The first rays of early daylight turn the sand into gold, attracting the first timid bathers out, closely followed by the usual masses in their droves, in this most pleasant and bright Gran Canaria summer. Towels are carefully laid out and beach umbrellas are opened. Seen from above they look like flowers popping out everywhere.

Gran Canaria summers are neither harsh or overbearing. Here the climate is quite pleasant, just like its people. The island wants you to feel at home, even at this time of year, as the island gives you a warm, but not scolding, hug. A bathe at any of the beaches on the island is like a brushstroke of life etched on your skin, just like the air you breathe, bringing with it the vitality of ocean right to the shore. The sea governs the surface of the water together with its golden troops, while down below you can glimpse the silvery sparkle of the fish.

Summer in Gran Canaria is all about boys and girls charging up and down the sand dunes, imagining they are desert explorers. It is about floating effortlessly over the still blue water that seems to merge impossibly with the sky, as we search to find the keys to the universe and the meaning of life, which are actually closer to us than we think. 

The ancient dwellers on Gran Canaria also needed the sun. Proof of their longing for summer can be found at the sun spots at Cuatro Puertas. Around this time at summer solstice, the sun’s rays filter through the hewn out hollows and dance on the marks etched out by the aborigines. Nowadays, this fascination for the summer light in Gran Canaria extends well beyond the island’s borders. 

Summer is now here, indeed, and the colours of Gran Canaria’s generous natural surroundings are accentuated. The island becomes a terrestrial galaxy of dazzling flowers. The magic of light at this time intensifies the haunting volcanic tones around us. On the northern slopes, the summer light flickers through the thick ancient forests, encouraging us to take long rambles along footpaths and stumble across ancient mysteries. It is time for harvests of figs and water melons. It is time to celebrate the flavour and bright colour of life.

Summer in Gran Canaria also echoes to the notes of the timple guitar, a cheese tapa, a glass of local wine or an evening meal overlooking the Atlantic.

The sun slowly sinks and signals the end of the day. The beach ritual, a near theatrical show, reaches its climax: people pick up their towels and shake off the sand from them, giving off a dusty trail like stars that fall slowly to the ground. Others stand in awe at nightfall as it displays a glorious blend of reds, oranges and violets. Then finally the summer night in Gran Canaria sheds its blanket all around, the only thing it could possibly do to put our memory of a wonderful day in the shade.

Related link:
Summer events in Gran Canaria