Tenerife or Gran Canaria? Which Canary Island is better?
Of all the Canary Islands, people usually tend to make a comparison between Tenerife and Gran Canaria and sometimes between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. But every island has its own charm and unique characteristics, which makes it special and different from the rest in the archipelago.
Tenerife versus Gran Canaria
Tenerife is the most visited Canary Island out of the entire archipelago, but all the other islands are growing ever more popular each year. Gran Canaria is not far behind Tenerife in terms of tourist numbers, being the second most visited island in the archipelago.
The weather
The weather in Tenerife and Gran Canaria is pretty much similar, although Tenerife has the massive Mount Teide right in the middle, which causes a lot of cloudiness, especially in the north of the island. Because of where the Canary Islands are located, they enjoy good weather all year round, with mild temperatures even in the winter.
The south of Gran Canaria is usually recommended by many people as being sunnier than the south of Tenerife, especially the area of Puerto Mogan. It's true that in the north of Tenerife, it tends to rain more often than in the South. Also, the North of both islands is more prone to bad weather during the winter months, so we would recommend staying in the South if coming to either Gran Canaria or Tenerife between January and March.
Attractions and what to do
Both islands have a diverse landscape, with great beaches and also mountainous regions, so there's something for every taste. Here it all comes to personal preference, as Tenerife has the famous Mount Teide, Gran Canaria has the Maspalomas dunes, both unique and amazing in every way.
- Visit Teide Natural Park - this is the no.1 place that everyone should visit when coming to Tenerife. No visit to Tenerife would be complete without seeing Mt. Teide, the highest peak in all of Spain.
- Go to Siam Park
- Go to Loro Parque
- Visit Los Gigantes and marvel at the majestic cliffs
- Visit Puerto de la Cruz
- See the Dragon tree in Icod de los Vinos
- Walk around the historic town Garachico
- Explore the beaches: El Medano, Las Teresitas, Playa la Tejita
- Party hard at the carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Drive to Masca village and go hiking through the canyon
- Discover the magic of Anaga Forest
Best things to do in Gran Canaria
- Visit Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - the largest city in the Canary Islands and the capital of Gran Canaria
- Get lost on the Maspalomas Dunes - one of the top places we consider a MUST SEE in Gran Canaria
- Enjoy Gran Canaria's best beaches: Anfi del Mar, Playa Amadores, Las Canteras beach (the iconic beach in Las Palmas and one of the best urban beaches in all of Europe)
- Go to Poema del Mar
- Trek to Roque Nublo
- Drive around Gran Canaria to discover authentic places
- Visit the most charming towns and villages in Gran Canaria
- Party at the carnival in Las Palmas
Tenerife vs Gran Canaria - which offers better things to do?
In terms of landscapes and views our preference leans towards Tenerife, due to how spectacular Mt Teide is, the incredible views with the sea of clouds and also we love all the hiking trails inside Anaga Rural Park.
On the other side, in terms of lovely urban settings where you can stroll and enjoy the vibe, we prefer Gran Canaria, with its charming small towns and villages like Arucas, Teror, Firgas, Tejeda, Artenara and let's not forget the vibrant capital - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - our absolute favourite place in all the Canary Islands. If, hypothetically, we had to choose only one place in the Canary Islands to be the only one we visit from now on, that place would be Las Palmas - no doubts about it.
Best beaches
Which island has the best beaches? Tenerife or Gran Canaria?
In terms of beaches, we tend to prefer Gran Canaria over Tenerife.
In Tenerife, our favourite beaches are Playa Las Vistas (no. 1 for swimming), Playa de las Teresitas (depending on the season) and Playa Los Cristianos.
Although windier, the coast around El Medano has some lovely beaches and landscapes that deserve to be discovered - Playa La Tejita is one of the beaches with wild and rough beauty, as well as beautiful views of Montaja Roja.
In Gran Canaria, you have Playa del Ingles, the beautiful Maspalomas beach, as well as Playa de Puerto Rico, Playa Amadores and Playa de Mogan. In the capital, you have Las Canteras Beach, which is often listed as one of the best city beaches in Spain.
So in terms of beaches, we prefer Gran Canaria versus Tenerife.
If you want to come to the Canaries for the first time and you're trying to decide between Tenerife or Gran Canaria, we advise you to read well about them and think of what sort of things you want to do during your holiday and then decide which is the best Canary Island for you.
Overall atmosphere
Well, this topic falls under the personal preferences category.
The main tourist areas both in Gran Canaria and in Tenerife are located in the south of the islands and when it comes to resorts we prefer Tenerife because most of the resorts are connected through an oceanfront promenade, so you can walk all the way from Los Cristianos to Playa Las Americas, Costa Adeje and up to La Caleta.
We also simply love the north of Tenerife, from small little towns to beautiful landscapes and the wild beaches in Anaga.
But this doesn't mean that Gran Canaria falls behind. As we already mentioned, the small towns of Gran Canaria are lovely to discover and walk around and let's not forget Las Palmas, the place where we keep returning whenever we are in Gran Canaria.
So for us, Tenerife wins in terms of resorts and Gran Canaria wins in terms of the best city in the Canary Islands and best rural areas to explore.
Tenerife vs Gran Canaria - which is the best?
All the Canary Islands are beautiful in their own way and we would advise giving them all a try, especially if you're the type who wants to try new things and explore, as they are very different.
In terms of nightlife, Tenerife has Veronica's strip (which doesn't have the best reputation unfortunately), so we feel like Gran Canaria is better for people who enjoy partying and the area of Playa del Ingles is ideal for that. We're not such big fans of nightclubs and loud music, so this area is not for us, just like Las Americas isn't for us either, so when staying in the south of Tenerife we usually prefer Los Cristianos.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the largest city in the Canaries and it can be your destination for a city break if you only have a few days on the island. We really love the bars and the food scene in Las Palmas, so for those looking for a more urban experience in the Canary Islands, we recommend spending a few days in Las Palmas.
So ... which is better? Tenerife or Gran Canaria?
Our answer to this question would be... Why not Tenerife AND Gran Canaria?
- For a city break in a vibrant city, we recommend Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
- For surfers, we would recommend Tenerife.
- For beautiful beaches and swimming, we prefer Gran Canaria.
- For hiking and outdoor activities, we like Tenerife best.
- Also, Tenerife is home to the world-famous Loro Park and Siam Park, and each park is top of the line in their respective category so for many people, they could represent a big incentive in choosing Tenerife over Gran Canaria.
- For nightlife, restaurants and bars we prefer Gran Canaria.
- For families, we recommend Gran Canaria. Unless you want to spoil your children with the best waterpark in the world, then we would choose Tenerife for Siam Park.
We think that these 2 islands have many similarities and both of them need to be discovered without being rushed. Depending on how much time you have you could split your holiday in two: fly to Tenerife, stay there for half the holiday, then take the ferry to Gran Canaria, stay there for a bit and fly home from here.
Or plan 2 separate holidays, this way you have something to look forward to.
