Things to Do in Gran Canaria Away from the Resorts heartmybackpack.com

This time last year I was on the Spanish island of Mallorca, a place that completely surpassed my expectations. And a few weeks ago I found myself on another Spanish island that I had sorely misjudged: Gran Canaria. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had no idea there were so many unique things to do in Gran Canaria, I thought it was just a place with beautiful beach resorts.

I guess I know so many Norwegians who go to Gran Canaria and Mallorca to spend a week without leaving their resort, which of course is totally fine – I enjoy a resort holiday now and again as well – but I always took that to mean that there weren’t many things to do in Gran Canaria and Mallorca away from the resorts.

You’d think after realizing how wrong I was about Mallorca that I should have known the same was probably true of Gran Canaria. And it was – Gran Canaria has so much more to offer than a brochure full of beautiful resorts.

And I think Gran Canaria ended up surprising me even more than Mallorca had, because the lovely week I spent there ended up having very little to do with beaches at all. There are so many stunning places to visit in Gran Canaria away from the beaches as well.

I only had ten days on Gran Canaria, but I was lucky to be here with a local friend who grew up in Gran Canaria and shared many ideas for what to do in Gran Canaria to have a magical week away.