There is a reason people plan their evenings around it here. Gran Canaria does sunset properly, and knowing where and when to be turns an ordinary evening into the highlight of the trip. This is a local guide to the best of it, along with the practical things, timing, wind and season, that make the difference between a good sunset and a great one.
Why the west coast wins
The simple rule is this: for the sun to drop into the sea rather than behind a hill, you want to be facing west or south-west. That points you towards the stretch of coast from Mogán up to Agaete. Here the horizon is open Atlantic, and on a clear evening the whole sky lights up before the sun finally slips under the water.
Puerto de Mogán and the south-west
Around Mogán, Puerto de Mogán and the resort beaches of Amadores and Puerto Rico, you get warm, sheltered evenings and reliable clear skies for much of the year. Puerto de Mogán in particular is lovely at dusk, once the day-trip crowds thin out and the harbour lights come on. It is an easy, gentle option if you are staying in the south and do not want to travel far.
Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves
Further north on the west coast, the fishing town of Puerto de las Nieves, at the mouth of the green Agaete valley, is one of the island's classic sunset spots. You can watch the light go from the seafront, with the silhouette of Tenerife's Mount Teide sometimes visible across the water on the very clearest days. The drive here from the south is a scenic evening out in itself.
The south: Maspalomas and Meloneras
If you are based in the main resort area, you do not have to go far. The boardwalk at Meloneras and the beach out towards the Maspalomas lighthouse give you long, open western views over the sea, with the bonus of somewhere to stroll afterwards. The dunes themselves glow beautifully in the last hour of light, though do remember they are a protected nature reserve, so tread lightly and keep to the marked edges.
Timing it right
The single most useful thing to know is that sunset moves a lot across the year. In December the sun is gone by around six in the evening; by June it lingers until nearly nine. Always check the time for your specific date, and aim to be in place fifteen to twenty minutes early, both to settle in and because the sky often looks its best just before and just after the sun actually sets. The soft light in the half hour beforehand, the golden hour, is also when photographs come out best.
The wind and the weather
Two more local quirks. First, the trade winds can pick up in the afternoon in exposed spots, so a sheltered cove or a spot with cover behind you is often more comfortable than a windswept headland. Second, the north of the island is prone to a bank of low cloud that locals call the 'panza de burro', which can hide a northern sunset while the south stays clear. If the skies look grey up north, the south and south-west are your safer bet.
Sunset from the heights
Not every great sunset is at the coast. From the high centre of the island, the light does something different: the sun sinks towards Tenerife and the neighbouring islands on the horizon, and on the clearest evenings the silhouette of Mount Teide floats above a sea of cloud. Viewpoints along the roads around Pico de las Nieves, and the Degollada de las Yeguas lookout over the Fataga valley, give you enormous, layered views. It is cooler up there and the light fades fast once the sun is down, so bring a layer and leave yourself time for the drive back.
Match the spot to where you're staying
The best sunset spot is often simply the one you will actually get to.
- Staying in Maspalomas or Meloneras: the boardwalk and the beach towards the lighthouse are on your doorstep.
- Around Mogán, Puerto Rico or Amadores: you are already on the sunset coast, so barely need to travel.
- In or near Las Palmas: Playa de las Canteras faces the right way for a lovely city-beach sunset.
- Up for a drive: Puerto de las Nieves in Agaete, or a mountain viewpoint, for something more dramatic.
What to bring
A good sunset is worth a little preparation. Bring a layer, because the temperature drops quickly once the sun goes, especially near the water. Arrive early enough to park and settle without rushing. And do not pack up the moment the sun disappears: the sky often does its best work in the ten or fifteen minutes afterwards, when the light turns pink and gold and the crowds, if there were any, drift away.
A note on photographs
Sunset is the most forgiving light of the day for photographs, which is why it is such a popular time to propose or mark an occasion. Shoot into the light for glowing silhouettes, or turn your back to the sun and let it wash everyone in warm gold. Either way, the half hour before the sun sets, the golden hour, tends to flatter far more than the harsher light earlier in the day.
Watch for the green flash
If you watch enough clear-horizon sunsets over the ocean, you may one day catch the green flash: a brief green tint at the very top of the sun as it vanishes below the sea. It is real, not a myth, and the open Atlantic horizon on the west coast is exactly the sort of place to see it. You need a cloudless horizon and a little luck, but it is a lovely thing to watch for.
Turn it into an evening
A sunset is a natural beginning rather than an end. Watch the light go, then let the evening unfold: dinner in a harbour town as the lights come on, a slow drive back with the windows down, or a private table set up exactly where you are so you never have to move at all. The best sunset evenings do not stop when the sun does.
Beyond the coast: rooftops and terraces
You do not always have to chase a view. Some of the loveliest sunsets are watched from exactly where you are staying: a rooftop bar in Las Palmas, a resort terrace facing the right way, a villa balcony with the sea in front of it. If your accommodation happens to look west, you have a private sunset spot with no travel and no crowds. It is worth checking the aspect of your terrace before you plan an outing; the best seat in the house may already be yours.
Make the sunset the occasion
If you would rather simply arrive to a beautiful setting already waiting for you, that is what a sunset picnic is for. We time it to the light for your exact date, choose the spot with the wind and the season in mind, and set it all up so you have nothing to carry and nothing to clear. Here is how we choose the location.
Tell us where you are staying and the evening you have in mind, and we will point you to the right spot, or arrange the whole thing for you. Start here.