Christmas Traditions in Gran Canaria
The people of Gran Canaria have slightly different Christmas traditions than we do. Many families decorate with a plastic Christmas tree, and on Christmas Eve family and friends exchange small gifts. Later in the evening, many families attend church to celebrate the Catholic tradition of Midnight Mass. The larger gifts are reserved for Three Kings’ Day (DÃa de los Reyes) on January 6, when cities. This day many towns have celebrations, parades, and concerts, especially the capital Las Palmas.
Food usually plays a big part in holiday traditions. In Gran Canaria, there isn’t a tradition for specific dishes on Christmas Eve, instead families enjoy their favorite meals. As for sweets, it’s customary during Christmas to enjoy small pastries called truchas, and another popular holiday snack is turrón, known as Spanish nougat. For Three Kings’ Day, the traditional treat is the Roscón de Reyes cake.
Christmas in Las Palmas
In Las Palmas, extra effort goes into celebrating Christmas. Although it is not to the same extent as with us, decorations are put up for Christmas, including a very large Christmas tree between the palm trees on the seafront. The most beautiful decorations are found in Vegueta, the historical old town of Las Palmas, where colorful lights, festive ornaments, and illuminations adorn the elegant historic buildings, such as the Catedral de Canarias and Casa de Colón.
On the night before Christmas Eve, there’s a traditional outdoor concert held in Plaza de Santa Ana, the large square in front of the cathedral in Vegueta. The concert is performed by the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra, which usually plays at the impressive Alfredo Kraus Auditorium.
Las Palmas is famous for its beautiful beach, Las Canteras. But did you know that the beach is decorated for Christmas? Every December, skilled artists from around the world come to create impressive nativity scenes out of sand. In Spanish, this is called Belén de Arena (sand nativity scenes), and the exhibition at Las Canteras is the largest of its kind in Europe. Some even say it’s the largest in the world.
Christmas in the villages
Gran Canaria has many wonderful mountain villages and several of them make Christmas special. One of them is Teror, which celebrates Christmas throughout December and the first week of January. Teror is already known for its market, but at Christmas it goes the extra mile with beautiful decorations, live music and activities for children. So a great place for the whole family.
Galdár also provides Christmas cheer for locals and tourists alike. The town’s beautiful Christmas lights are usually switched on in the last week of November, celebrated with music and a Christmas parade. Christmas culminates in Galdár between 22 and 31 December, when the town centre around the cosy Plaza de Santiago is transformed into a huge Christmas market with many exciting gift ideas. A beautiful experience.
Final recommendation
We highly recommend families and couples to spend their Christmas holidays in Gran Canaria. The recommendation is to stay on the warm south coast, rent a car and take a trip to Las Palmas and some of the beautiful villages in the mountains. Resorts like Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas are great destinations at Christmas, but families can also look to the 4-star Marina Suites in Puerto Rico.
