How to Island Hop from Gran Canaria

One island is lovely. More than one is an adventure.

There’s a moment when you’re sitting beside the Atlantic in Gran Canaria, cocktail in hand, when a thought inevitably occurs… I wonder what’s over there?
And that, frankly, is how island hopping begins.

The good news is that Gran Canaria is brilliantly placed for exploring the rest of the Canary Islands. Rather than spending your entire holiday in one resort, you can turn your trip into a little Atlantic adventure, combining beaches, volcanoes, mountains, forests and some very different island personalities.

Better still, you don’t need to become a logistics expert to do it.
There are direct ferries from Gran Canaria to Tenerife and Fuerteventura, while flights with the Canaries very own airline Binter, connects Gran Canaria Airport with all the main Canary Islands.

So, where should you go?

Gran Canaria to Tenerife - The Easy Hop
Tenerife is the obvious first choice and probably the easiest island to add to a Gran Canaria holiday.

The fastest option is the Fred. Olsen Express ferry from Agaete in north-west Gran Canaria to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The crossing takes around 80 minutes, with up to eight daily departures on the current timetable. You can also take a car, making it particularly useful if you want to explore Tenerife independently. Day trips are available too! Click here for more more details.
And there's something rather satisfying about arriving by boat. You leave one island behind, watch Gran Canaria shrink into the distance and, before you've quite finished your coffee, another volcanic landscape appears ahead.
By air, Binter operates direct inter-island flights between Gran Canaria and Tenerife, giving you another quick option if you're short on time. There are two airports on Tenerife and Binter currently flies into both Tenerife North and Tenerife South.

Gran Canaria to Fuerteventura - Beaches Ahoy
If your idea of island hopping involves enormous sandy beaches and a slightly slower pace, point yourself towards Fuerteventura.


Fred. Olsen Express operates a direct ferry between Gran Canaria and Morro Jable in southern Fuerteventura. The crossing takes around two hours, with up to four daily departures listed by the operator. You can take your car aboard too, which makes exploring Fuerteventura's sprawling beaches and rural roads much easier.
Alternatively, fly. Binter offers direct inter-island flights from Gran Canaria to Fuerteventura, making it perfectly possible to have breakfast on one island and be exploring another before lunchtime. Given the crossing time, you might even want to consider a cheeky day trip to Fuertaventura.

Gran Canaria to Lanzarote - Volcanoes and Otherworldly Landscapes
Lanzarote feels different again. Where Gran Canaria is mountainous and wonderfully varied, Lanzarote is stark, volcanic and almost otherworldly. Think black lava fields, whitewashed villages, volcanic craters and beaches that look as though somebody has turned the contrast up.

You can fly directly from Gran Canaria to Lanzarote with Binter. The airline's inter-island network offers regular connections between the two.
But there is also a direct ferry - and it's a rather different proposition.
Baleària operates the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Arrecife route, with daily sailings throughout the year. The crossing takes approximately six hours, depending on the sailing, and you can take a car and luggage with you.
Six hours might sound a lot compared with a flight, but if you're not in a hurry, there's something wonderfully old-fashioned about travelling between islands by sea.

Gran Canaria to La Palma – The Green One
La Palma is where you go when you fancy swapping beaches and resort life for forests, volcanic scenery and spectacular walking. It's one of the quieter Canary Islands and a particularly good choice for hikers and nature lovers.

Flying is the practical option from on this route with Binter's inter-island network including a direct service between Gran Canaria and La Palma.
Allow several days if you can. La Palma is not really an island you rush around, unless you enjoy returning home exhausted and slightly confused about what you've just seen.

Gran Canaria to La Gomera – For a Real Escape
La Gomera is compact, green and gloriously mountainous.  With deep ravines, forested slopes and tiny villages where the pace of life seems to have been deliberately slowed down, it’s particularly rewarding for walkers.


Better yet, there’s a direct 50 minute flight from Gran Canaria airport.
There isn't currently a direct ferry from Gran Canaria to La Gomera (You’d travel via Tenerife), so if sailing is your preference, it’s best to factor in a couple of days visiting.

Gran Canaria to El Hierro – The Far-Flung Adventure
If you really want to get away from it all, El Hierro is the island to investigate. It's the smallest and westernmost of the main Canary Islands and feels considerably more remote than its larger neighbours.

There’s no direct ferry from Gran Canaria, but there are direct flights with Binter making flying the best option.
This is a trip best suited to travellers who have several days to spare rather than those trying to squeeze another island into a long weekend.

How Many Islands Can You Visit?
For a one-week holiday, it’s perhaps best to resist the temptation to collect islands like fridge magnets. Gran Canaria plus one other island makes a far more enjoyable trip than attempting four islands in seven days.
With ten to fourteen days, however, you can start getting ambitious.
A good combination would be Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera. Alternatively, pair Gran Canaria with Fuerteventura and Lanzarote for a holiday heavily weighted towards beaches and volcanic landscapes.

And if you're particularly keen on flying between islands, Binter's AirPass Explorer is worth investigating. It is specifically designed for multi-island travel and currently advertises inter-island flights from €40 per journey, subject to its terms and availability.


Ferry or Flight?
It really comes down to what you value.
Choose the ferry if you're taking a car, have plenty of luggage, enjoy travelling by sea or simply don't fancy another airport.
Choose the plane if time is precious. Inter-island flights are short and the network is extensive. Day trips are possible.

There is also something rather liberating about flying between the islands. You can wake up in Gran Canaria, have lunch in Tenerife and be watching the sunset somewhere completely different. Just remember that schedules and frequencies can change seasonally, so it's important to check the operator's current timetable before committing to an itinerary.

The Joy of Island Hopping
The great thing about the Canary Islands is that they're close enough to tempt you onwards but different enough to make the journey worthwhile.

Gran Canaria gives you a little bit of everything - beaches, mountains, nightlife, culture and countryside. Tenerife adds volcanic drama and Mount Teide. Fuerteventura brings huge beaches and open landscapes. Lanzarote gives full volcanic theatre. La Palma turns the greenery up. La Gomera disappears into forests and ravines. El Hierro feels like you've reached the edge of the Atlantic.
And suddenly your holiday isn't simply a week in Gran Canaria. It's a journey through an entire archipelago.

Sometimes the best holiday is the one where you arrive somewhere and immediately start wondering where you could go next.