Spain / The Canary Islands / Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria

The Maspalomas Dunes and the Old Town of Las Palmas

4 daysIdeal stay₹7,990From / night₹2,770Food / dayFreeEntry

A round island often called a continent in miniature: Las Palmas, the Canaries' largest city, with its Vegueta old town where Columbus stopped and the long Las Canteras city beach; the Maspalomas sand dunes and resorts in the south; and pine-forested mountains in the centre around Roque Nublo. Las Palmas has a Sindhi Indian community dating back to the mid-20th century, with a Hindu temple and Indian restaurants. About 2h55 by air from Madrid; fast ferries cross to Tenerife in under 1.5 hours. Warm all year.

Highlights

Maspalomas sand dunes
Vegueta old town and the Casa de Colón
Las Canteras beach
Hike to Roque Nublo
Puerto de Mogán's canals
Mountain village of Teror

Things to do

Vegueta old town and the Casa de ColónMorning · 3h
Maspalomas dunes at sunsetEvening · 2h 30m
Roque Nublo hike and the island's mountain centreMorning · 6h
Las Canteras beachAfternoon · 3h
Puerto de Mogán and a boat along the south coastAfternoon · 4h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Gran Canariavia GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Gran Canariavia Klook

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When to go

Best time: All year (warmest May – October, busiest November – March)

Getting there

Fly into Madrid (MAD), 1737 km away

Then: Flight · 6h (Iberia / Iberia Express / Vueling / Air Europa, MAD–LPA (non-stop))

Search flights to MAD from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹23,500
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹23,000
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹24,500
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹25,000
From Chennai (1 stop)from ₹25,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹25,000

Fly into Barcelona (BCN), 2174 km away

Then: Flight · 6h 24m (Vueling / Binter, BCN–LPA (non-stop))

Search flights to BCN from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹22,000
From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹23,500
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹24,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹25,000
From Chennai (1 stop)from ₹25,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹25,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹11,290

Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a BLS International Spain visa centre in India (Spain uses BLS, not VFS), 4-8 weeks before you fly, and at least 6 weeks ahead for trips from April to July, when appointments are scarce (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Spain if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen, at the centre for the state you live in. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus the BLS service charge of about ₹1,500-2,000, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). Allow at least 15 working days for a decision, longer in summer or if other Schengen states are consulted.
If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp. Allow extra time at Madrid and Barcelona airports.

Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary, with the trains or flights between cities; Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).

One Schengen visa covers Spain and every other Schengen country (France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and more) for up to 90 days in any 180, so a tour that adds Paris or Rome needs no second visa. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. Appointment waits and BLS charges vary by centre and season: check india.blsspainvisa.com for your city before you book flights.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in The Canary Islands

🌋 Tenerife · Mount Teide, Black Beaches and Winter Sun
🌋 Lanzarote · Fire Mountains, Black Vineyards and César Manrique's Island

Plan a trip to Gran Canaria

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Madrid (MAD)