The weather

You have probably heard that the Canary Islands have “the best climate in the world”. That’s not a slogan – it’s the conclusion of several scientific studies. And actually, Winter is our traditional high season. While the rest of you are shivering in continental Europe, with little or no sunlight after 4 pm, Maspalomas continue to offer sun, beach and nights out in shorts. But what’s the winter weather really like in the Canary Islands? Is it so unique?

It is, but it needs a bit of explanation. Although we’re in a little corner of the map and seem to be fairly close to mainland Spain, we’re actually as far south as the Bahamas, just 400 km from the tropics. That’s right – a long way south, but just in the right spot to miss the holiday-destroying heat, hurricanes and other misfortunes typical of these latitudes. The key to our climate lies in the trade winds, a current of cool air that wafts over the Canary Islands year round and keeps the Saharan heat at bay. That makes our winter temperatures and sunshine hours similar to a Mediterranean spring or a mild northern European summer.

If you’d like to know more about our weather, we recommend The Best Climate in the World, where you’ll find lots of interesting facts, temperature charts and other useful info.