Eight Reasons why Gran Canaria’s the perfect MICE destination

1. Experience the World’s Best Climate
African by location, Spanish by nationality; Gran Canaria locals enjoy a sub-tropical climate. The average yearly temperature is 22 degrees, meaning it’s never too hot or too cold but just right. The island’s capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is the city considered to have the most agreeable climate in the world. That’s not adspeak; that’s the conclusion of a scientific study from the boffins at Syracuse University.
All-year-round spring-like temperatures are conducive to al fresco dining. Eat with the stars at night on Gran Canaria. Multiple layers of clothing are so very Northern European. You can dress with less when you eat out. Especially at lunch which comes with added Vitamin D because of the island’s sunshine.

2. Getting There, Back, and Around is Easy
You’ll take a medium-haul flight to reach LPA from the UK. Flights take around four hours from British airports. Jet lag is not an issue. The island’s one airport lies roughly equidistant on the east coast between capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the north and the major resorts in the south. (See flight access details here) Gran Canaria’s main motorway, the GC-1, connects north-easterly metropolitan Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with upmarket Meloneras. Travel either way with hire car, public bus, or charter coach or taxi.
Nothing is very far away on Gran Canaria. The island’s roughly the size of Greater London. But there’s no M25-style gridlock on Gran Canaria’s roads. You can get from A to B without getting yourself in a jam. Making you feel more blessed than stressed.

3. The Price is Nice
Gran Canaria’s a stylish island. But without the price tag. You’ll find everything cheaper on Gran Canaria. A pint of lager can be bought for as little as 2€. Whilst you’re able to tuck into a set lunch with starter, main, dessert, bread, and beer or wine with change from 10€.
The island is home to some of the leading hotels in Spain let alone the Canary Islands. Depending on the size of your conference, you can arrange a stay in a boutique hotel for under €40 per person per night. At the other end of the scale, if you’re looking for a more luxurious stay in a larger property, prices increase to a starting rate of around €150 per person per night.

4. The Island Has a Selection of Venues to Choose From
Take your pick from three convention centres. Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’s home to two and the southern resort of Meloneras houses the other. Do you want big-city buzz or upscale tourist development as the background to your event?
The eye-catching Canary Islands Convention Centre aka the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus’ Palacio de Congresos takes pride of place above the most westerly tip of Playa de Las Canteras, arguably Spain’s most stunning urban beach. There’s space for 4,600 guests in this Atlantic-facing institution with reinvigorating ocean breeze. An excellent network of city roads makes the Gran Canaria Convention Centre another MICE choice whilst ExpoMeloneras is conveniently situated close to an exclusive strip of five-star hotels.

5. You Don’t Have to Worry About Security on Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is a safe destination. Unlike other warm-weather destinations, there’s minimal risk of being subjected to terrorist activity. During the pandemic, the Canary Islands were given travel-corridor status by the British government, establishing a navigable passage between the UK and the Canaries.
Despite being a sub-tropical paradise, there is no need to visit your doctor for any special jabs before travelling to Gran Canaria. You will not end up as an in-patient at the Hospital of Tropical Diseases on your return to Britain. In fact, the island’s renowned climate heals more than harms.

6. The Island’s an Acclaimed Wellness Destination
In 1956, the first charter flight arrived on the island. 54 Swedes headed to Gran Canaria following medical advice. The warmer, drier climate than their native Scandinavia was thought to be a cure-all for a range of respiratory conditions.
More than 50 years on, Gran Canaria’s wellness centres offer more than 50 body treatments. Gloria Palace San Agustín’s hotel boasts the largest thalassotherapy centre in the whole of Europe. Their water-treatment circuit is beloved of athletes and sports professionals, including elite-level football clubs.

7. Gran Canaria Offers a Feast for Culture Vultures.
Don’t just think of the Caribbean when it comes to carnival. There’s a season on the Canary Islands with one of the main carnivals taking place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the lead up to Lent. Where the hottest ticket is for the Drag Queen Gala with models sporting legs that go on for miles and the highest of heels.
There always seems to be something being celebrated on the island. Whether it be La Aldea de San Nicolás’ Fiesta de Charco which brings 20,000 people to a lagoon in the west of the island where they attempt to catch fish with their bare hands or the Fiesta de la Rama in the north-west’s Agaete. This party sees revellers thrash the Atlantic Ocean with pine branches in imitation of the Berber-descending canarii who occupied Gran Canaria before the 15th-century Spanish Conquest, as part of a traditional ceremony to bring much needed rain to water their crops.

8. Tee Off in Spain’s Home of Golf
Gran Canaria has a British expat community that goes back generations with a British Club that has been honoured with visits from Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill. December 17th 1891 brought Spain’s first-ever golf course. The Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas has since moved to the volcanic surroundings of Bandama, making a round there even more memorable.
Closer to the airport, you’ll be able to swing your clubs at El Cortijo. It’s down south though, where you’ll find the majority of courses. Including Salobre’s new and old courses in an area which you would mistake for Arizona and Maspalomas Golf over-looking the landmark’s Sahara-like dunes.

For all your MICE needs, don’t forget to stop by the Gran Canaria Convention Bureau, phone +44 (0) 1628 532020, or email grancanaria@moulden-marketing.co.uk