It can be tough to find the right property in Gran Canaria’s popular property areas because of high demand.
However, there are spots all around Gran Canaria where you can still find fantastic houses and apartments are reasonable prices.
Here are five spots that I think are going to become more popular over the next few years.
East coast Arinaga: Gran Canaria’s most improved town
Back in the 1980s, Arinaga was a quiet town in need of a bit of TLC. Well, since then it has gained a beautiful seafront promenade, all the houses have been painted and the streets lined with trees.
Arinaga these days looks pretty good and has a new port and a budding oil services industry. It’s also become a low-key winter destination for foreign winter visitors.
Ok, so it’s windy in the summer but then so is most of east and southeast Gran Canaria. But Arinaga’s location close to the airport and the southern beaches, plus its almost year-round sun, more than compensate for a few blowy months (especially if you’re a foreign buyer planning to use your property in the winter).
Add its crystal clear water, classy seafront restaurants and laid-back local atmosphere and you’ve got yourself a real hotspot in the making.
Prices on the beachfront have risen due to the Airbnb factor (Arinaga is residential so property here can be rented out as a holiday let) but there are plenty of apartments at very reasonable prices within a short walk of the seafront.
Northwest: Gran Canaria: The Agaete Valley
The Agaete Valley is a popular spot with walkers and rural tourists and is a favourite weekend day out for Canarians.
The thing about Agaete is that it’s the only valley in north Gran Canaria that has everything; beaches, local towns, seafront restaurants and beautiful countryside and views.
Property in the valley itself is hard to find because it’s all rural land and new building isn’t allowed. However, there are lots of houses in La Suerte just up the valley from Agaete town and also apartments for sale in Puerto de las Nieves on the coast.
Property prices in Agaete town itself are still reasonable and there are some lovely old houses on the market with internal courtyards and roof terraces.
See my Agaete Property Guide for more info.
Las Palmas: San Nicolás
Prices in the Port district of Las Palmas are rising but other areas away from the beach are still excellent value.
One area that I think is underappreciated is San Nicolás barrio (El Risco de San Nicolás) and especially the lower part of the area that is within a couple of minutes walk of Triana and Vegueta.
San Nicolás is one of the oldest parts of the city and is a tangle of narrow streets and old houses, many with views of the cathedral and the old town. It’s quiet, residential and close to several university departments and Triana shopping street.
Prices in San Nicolás are much lower than they are on the Triana side of Primero de Mayo street and prices are below 1000 euros per square metre.
Since San Nicolás is close to Triana and on the bus routes up to the main university campus it’s an attractive area for residential rentals and the low prices mean that yields are good.
Read this guide for more on Las Palmas’ main property areas.
The next beach resort: Tauro
It’s a bit of a stretch to describe Tauro as a new hotspot given that it has a new artificial beach, golf course and lots of recent villas.
However, when the current legal problems surrounding the new beach and coastal area are sorted out, Tauro is set to expand. There are up to 4000 more tourist and residential beds planned for the valley including several luxury hotels, and the plans for the coastal area include a green zone with beachfront shops and restaurants.
Over the next 20 years, Tauro is likely to become one of Gran Canaria’s most upmarket resorts.
West coast: La Aldea de San Nicolás
Gran Canaria’s remote west coast town as a property hotspot? Ok, so it sounds a bit unlikely but bear with me.
There are good reasons why I think La Aldea is about to get more attention.
It has the same climate as south Gran Canaria, there are plenty of large houses with gardens and land, and the first stage of the new road has cut driving times from Las Palmas by over 25 minutes. It also has a marine reserve and plenty of wild nature perfect for rural tourism.
When the final stretch of road between El Risco and Agaete is open, La Aldea will be far more accessible to tourists and locals; drive times from Las Palmas will be the same as getting to Puerto de Mogán.
La Aldea is never going to appeal to south Gran Canaria’s beach tourists but as a rural tourism hub, La Aldea has huge potential, especially when the new road is finished.