Gran Canaria’s weather is mild with pleasant temperatures which are rarely too high and almost always constant. Because it is a mountainous island where trade winds prevail all year round, it offers a wide variety of microclimates that vary from subtropical to continental.
The average temperatures in the summer months range between 26 ºC and 28 ºC (79 – 82 °F), often exceeding 30 °C (86 °F), and in the winter months between 22 ºC and 24 ºC.
Sometimes you can see snow on the highest mountain peaks, and just a few kilometres away you will experience both tropical temperatures and extreme cold.
Occasionally Gran Canaria can experience very hot summer days when the hot sirocco wind is prevailing. Locals refer to this phenomenon as ‘Calima’ or ‘Tiempo Africano’ (African weather). This wind brings with it hot, dry air and sand from the Sahara desert. Sometimes the sirocco wind can bring temperatures of up to 40C and the sand can reduce visibility to 100 metres and may last anything between a few hours up to a week.

