Christmas in Gran Canaria 2023 - Events & Christmas day menus

A holiday in Gran Canaria is probably your best bet for a sunny and warm Christmas, along with the rest of the Canary Islands, which have the best climate in Europe during winter.

If you want to know more about it read further regarding the hottest Canary Island, to get a better sense of how warm you can expect the weather to be during the winter months.

How is the weather at Christmas in Gran Canaria

Will it be warm enough to spend Christmas Day at the beach?

Can you swim in the ocean on Christmas in Gran Canaria?

We get these types of questions all the type and it's usually from visitors who are coming for the first time to the island or maybe it's their first visit during a winter month.

Although the Canary Islands have a very mild winter, with temperatures usually in their mid-20s°C during the daytime, nobody can predict the weather accurately, especially several months in advance, given all the climate changes happening around the globe.

But you do have great chances to swim in the ocean if you're spending Christmas in Gran Canaria, although you can expect the water temperature to be around 19°C - 20°C, so a bit chilly, but definitely doable if you want to want to have a splash.

You could also do some shopping a few days before Christmas and then take your friends or family for a picnic on the beach, as this definitely be an experience to remember, something very different compared to a Christmas at home.

For sunny and warm winter holidays in Gran Canaria, we recommend staying in the south of the island, where it's normally warmer and drier, with fewer chances of precipitation.

Christmas day temperature in Gran Canaria 

Maspalomas, December 25th, 2021

• Max temperature: 21°C (69.8°F)
• Min temperature: 17°C (62.6°F)14°C (57.2°F)
• Info about December weather in Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, December 25th, 2021

• Max temperature: 21°C (69.8°F)
• Min temperature: 14°C (57.2°F)
• Read more about the weather in Gran Canaria in December

Christmas events in Gran Canaria in 2023

See what's going on for Christmas in popular tourist places like Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles, Puerto Rico, Playa de Mogan, Arguineguin and Las Palmas.

Christmas 2023 in Mogan municipality: Mogan, Playa de Mogan and Arguineguin

Highlights in the Christmas program include events such as La Casa de La Navidad and the thirty-sixth edition of the Veneguera Living Nativity Scene.
Living Nativity Scene, 36th anniversary

This December 25, Christmas, the El Nativity Scene of Veneguera will turn 36 years old. The activity, organized by the Living Belén Collective of Veneguera with the collaboration of the Mogán City Council, recreates a great example of Canarian, folkloric, artisanal and gastronomic traditions. It will begin with the Christmas Mass in the neighborhood church at 5:30 p.m. and will continue from 7:00 p.m. until late into the night in the area known as 'La Cardonera'.

• See the full 2023 Christmas schedule in Mogan municipality (available in Spanish)

Go see the Belen de Arena (Sand Sculptures) on the beach of Las Canteras in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Sculptors from all over the world are participating in the creation of all the sand sculptures on the beach of Las Canteras and the Belen de Arena has become a symbol of the island around the holiday season. 

You can see some of these sculptures in the photo above, but there are many more and some of them are really spectacular.

At a time of the year when some people are going on ski trips and staying in ice hotels, you can come to Gran Canaria and walk-in flip flops around sand sculptures.

The 2023 Belen de Arena (Nativity Scene) in Las Palmas will be open to the public from Tuesday, December 5, until Monday, January 8, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., except for December 24 and 31 and January 5, when it will close earlier, at 8:00 p.m.

Christmas events in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The city council of Las Palmas usually publishes a program of all the activities in the month of December - we will update this page when we have the info for 2023.

Christmas Dinner in Gran Canaria 

Since Gran Canaria is an island with an economy that is dependent on tourism, Christmas means it's business as usual for bars and restaurants, so you can expect to have a lot of options, not just the traditional English food that is usually served on Christmas.

Ocean Club Maspalomas

The English Bakery Cafe (Maspalomas)

This page will be updated as soon as we have more info about events and things to do in Gran Canaria at Christmas.

RESTAURANT OWNERS: If your place has a special menu for Christmas day please just send us a message on Facebook or an e-mail with your info/menu and we will add it to our page! Please help us share this message and reach local businesses!