Entry & Communication
Entry
Gran Canaria is part of Spain and thus the EU—as an EU citizen, you need no visa. A valid identity card or passport is sufficient. There are no border controls for flights from Germany (Schengen Area). Stay: unlimited for EU citizens.
Important: Although the Canary Islands are part of the EU, they are not part of the EU customs area. This means: Duty-free allowances apply when returning to Germany (200 cigarettes, 1 liter of spirits, 4 liters of wine). This is relevant if you bring rum, wine, or tobacco as souvenirs!
Mobile Internet & Phone
Thanks to EU roaming, you can use your German mobile contract on Gran Canaria without additional costs—calling, surfing, and texting are included in your plan. Network coverage is excellent in coastal cities and tourist areas. In the mountains and gorges, the signal may weaken—download offline maps for hikes!
WLAN
Free WLAN is available in most hotels, restaurants, and cafés. In Las Palmas, there are also public WLAN hotspots (e.g., in Parque Santa Catalina). The speed is generally good.
Time Zone
Gran Canaria is in the Western European Time Zone (WET/UTC±0)—this means: one hour behind Germany (or CEST−1 in summer). When it's 2 PM in Berlin, it's 1 PM in Gran Canaria. Advantage: You gain an extra vacation hour!
Language
The official language is Spanish (Castilian). In tourist areas (Maspalomas, Las Canteras), English is well spoken, and in Las Palmas, often German too. In rural areas and mountain villages, Spanish is the only language—a few basic phrases are highly appreciated there:
- Buenos días — Good day
- Gracias — Thank you
- La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please
- ¿Dónde está…? — Where is…?
- Guagua — Bus (Canarian Spanish!)
- Papas — Potatoes (instead of patatas on the mainland)
