If you are going to be spending Christmas in Gran Canaria, you might be wondering what’s on. Of course, lying on the beach and sunbathing makes a nice change on Christmas day but what about Christmas Eve in Gran Canaria or Boxing day – what’s on and what’s going to be open?
Photo by Pcesarperez
Traditional Christmas Dinner
First of all, if you want a traditional Christmas dinner you should book places as soon as possible after you arrive. There are various restaurants around Puerto Rico, Playa del Ingles and the other resorts in Gran Canaria offering Christmas fare but these places do fill up!
If you’re in Playa del Ingles, a lot of people recommend The Red Cow for Christmas dinner. Alternatively the Barcelo Las Margaritas does good food. If you’re in Puerto Rico there are only two main shopping centres so you can stroll around those and see what takes your fancy.
Photo by BigDani
Churchill’s and Murphy’s Kitchen in the main shopping centre might be worth a visit and the Red Rose Cafe near the harbour is also good. El Brasero in the Europa Centre is really good as well, especially if you like meat! The Scandinavians will be enjoying their Christmas dinner on December 24th so the Brits and Irish will have the restaurants on the 25th to themselves.
Because Christmas week is one of the busiest weeks in the Canaries, nearly everything is open and that includes dolphin trip excursions, glass bottom boat excurions, Gran Canaria ferries to Puerto Rico, Mogan and Arguineguin, fishing trips and more 
These book up quickly too. You can email me if you want more information about the fishing. I can also hold places for you on the dolphin trip or glass bottom boat trip. You’ll be fine with the ferries because these run hourly.
There are usually a couple of small supermarkets open over Christmas if you want to buy supplies. December 24th in the evening is when the Canarians eat their traditional Christmas dinner in Gran Canaria.
Evening Entertainment
The bars and discos will be open as usual over the festive period. You might want to stay close to your own resort though because taxis can triple or quadruple their prices over Christmas and New Year! 
Weather in Gran Canaria at Christmas
Today it has been a pleasant 26ºC and it’s usually fairly warm over the Christmas week. So how how is Gran Canaria over Xmas? Well it does vary and you ought to bring something with long sleeves. It might not be sunny everyday but it’s likely to be warm, probably between 20 and 25ºC so you should get some colour! 
6 responses so far ↓
1 The Temperatures in Gran Canaria at Christmas — The Cunning Canary — My Grand life on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands! // Dec 15, 2009 at 12:04 pm
[...] if you fancy a warm Christmas with perhaps a few beers in a beach bar and some sun, check out our What’s On at Christmas in Gran Canaria [...]
2 andy // Dec 20, 2009 at 10:52 am
hi there
planning on coming to puerto rico on the 26th dec until the 29th does the the public transport service still run from the airport to puerto rico on boxing day
thanks for your help
3 Victoria // Dec 20, 2009 at 11:35 am
Hi Andy,
The bus from the airport to the south runs at 20 past every hour, from 7.20am until 10.20pm.
You will need to get the no.66 to Maspalomas, then change.
The buses between Maspalomas and Puerto Rico also run frequently. Boxing day is not a public holiday in GC, so you’ll be fine. The Canarians have their celebratory dinner on Dec 24th, relax on Dec 25th, then Dec 26th is business as usual.
Have fun in Gran Canaria!
Victoria
4 Corina // Nov 30, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Hi,
Myself, my boyfriend & 3 kids are heading to Melonera’s for christmas 20th-27th. I was wondering could you suggest some nice restaurants that we could book a traditional christmas dinner in? Also do you know if they cook fresh turkeys or would it be like processed meat? Want to get close to what I would at home. Thanks.
5 Victoria // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:24 am
Try the Red Cow or Barcelo los Margaritas, or wander around Meloneras when you arrive and check out the local places. I’m not as familiar with Meloneras as Puerto Rico since I’ve never lived in Meloneras but the Xmas dinner is very similar to what you would get back home because you’re not alone in wanting a traditional dinner. But you might not get the Brussels sprouts since they don’t grow or import them and you don’t get fresh parsnips either for the same reason. The turkey tends to be nice and if you go to a British-style place you should also get stuffing, roast potatoes and veg etc.
6 jess // Jan 18, 2012 at 3:25 am
hi me and my husband want to go either puerto rico or playa de ingles for christmas which one would you reccomend for couples and what is a luxery hotel to stay in. last year we went to barcelo in fuerture ventura and that was nice. x x
Leave a Comment