Thursday, 07 May 2015 13:57

Seven Great Gran Canaria Boat Trips

The sea in south Gran Canaria is almost always calm so it's a perfect place to get out on the ocean. You'll experience the island from a fresh perspective, get a tan and probably see dolphins and turtles. 

If you really want to spend a day on the water, let our team of Gran Canaria experts know via this WhatsApp form and they'll be in touch to guide you through the options. It's a super-easy way to make sure you choose the right boat trip for you. 

 Dolphin Watching  in south Gran Canaria

super cat excursion 0001South Gran Canaria is a paradise for dolphins and most people see them on their first trip on a dolphin-watching boat. The most common are bottlenose dolphins (Flipper), but you also get spinner, common, striped and Risso's dolphins. Short-finned pilot whales are pretty common too and there's always the chance of seeing a visiting baleen whale like a minke or sei whale. The mysterious beaked whales pop up every year and turtles are common. 

Alex says: Pick a boat that gives you a chance to relax and have a swim afterwards. A smaller boat offers a much quieter and more intimate dolphin experience.

Glass-bottomed ferry trips between Gran Canaria marinas

super cat excursion 0015Two ferry companies run between Puerto de Mogán, Puerto Rico, Anfi and Arguineguin on the south coast of Gran Canaria. Choose the glass-bottomed Blue Bird company boats for a chance of spotting barracuda, turtles, rays and even dolphins. 

Ferries run all day and round trip prices range between €5.50 and €19 per person depending on distance.   

Fishing for marlin, tuna or wreckfish 

Blue Marlin 3 fishing boatGran Canaria's deep waters are full of big game fish like wahoo, tuna and marlin. If you fancy a go at catching a truly big fish, then head to the Puerto Rico, Puerto de Mogán or Pasito Blanco marina and book a spot on a big game boat. 

If the tuna are running, or the marlin are close to the shore, you have a very good chance of seeing some action. Island boats regularly land big tuna, billfish, barracuda, dolphin fish and wahoo. All boats catch and release all the marlin and bluefin tuna that they catch.

Nothing beats the thrill of landing a marlin or a big tuna, but you can't guarantee action on a given day. If you want to go fishing and be sure to catch fish, then choose a bottom fishing excursion. You'll get bream, mackerel, grouper, snappers, moray eels and maybe even a stingray or small shark. 

We like the Blue Marlin 3 boat because it publishes a daily diary of what it catches on its website.

Alex says: Ask what depth the boats fish at as it's far more fun to fish in 35 metres of water than in 70 metres; much less winding in.

Yacht trips in south Gran Canaria

Supercat Excursion 7There are plenty of boats leaving Puerto Rico's Puerto Base every day. Some are fun boats, others go for the relaxing day at sea feel. 

Important factors to consider are what food and drink you get for your money, how many people are on the boat with you, where the boat goes and what you can do as extras (banana boat rides, swimming, etc).The classic Gran Canaria boat trip is the Supercat with its large sun deck and swimming platform. 

Dolphin watching Gran Canaria1The Afrikat based in Puerto Base in Puerto Rico gets consistently excellent Tripadvisor reviews. It is like an upmarket version of the Supercat. 

For a chilled out boat trip with no queues for drinks in south Gran Canaria, book the Exclusive Boat. This is Gran Canaria's most relaxed catamaran ansd the one that everyone loves the most.

Lex Says: You can book all of Gran Canaria's best boat trips using our super-easy Whatsapp booking form 

Go wherever you want with your own boat and captain


GYult7dx4CfL 1920x1080 gsWCoEBW 1 555x320Organisaed boat trips are a whole load of fun but sometimes you just want to have the whole place to yourself. With this luxury speedboat charter, you get the whole boat plus a skipper to do all the work while you just sit back and chill. 

The Yellow submarine

For an underwater experience but no soggy wetsuits, take a dive with the yellow submarine in Puerto de Mogán. You'll see tons of fish and a genuine wreck as well as a fantasy Greek temple ruin. You don't get many chances to go in a submarine and especially not a yellow one so this is a must book Gran Canaria day trip.

Ferry to Tenerife or Fuerteventura

7157834446 15f52037ea oMost visitors to the Canary Islands stay on the island they fly to. However, you can get the fast ferry from Gran Canaria to Tenerife for a day trip if you get up early enough. The fast ferry leaves from Puerto de las Nieves, in the northwest corner of Gran Canaria and goes to Tenerife's capital Santa Cruz. The trip takes an hour.

Check your hire car insurance policy, as some won't cover you on another island. If you don't take a car, Santa Cruz's centre is small enough to explore on foot and the bus station is a few minutes walk south of the ferry terminal.  

Also consider the fast ferry from Las Palmas to Fuerteventura. It takes four hours so, while you can sail both ways in a day, it's best to stay over for a while. 

Lex says: Fred Olsen catamarans are the fastest inter-island ferries but Armas boats have open decks.

For the adventurer: Join the ARC Race  

5195752835 0b49de1a0d oFor an epic boat trip starting in Gran Canaria, join the crew of a yacht in the annual ARC race.  True adventurers hang around Las Palmas marina in November and find a place on one of the 300 yachts that sail from Las Palmas to St Lucia.

Lots of sailing boats accept crew, but sailing experience helps you get on board. The trip takes about three weeks if you joining a cruising yacht, much less if you are on one of the serious racers. Getting back to Gran Canaria from the Caribbean might be more challenging: The race only goes one way.

Published in Excursions

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Tip of the day

  • How To Choose A Legal Gran Canaria Airport Transfer
    How To Choose A Legal Gran Canaria Airport Transfer

    Gran Canaria's hotels have to be licensed and offer a quality level of service as well as having insurance and complying with fire regulations. The same goes for the boats that take people out to watch dolphins, the companies offering jeep safaris, and even the holiday let apartments. 

    However, not everybody in Gran Canaria follows the rules. For example, there is a significant industry running illegal and uninsured transfers between Gran Canaria airport and the island's resorts. These cars, driven by locals and foreign-residents, are just private vehicles and the drivers are unregulated and uninsured. They don't pay tax and there is no way to hold them responsible if something goes wrong. 

     At Gran Canaria Info we believe that all people and all companies offering services to tourists should legal and above board.

    So, how do you know that your airport transfer service is legal and registered with the Gran Canaria authorities?

     Using legal Gran Canaria airport transfers

    It is quite easy to know if your airport transfer service is operating in a legal way because all registered transfers have the following...

     A blue license plate: Taxis and other public service vehicles in Gran Canaria all have blue plates.

    A VTC sticker in the window: This stands for Vehículo de Transporte con Conductor, the official designation for licensed transfer drivers ans chauffeurs.

    An SP sticker on the car: This indicates that the car offer a Servicio Publico or public service and is therefore allowed to pick up and transfer members of the public. 

    Parked in the transport zone: Official airport transfer vehicles don't park in the public car park of the airport. Instead they have their own parking zone right by the arrivals gates at the airport (next to the taxis and package tour buses). Your transfer driver therefore should not have to pay a parking fee before leaving the aiport. 

    How to spot an unlicensed transfer service

    Unlicensed drivers get away with offerring their service because they claim that they are just members of the public picking up a friend. They are allowed to stand at arrivals with a sign (just like any member of the public can).

    However, they also have to park their car in the public car park and will walk you there with your luggage, stopping to pay the parking fee at the meter. A licensed transfer driver does not need to do this because they have their own parking zone right by arrivals.

    Some unlicensed drivers don't even wait at the arrival gate because the official drivers recognise them and get annoyed. Instead they have to stand further away (often by the Spar supermarket or the car rental desks). 

    When an unlicensed driver drops you at the airport they will not want to be paid in a public area because this proves that they are charging rather than "transporting a friend" for free. 

    An unlicensed car will not have a blue license plate, or a SP or VTC sticker, and will often look like a private car (because it is a private car). 

    What's the problem with unlicensed airport transfers?

    Some people use unlicensed cars because they are the cheapest option and don't realise that they are unlicensed. 

    There are several problems with unlicensed services. The most obvious is that they are uninsured so if something goes wrong or there is an accident, you are not protected. The price that unlicensed drivers offer is only low because they cut corners (hopefully not literally). You have no way of even knowing if your unlicensed driver has a Spanish driving license, insurance and a good driving record. Licensed drivers are vetted regularly and must be fully insured and licensed to work.

    Another problem is that unlicensed transfers undermine the legitimate transfer drivers and businesses in Gran Canaria. Local drivers make a living from transfers and offer a legal, regulated service with minimum standards. Every time an unlicensed service undercuts them, it is effectively stealing from local people and the island economy.

    We believe that everybody in Gran Canaria deserves better!

    Gran Canaria Airport Transfer Services

    To find out more about the Gran Canaria airport transfer, see our Gran Canaria airport transfer article which explains the three different models; man/woman from pub with car, online transfer websites, and local transfer services.

    Or you can book a legitimate Gran Canaria airport transfer at a great price right here. Our service uses local drivers and supprts the island economy because all the money you spend stays in Gran Canaria.

    Alex Says: Using our service also helps the Gran Canaria Info team to keep providing quality local information here and in our Facebook Group

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