Fuerteventura is the best island in the Canary Islands for a great beach holiday, with lots of vast natural sand beaches that rarely get very busy because of their size. These beaches range in colour from the whitest white to the darkest black sands.
Other Canary Islands also have lovely beaches, but they are often artificial, rocky or the more volcanic darker sand native to the Canary Islands.
Best beach hotels in the Canary Islands
If you don’t have time to read this article… no problem! Here is a quick summary of the best beach holiday in the Canary Islands after travelling all over the Canary Islands for 3 months and visiting and staying in many hotels.
- Iberostar Gran El Mirador for a luxury adults-only holiday next to the beach
- Hotel Landmar Playa la Arena for an authentic Canary Islands black sand beach holiday
- Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife for a relaxed but lively beach club holiday
- Hotel Boutique La Marquesina for a romantic beach holiday
- El Beril Apartments for a budget family beach holiday in a luxurious area
Best beach holiday destinations in the Canary Islands
Playa del Duque (Costa Adeje) in Tenerife – Luxury beach holiday
If you are looking for a luxury beach holiday in the Canary Islands, there is no better place than Playa del Duque in Costa Adeje. Luxury and upscale restaurants, shopping centres and hotels surround this stunning beach. If you want a change of scenery, you also have 2 other beaches within a few minutes walking. The Playa de Fanabe is a more family-oriented beach with playgrounds and many bars next to it. The Playa el Beril is an authentic black sand beach experience.
Best beach holiday hotels in Playa del Duque
If you want to stay directly next to the beach, there are 2 great options. The Iberostar Grand El Mirador is best for couples looking for an adults-only holiday.
Bahia del Duque Resort is the best option if you are travelling as a family with children. Both of these hotels, however, are very luxurious and not cheap.
The El Beril apartments are an excellent option for those looking for a more budget-friendly option.
Esquinzo, Jandia & Grandes Playas in Fuerteventura – Natural golden sand beaches
If you are looking for natural golden sand beaches, Esquinzo, Jandia and Grandes Playas are ideal in Fuerteventura. Fuerteventura has many of these vast natural beaches, but after visiting most of the beaches on the islands, I thought these were among the most beautiful.
Jandia: The beach here is very similar to Esquinzo, but this area has a shopping centre and a bit of nightlife nearby, as well as the popular tourist destination of Morro Jable, with many restaurants and bars.
Grandes Playas: The most beautiful of these 3 beaches, but has very few hotels to choose from next to the beach. Corralejo town is just a short taxi ride away and has much to see, do and experience.
Esquinzo: Beautiful, vast golden natural beach with a wide choice of hotels and accommodations next to it. The area is tranquil as it primarily has just a few hotels, the beach and a few beach bars. There is no real town or nightlife here except for what takes place in the hotels.
Best beach holiday hotels in Esquinzo, Jandia and Grandes Playas
In Esquinzo, Fuerteventura Princess is the best hotel to stay near the beach. This hotel is very family-friendly.
In Jandia, Iberostar Playa Gaviotas is the best hotel to stay near the beach. This hotel is excellent for adults, especially when selecting the “Star Prestige” option.
In Grandes Playas, there are very few hotels to choose from. However, if you do want to stay next to this fantastic beach, the Riu Oliva Beach Resort is an excellent option for those looking for a budget-friendly all-inclusive hotel in the middle of the beach.
Playa de Amadores in Gran Canaria – Family beach holiday
Playa de Amadores is one of the best beaches in the Canary Islands for a family holiday. It is sheltered from the ocean, so you never get high waves here. The beach itself has lovely soft golden sands and sun loungers. There is also an inflatable playground in the sea for the kids, and food and drinks are never more than 50 meters away, no matter where you are on the beach.
If you like to explore more of the ocean, there are also many boat trips you can go on from here to go dolphin or whale watching or explore the rest of the coastline and some other beaches. Furthermore, there are also peddle boats and mini golf to keep the whole family entertained.
The Playa de Tauro is only a minute’s walk away to give you a change of scenery and the nearby town of Puerto Rico also offers lots of restaurants, bars, shopping centres and a lot of nightlife.
Best beach holiday hotels in Playa de Amadores
Holiday Club Playa Amadores is one of the best places to stay if you want to be close to the beach. There are only a few apartments here and many have private courtyards and pools.
On a budget, Terrazza de Amadores is a good option.
You can also stay higher up the mountain as many hotels here have hourly shuttle service to the beach. In that case, the Riu Vistamar is great for an all-inclusive family holiday with fantastic views over the ocean and beach.
Las Palmas in Gran Canaria – White sandy beach in the capital
Las Palmas is a great holiday destination if you enjoy the beach but also a city trip holiday. The Playa de las Canteras here is a stunning beach located in the capital of Gran Canaria. Other beaches in Las Palmas are far less beautiful or relaxing as they are located next to the big road crossing Las Palmas. So when visiting here, ensure your accommodation or hotel is close to the Playa de las Canteras.
Even tho Las Palmas is the capital, the area around the Playa de las Canteras is mostly relaxed, with many excellent bars and restaurants next to it. This is a very Spanish and non-touristy area, keeping the prices much more friendly compared to some of the more touristy holiday destinations on the island. In the hottest parts of the day, it is easy to escape into the refreshing centre of the city or one of the many shopping centres.
If you love the sea and the beach, I would advise you to also visit the Poema Del Mar Aquarium, within a few minutes’ walk from the beach.
Best beach holiday hotels in Las Palmas
When visiting Las Palmas for a beach holiday, choosing a hotel in the correct location is essential. Las Palmas is much bigger than you expect and there are many hotels far away from the beach. Also, since this is a busy city, many hotels on noisy and busy streets are not very holiday friendly. The Reina Isabel is, in my opinion, the best hotel. Not only is it right next to the beach, but it is also quite centrally located, so walking to shops, restaurants, shopping centres, and local attractions is pretty easy from here. This is also one of the only hotels with a relaxing and quiet pool on the roof from where you have a fantastic view over the beach.
Corralejo in Fuerteventura – Large variety of small and cosy beaches
Corralejo has many small and cosy beaches that are all different and unique. The great thing is that there are many small boutique hotels next to some of these beaches. So if you want to holiday and sleep next to the beach, this is ideal. Also, if you wish to have your private shower and toilet within in a few steps, these little boutique hotels are perfect.
Make sure to visit the strange white sands of Popcorn beach, a unique experience and the Playas Grandes, a short taxi or bus ride away.
Best beach holiday hotels in Corralejo
Secrets Bahia Real Resort is the best option in Corralejo for an adults-only luxury holiday next to the beach. This is located a bit on the outskirts of Corralejo, next to one of the quiet and more relaxing beaches.
Hotel Boutique La Marquesina and Avanti Lifestyle are more compact adults-only hotels right next to the beach and many cosy restaurants in the more central part of town.
For families, there are many apartments and private villas for rent right next to the beach but no actual hotels.
Playa Paraiso in Tenerife – Beach club
Playa Paraiso is a good holiday destination if you like the beach but want it to be a bit more luxurious and lively. Here you have The Beach at Hard Rock hotel, where you can enjoy the beach, pools and sea in a vibrant yet relaxing atmosphere.
But there are also other more relaxed mini beaches nearby if you want a change of scenery one day.
Best beach holiday hotels in Playa Paraiso
If you want to stay here for the beach club, then the only place to stay is the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife, right next to it.
Playa de la Arena and Puerto De La Cruz in Tenerife – Authentic black sand
The authentic Canary Islands’ volcanic black beach sand experience is best enjoyed in Playa de la Arena or Puerto de la Cruz. Los Gigantes also has this type of sand, but the beach here is often crowded, dirty, overloaded with tourists and noisy because of its location directly next to the harbour.
If you are going as an older couple, then Puerto de la Cruz is best.
If you are going as a family or young couple, then Playa de la Arena is best.
Best beach holiday hotels in Playa de la Arena and Puerto de la Cruz
For an all-inclusive family holiday in Playa de la Arena, the Hotel Landmar Playa la Arena is the best option right next to the beach. This hotel has many different pools, many slides and playgrounds for children. As well as one of the biggest and best entertainment for adults and children in this area. In Puerto de la Cruz, the H10 Tenerife Playa is best to stay at for a beach holiday right next to the Playa de Martianez.
Best beaches in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands have many lovely beaches, but many truly unique and beautiful ones don’t have any hotels or accommodations close to them. So in the list above, I focussed on beaches with hotels, accommodation and more nearby. If you genuinely love the beach, here is a list of the most incredible and unique beaches after visiting most of the Canary Islands. Ideal for a day trip or if you don’t need a hotel and want to book a private holiday letting.
- Playa de Papagayo in Lanzarote: A blue lagoon
- Playa de Benijo in Tenerife: Just you and the ocean and dark-coloured sands
- Lobos Islands: Small protected nature reserve island next to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote
- Maspalomas Dunes in Gran Canaria: Golden hills of sand as far as the eye can see
- Playa de las Nieves in Gran Canaria: Stone pebble beach with clear water and a lovely fishing village next to it
- Cala Amarilla in Tenerife: Golden rock formations
- Playa de Sotavento in Fuerteventura: Mini lagoons form here on the beach every day
Are La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro and La Graciosa suitable islands for a beach holiday?
In general… no. These smaller islands in the Canary Islands don’t have many beaches; those they do have are stone beaches. Also, these islands take longer and are harder to get to.
La Graciosa is ok for a beach holiday, but the island is tiny, there are no hotels, and you will first have to take a flight to Lanzarote, drive across the island and then take a boat to the island. All of this is doable, but then again, Lanzarote has equally lovely beaches and many more things to see and do, so I see no reason why someone would like to go to La Graciosa instead. Therefore, booking a holiday in Lanzarote and then making a day trip to La Graciosa instead is better.
When to visit the Canary Islands for the best beach holiday
All year round will find that the Canary Islands have nice beach weather. However, the seawater might be too cold for some in December, January and February. So if you think you might be one of them, it is best to avoid these months. Also, in these months, the islands get a bit more rain. However, this is only a little. The rainiest month, December, has only 5 rainy days, but most of this rain falls in the North of the islands and on the mountaintops. So if you book a beach holiday in the South, you usually will see very little rain all year round.
