How to get to Gran Canaria from Italy: flights and tips
Gran Canaria is the heart of the Canaries: the Maspalomas dunes, the capital Las Palmas with its city beach of Las Canteras, mountains and villages inland. It's one of the best-connected islands to Italy, and getting there is easy. Here's everything you need.
Gran Canaria's airport
Gran Canaria has a single airport (unlike Tenerife): Gran Canaria — Las Palmas (LPA), set halfway between the capital Las Palmas (north) and the tourist areas of the south (Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, Puerto Rico).
This makes things simple: whatever your destination on the island, you always land here. From the airport: - to the tourist south (Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés): 25–30 minutes by car or bus. - to Las Palmas (north): 20–25 minutes.
Where you depart from in Italy
Direct flights to Gran Canaria (LPA) leave mainly from:
- Milan (Malpensa and Bergamo)
- Rome (Fiumicino)
- Bologna
- Venice
- Naples and Verona (seasonal)
The airlines are mostly low-cost and charter: Ryanair, Neos, easyJet depending on the season. The direct flight takes about 4 hours 45 minutes.
From cities without direct flights, consider a stopover in Madrid or Barcelona with Iberia or Vueling — sometimes cheaper than a direct flight in high season.
When it's best to fly
As with all the Canaries, the tourist high season is the European winter:
- Cheaper: May, June, September, October.
- More expensive: December (holidays), January, February, Easter.
With flexible dates, spring and autumn offer great weather and better prices.
How to save on the flight
- Book 2–3 months ahead: last-minute prices climb.
- Fly midweek: Tuesdays and Wednesdays cost less than weekends.
- Compare nearby departure airports (e.g. Bergamo vs Malpensa).
- Factor in baggage: on low-cost airlines the base fare includes almost nothing; sometimes an all-inclusive charter works out cheaper.
- Use a flight comparison tool to see every fare and the cheapest date at a glance.
From the airport to your area
- To the south (Maspalomas / Playa del Inglés / Puerto Rico): 25–35 minutes by car; direct buses (line 66 and others) connect the airport to the south.
- To Las Palmas (north): 20–25 minutes; frequent buses (line 60).
- The island's interior (Tejeda, Roque Nublo): reachable only by car, on scenic mountain roads.
Renting a car is the best choice if you want to see the real island: the interior of Gran Canaria — craters, villages, the Roque Nublo — isn't convenient by public transport.
In short
To get to Gran Canaria from Italy: a single airport (LPA) handy for both north and south, direct flights from several Italian cities, book ahead and choose spring or autumn if you can. With a little flexibility on dates and a comparison tool to check fares, the flight costs less than you'd think.