Gran Canaria stays warm right through the winter. At the island's airport on the east coast, days average 24.2°C in November, 22.2°C in December and about 21 to 22°C from January to March, with nights between 15 and 18°C. Rain is light: 114 mm across all five months. For the driest weather, head south: the island's tourism board calls the south-west the "Dry Island" and the north-east, where Las Palmas sits, the "Wet Island".
Below you'll find each winter month, the sea, the south vs Las Palmas, how Gran Canaria compares with Tenerife, and the whole year.
Gran Canaria in Winter: the Table
Air temperatures, rain and sunshine are the official 1981-2010 climate normals from AEMET, Spain's weather service, for Gran Canaria Aeropuerto (AEMET climate normals), 24 m above sea level. It is the only Gran Canaria station AEMET publishes in that set. The airport sits on the east coast, about 19 km south of Las Palmas and 25 km from the resorts in the south (Gran Canaria Airport). Sea temperatures are the average sea surface temperature off the south coast for 2023 to 2025, from the Open-Meteo marine model: modelled open water, not a reading at any one beach. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum, and "rain days" are days with 1 mm or more.
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain | Rain days | Sun a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 24.2°C | 18.1°C | 23.0°C | 22 mm | 3.9 | 6.2 h |
| December | 22.2°C | 16.2°C | 21.5°C | 31 mm | 4.5 | 5.8 h |
| January | 20.8°C | 15.0°C | 20.7°C | 25 mm | 3.1 | 5.9 h |
| February | 21.2°C | 15.0°C | 20.0°C | 24 mm | 3.0 | 6.8 h |
| March | 22.3°C | 15.7°C | 20.0°C | 12 mm | 2.3 | 7.4 h |
Over the five months the airport averages 22.1°C by day and 16.0°C at night, with about 6.4 h of sunshine a day and rain on about 17 days in the whole winter. The sea averages 21.0°C.
Month by Month
November: days average 24.2°C and nights 18.1°C, with 22 mm of rain over about 3.9 rainy days and 6.2 h of sun a day. The sea is 23.0°C: warm enough for most people to swim.
December: days average 22.2°C and nights 16.2°C, with 31 mm of rain over about 4.5 rainy days and 5.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 21.5°C: right on the line for a comfortable swim.
January: days average 20.8°C and nights 15.0°C, with 25 mm of rain over about 3.1 rainy days and 5.9 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.7°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
February: days average 21.2°C and nights 15.0°C, with 24 mm of rain over about 3.0 rainy days and 6.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
March: days average 22.3°C and nights 15.7°C, with 12 mm of rain over about 2.3 rainy days and 7.4 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
Each month links to our Gran Canaria weather page for that month, which uses a model average for a point near Maspalomas on the south coast, so its rain and temperature figures differ from the airport normals here.
South vs Las Palmas: Which Side Is Better in Winter?
Gran Canaria is close to round, with its highest ground in the middle, and the island's tourism board splits it into three climate zones: a wetter north-east shaped by the trade winds, a dry south-west, and the summits above 1,500 m (Gran Canaria tourism board). Las Palmas, the island's main city, is in the north-east (Las Palmas). Maspalomas, with its 400 hectares of protected dunes, palm grove and lagoon, is at the southern tip (Hello Canary Islands).
What we can't give you is an official degree-by-degree gap. AEMET publishes no 1981-2010 normals for Las Palmas or Maspalomas, only for the airport between them. The nearest thing we have is our own model point near Maspalomas, built from 2016 to 2025 weather data: from November to March it is the same as, or up to 0.8°C warmer by day than, the airport normals. Treat that as a hint, not a measurement, since the two use different methods and years.
The practical answer: for a beach-first winter week, stay on the dry south side, around Maspalomas. Las Palmas suits a city break with a beach, on the wetter side of the island. If you head up to the summits for a hike, take a warm layer: they are a separate climate zone, and AEMET has no winter normals for them in this set.
Gran Canaria Sea Temperature in Winter
Over the year the sea off the south coast is warmest in August (24.1°C) and coolest in February and March (20.0°C). In winter:
- November: 23.0°C, the warmest water of the winter.
- December: 21.5°C, right around the line for a comfortable swim.
- January to March: 20.0°C to 20.7°C. Swimmable on a sunny afternoon, but cool enough that most people keep it short.
We use 21°C as the line for comfortable swimming without a wetsuit. November and December reach it.
Does It Rain in Gran Canaria in Winter?
A little. The airport gets about 150 mm in an average year, and most of it falls between October and March. The wettest month is December, with 31 mm over about 4.5 rainy days. March is the driest winter month, at 12 mm.
Rain is rarely the problem; cloud is more common. AEMET counts only about 22 clear days at the airport from November to March, so most winter days mix sunshine and cloud, which still adds up to 6.4 h of sun a day on average.
Gran Canaria Weather Through the Year
The whole year at the airport, air and sea:
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.8°C | 15.0°C | 20.7°C | 25 mm |
| February | 21.2°C | 15.0°C | 20.0°C | 24 mm |
| March | 22.3°C | 15.7°C | 20.0°C | 12 mm |
| April | 22.6°C | 16.2°C | 20.5°C | 6 mm |
| May | 23.6°C | 17.3°C | 21.5°C | 1 mm |
| June | 25.3°C | 19.2°C | 22.6°C | 0 mm |
| July | 26.9°C | 20.8°C | 23.1°C | 0 mm |
| August | 27.5°C | 21.6°C | 24.1°C | 0 mm |
| September | 27.2°C | 21.4°C | 24.0°C | 9 mm |
| October | 26.2°C | 20.1°C | 23.6°C | 16 mm |
| November | 24.2°C | 18.1°C | 23.0°C | 22 mm |
| December | 22.2°C | 16.2°C | 21.5°C | 31 mm |
January has the coolest days, at 20.8°C (69°F), and August the warmest, at 27.5°C. The whole year spans under 7°C by day.
Gran Canaria or Tenerife?
AEMET's figures for Gran Canaria's airport and Tenerife's south airport, side by side for November to March:
| Station, Nov to Mar | Day high | Night low | Rain | Rain days | Sun a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Canaria airport (east coast) | 22.1°C | 16.0°C | 114 mm | 17 | 6.4 h |
| Tenerife south airport | 22.9°C | 16.1°C | 108 mm | 11 | 6.6 h |
On these numbers the Tenerife south airport is 0.8°C warmer by day and gets rain on fewer days, while nights are almost the same. Keep in mind that Gran Canaria's airport is on the east coast, not in the southern resorts. Our comparison of the four main holiday islands in winter uses resort points instead, and there Maspalomas comes out warmest. Either way, the gap is a degree or so, not a different season. For Tenerife's own north, south and Teide month by month, see Tenerife weather in winter.
Both islands keep UK time in winter (Time in Spain), so there is no jet lag from the UK.
How to Choose Your Month
- The warmest days and sea: November, at 24.2°C by day with the sea at 23.0°C.
- Christmas and New Year: 22.2°C by day in December, though it is the wettest month (31 mm). Our Christmas sun holidays guide compares the options for the festive weeks.
- The most sunshine: March, with about 7.4 h a day and the least rain of the winter.
- The coolest stretch: January and February, at 20.8°C and 21.2°C by day. Still warm for a walk, cool for the sea.
Keep It All on One Map
A Gran Canaria trip usually starts as a pile of saved posts: a dune walk at sunset, a seafood place by a harbour, a tapas bar in Las Palmas. In Dream Trip your saved places sit on one map, so you can see which ones are near your hotel and which are worth a day trip, and turn them into a day-by-day plan. Subscribers can import TikTok and Reels links.
Start your Gran Canaria shortlist in Dream Trip.
FAQ
What is the weather like in Gran Canaria in November?
Days average 24.2°C and nights 18.1°C, with 22 mm of rain over about 3.9 rainy days and 6.2 h of sun a day. The sea is 23.0°C: warm enough for most people to swim. See Gran Canaria weather in November.
Is Gran Canaria warm in December?
Yes. Days average 22.2°C and nights 16.2°C, with 31 mm of rain over about 4.5 rainy days and 5.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 21.5°C: right on the line for a comfortable swim. It is the wettest month, but that still means only a few rainy days. See Gran Canaria weather in December.
What is the weather like in Gran Canaria in January?
Days average 20.8°C and nights 15.0°C, with 25 mm of rain over about 3.1 rainy days and 5.9 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.7°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. January has the coolest days of the year. See Gran Canaria weather in January.
What is the weather like in Gran Canaria in February?
Days average 21.2°C and nights 15.0°C, with 24 mm of rain over about 3.0 rainy days and 6.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. See Gran Canaria weather in February.
What is the weather like in Gran Canaria in March?
Days average 22.3°C and nights 15.7°C, with 12 mm of rain over about 2.3 rainy days and 7.4 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. It is the sunniest and driest month of the winter.
Is the south of Gran Canaria warmer than Las Palmas?
The south is the drier side: the island's tourism board calls the south-west the "Dry Island" and the north-east, where Las Palmas is, the "Wet Island". AEMET publishes no official normals for either town, so there is no official temperature gap. Our model point near Maspalomas runs up to 0.8°C warmer by day than the airport in winter.
Can you swim in Gran Canaria in winter?
Yes. The sea off the south coast averages 23.0°C in November, 21.5°C in December and about 20°C by February.
What is Gran Canaria like in May?
Warm, dry and sunny. Days average 23.6°C and nights 17.3°C, with 1 mm of rain over about 0.3 rainy days and 8.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 21.5°C: right on the line for a comfortable swim. See Gran Canaria weather in May.
