It’s always sunny in Gran Canaria, it’s never cold, and it certainly never rains. In fact, there is no such thing here as weather in Gran Canaria other than permanent blue skies and blazing sunshine.
That’s the story that the tourist board beam out to the world and its not all that far removed from reality. Gran Canaria in without doubt one of the sunniest places on Earthand if you come on holiday here and you are guaranteed a suntan. However, if you live in on the island you realize quickly that there is more to Gran Canaria weather than unrelenting summer.
Location Matters
The Gran Canaria weather conditions that you experience depend on where you live. The south, and especially the resorts in Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas and Puerto Rico, get over 300 days of sunshine per year and never get cold. The east coast is sunny and rarely cold but is often windy. The north of the island gets the most varied weather.
In Las Palmas, the capital city, the summers are hot but it is often cloudy in July and August. During the winter it can feel cold and you sometimes get a cloudy week. That said, Syracuse University analyzed the weather all over the world and declared that Las Palmas has the best weather in the world.
Gran Canaria is 6000 feet or 2000 metres high and it gets cold at the top during the winter. Every few years the mountains, or Cumbres, even get a dusting of snow. If you live at sea level the temperature rarely drops below 15 degrees Celsius but the mountains are only ever an hour’s drive away. You can always jump in the car for a quick blast of winter! Then you can drive to the beach to warm back up.
Wishing For a Rainy Day
The lack of seasons in Gran Canaria is actually one of the main gripes amongst expats people living here. The constant warmth and sunshine makes them miss crisp autumn mornings and rainy winter days. Somehow Christmas doesn’t feel quite the same if you are in your shorts and there is sand in your mince pies.
Many people actually choose to live away from the coast just because they get a proper feel of the changing seasons. Above about 500 metres you definitely get a winter and most Canarian houses in the hills have fireplaces and thick walls to keep out the chill. These work just as well at keeping out the heat during the long summers, which are hot wherever you live.
Somehow it feels cold here in winter, even if the thermometer is still above 20 degrees. Canarians wrap up warm as soon as the temperature drops below 25 degrees. Walk along the beach front in Las Palmas in January and everyone is wearing scarves even if the sun is shining, which it normally is.
As for rain, we do get it, although it tends to come in short, heavy bursts. One day it is sunny, then it buckets down, and then the sun comes out again. While the tourists grumble away in the resorts, Gran Canaria needs all the rain it can get and the locals are always happy to see rain clouds.
Despite its reputation as the island of eternal sunshine Gran Canaria gets proper weather. On balance though, it deserves its fame. Gran Canaria weather is fantastic and is one of the main benefits of living on the island. If fog and drizzle get you down, then Gran Canaria is paradise.
Think Gran Canaria sounds like a great place to live? Visit our website to find out everything you need to know about buying and renting property on the island. At Gran Canaria Property we believe that everybody can find their perfect home in the sunshine.
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