Swimming in the Canary Islands
Beaches and lava rock pools on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote: El Caletón at Garachico, Las Teresitas below the Anaga hills near Santa Cruz, Las Canteras in the middle of Las Palmas, Maspalomas below its dune field, and the Atlantic surf beach at Famara. The sea is typically 18 to 20 °C from January to April and 23 to 24 °C in September and October. Behind Maspalomas the dunes are a nature reserve, crossed on the marked paths only.
- Spots6
- Water in Nov21 to 22°
- Free to enter5
Every spot in the Canary Islands
Typical water temperature in November.
Xavigivax, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAEl Caletón
Rock pool, Garachico
Lava from the 1706 eruption that buried much of Garachico ran into the sea here and set into a string of rock pools beside the promenade.
22°NovFree
Jorge Franganillo, Wikimedia Commons · CC BYPlaya de Famara
Beach, Caleta de Famara
Six kilometres of golden sand running north from Caleta de Famara, open to the Atlantic, with strong waves and steady wind that bring surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers.
21°NovFree
Pepelopex, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAPlaya de las Canteras
Beach, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Three kilometres of sand in the middle of Las Palmas, with a limestone reef called La Barra running about 200 m offshore along more than half the beach.
22°NovFree
trolvag, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAPlaya de las Teresitas
Beach, San Andrés · No dogs
A 1,300 m strip of golden sand below the Anaga hills at San Andrés, with a breakwater built offshore to hold back the waves.
22°NovFree
dronepicr, Wikimedia Commons · CC BYPlaya de Maspalomas
Beach, Maspalomas · Dunes nature reserve: stay on the marked paths, no fires outside permitted zones, don't pick plants or take stones
A 2.7 km run of golden sand between the Maspalomas lighthouse and Playa del Inglés, with the protected dune field rising straight behind it.
22°NovFree
Axel Cotón Gutiérrez, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAPlaya de Papagayo
Cove, Playa Blanca · Los Ajaches Natural Monument; the gate takes cards only
A 120 m cove of fine white sand at the southern tip of Lanzarote, one of a string of coves inside the Los Ajaches protected area east of Playa Blanca.
Nothing here for that filter.
Questions about the Canary Islands
Can you swim in the Canary Islands in winter?
Yes. The sea around these beaches is typically 20 to 21 °C in December, 19 to 20 °C in January and 18 or 19 °C in February and March, then climbs to 23 or 24 °C by September. At Las Teresitas lifeguards are on duty all year.
Can you swim in the El Caletón rock pools in Garachico?
Yes, when they're open: the town council closes the pools when it needs to, most recently for a water-quality result in August 2025. The pools, Las Viejas, Los Niños, Los Chorros and others, formed where lava from the 1706 eruption reached the sea, beside the promenade on Avenida Tomé Cano. Waves break over the outer rocks when the swell is up.
Which Canary Islands beaches are for surfing?
Famara on Lanzarote has strong waves and steady wind, and draws surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers; lifeguards watch from three towers. At Las Canteras the south end, La Cícer, is the surf zone, while La Barra reef runs about 200 m offshore along more than half the beach. At Maspalomas surfers use the bend where it meets Playa del Inglés.
Which Canary Islands beaches can you reach by bus?
All but Papagayo on Lanzarote, which you reach by a dirt track through the park. On Tenerife, TITSA line 910 from the Intercambiador in Santa Cruz stops at access 1 of Las Teresitas, and line 363 (Puerto de la Cruz to Buenavista del Norte) stops in Garachico. On Gran Canaria, city buses reach the Las Canteras promenade, and Global lines 30 and 50 run from Las Palmas to the Maspalomas lighthouse. On Lanzarote, Intercity line 20 runs from Arrecife bus station to Caleta de Famara.
What is the water quality like in the Canary Islands?
Every place listed here with an EEA monitoring site was classified excellent in the 2025 EEA bathing season.