Las Canteras to the Maspalomas Dunes

Drop your bags at your hotel in Las Palmas — the north of the city keeps you close to the water and to everything that matters this week.

One of the great city beaches in Europe, Las Canteras stretches for nearly three kilometres of dark volcanic sand. Stake out a spot, wade into the calm waters sheltered by the reef known as La Barra, and let the Atlantic do its work. This is a long, unhurried morning — swim, dry off, swim again.

A short walk from the sand along Avenida Juan Carlos I, Nankurunaisa serves vibrant, fresh cooking that feels exactly right after a morning in the sea. Order generously and eat slowly — there's no rush.

Where Las Canteras ends, El Confital begins — a wilder, rockier stretch beloved by surfers and anyone who wants to escape the crowds. Walk out along the headland, find a flat rock to sit on, and watch the Atlantic swell roll in uninterrupted from the open ocean.

Perched on Calle Peregrina with views out over the city as the light fades, Rocktop La Peregrina is the right place to raise a glass at the end of your first day. Order a cold drink and watch the sky turn amber.

Round off day one on Calle Joaquín Blume at Margariita, a neighbourhood restaurant with confident cooking and a relaxed atmosphere. A proper sit-down dinner to cap a day well spent in the water.

Start day two at Alcavaneras, a compact, sheltered beach tucked into the port district of Las Palmas. It draws locals rather than tour groups, and the water is calm enough for a proper early-morning swim before the day heats up.

Inland and uphill, the Jardín Botánico is the largest botanical garden in Spain — a sprawling landscape of dragon trees, Canarian palms and endemic plants climbing the Guiniguada ravine. A cool, shaded hour here is a fine counterpoint to a morning on the sand.

Back towards the city, Llévame al Huerto serves honest, market-led food in a relaxed setting. It's the kind of lunch that sits lightly — ideal before an afternoon back at the water.

Head south to La Laja, a broad, dark-sand beach on the southern edge of Las Palmas that the city largely overlooks. Spread out a towel, let the afternoon drift, and enjoy the kind of unselfconscious beach life that belongs to the people who live here year-round.

End the day in San Andrés at La Barca, a restaurant that puts seafood at the heart of everything. After a day bookended by two very different beaches, a proper fish dinner feels like the only sensible conclusion.

A final drink at El Monje, a characterful bar that invites you to linger. Order something local and let the evening wind down properly.

An early start and a 45-minute drive south takes you to the island's most dramatic coastline. Grab a coffee on the road.

The dune field at Maspalomas is genuinely extraordinary — a Saharan landscape of pale sand that rolls straight down to the Atlantic shore. Walk the dunes in the cooler morning light, then descend to the beach and swim. The scale of the place only becomes clear once you're inside it.

On Calle Veintinueve de Abril, Kesito is a relaxed spot for a midday meal that won't weigh you down before the afternoon's swimming. Fresh, unfussy and exactly what's needed.

A short distance east of Maspalomas, San Agustín is a calmer, darker-sand alternative with a more sheltered feel. This is your late-afternoon beach — find a quiet patch, float in the water, and watch the light on the cliffs change as the sun starts to drop.

On your final evening, Organic Jungle in the Plazoleta de Farray offers creative, plant-forward cooking that feels celebratory in its own quiet way. A fitting last dinner — colourful, considered, and well worth sitting over as the night comes in.

Close out the trip at La Pepa de Triana, a convivial bar where the mood is warm and unhurried. Order a last glass, talk over the beaches you've swum, and make plans to come back.