When in Gran Canaria, you can often proudly hear from the locals, that we have the best climate in the world. The international meteorological experts do confirm. But how it really is with the weather in Gran Canaria?
The influence of the Elysian winds and Gulf stream warm the Canary islands in the winter and cool them down in the summer so that any day of the year you´d visit Gran Canaria, you would probable experience the agreedable temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius on the coast level.
However the temperature and weather conditions can easily change depending on the altitude and part of the island you are at the moment. We have a lot of microclimates. It is not impossible, that sometimes in the winter months it can occure, that you can enjoy a sunny day on the beach and within 1 hour of drive, you can organize a snow balls war in the mountains, in the same day.
Higher you are, the difference between the winter and summer will be more noticeable.
Generally the north of Gran Canaria is pretty green with possible rainfalls especially in the winter months, meanwhile the south of the island is dry with desert-like canyons where rains are very improbable.
What is the reason? We have almost 2000 meters hight mountains in the heart of the island. Most of the clouds come from the north and sometimes they are stopped by the peaks of these mountains. That is why the clouds usually stay only in the northern half of Gran Canaria. Phenomenon called by the locals as “panza de burro” – the donkeys belly, for the excess of grey colour that you can observe when wathing the sky.
That is why our island is so diverse. The occasional rainfals, water resources and fertile lands allowed the colonisation of the northern part of the island, meanwhile the rough south and west of Gran Canaria haven´t been very populated in the past times.
Universally, we can recommend the northern part of Gran Canaria for those who like to explore the peaceful countryside and green valleys. The weather here is perfect for walking tours and another outdoor activities, whilst the lovers of always sunny weather and swimming should head down to the south.
But this really doesn´t want to say that it is always cloudy in the north, we have many many beautiful days even in the winter and swimming is also possible and sometimes it also happens that it can rain in the south.
The good thing is, that anywhere you stay in Gran Canaria, it will never take you more than 1 and half hour to drive from one side of the island to the other one and you can actually regulate what temperature/sky you´d wish to have.
So isn´t it the best weather in the world?