GRAN CANARIA

Best for variety

Gran Canaria and Tenerife may tussle over which island makes the better holiday destination but there is little between them when it comes to topnotch hotels, sandy beaches or places to eat – especially now that both have Michelin-starred restaurants from the ground-breaking Canarian-born Padrón brothers with Poemas in Las Palmas (restaurantepoemas.com; tasting menu £120).

Compared to Tenerife, Gran Canaria probably has the more enticing capital; Las Palmas boasts the lively urban beach of Las Canteras, plus a stylish bar and restaurant scene. In the island’s south, the dunes of Maspalomas stretch for some two miles and run down to calm waters ideal for a dip. There’s smashing hiking on Gran Canaria too, with trails up to the rock stack of Roque Nublo and around the crater edge of Caldera de Bandama. Then there are the ancient cave paintings at Gáldar (cuevapintada.com; £5.20) and the cave houses of Artenara.

Base yourself in Las Palmas at the opulent five-star hotel Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway (barcelo.com; double rooms from £126), which dates from 1890 and boasts a rooftop pool. Alternatively, head to the other end of the island and stay in a room with a view of the Maspalomas dunes at the stylish Seaside Palm Beach in Meloneras (hotel-palm-beach.com; double rooms from £245 B&B). Close by is beachside Villa Sisao with its own private pool, garden and direct access to the promenade (oliverstravels.com; sleeps eight from £6,510 a week).

How to get there

There are regular direct flights to Gran Canaria from many major UK airports including Manchester, Stansted and Bristol with airlines including Jet2, Vueling (vueling.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com). Flight time is around four and a half hours.

j Dine out – or just enjoy the cocktail hour – in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which now boasts Michelin stars