It’s an inspiring spot. It should come as no surprise that around 2,000 tonnes of sand from Las Canteras are modelled every year by artists from all over the world to make a Nativity Scene that takes a starring role in Gran Canaria’s Christmas landscape. These sculptures are ephemeral, and yet also infinite, because they are immersed in memory, just as the reef, called La Barra, is hidden under the waters at high tide.

The famous Sand Nativity has made a name for itself as another Christmas tradition under the sun and stars of Gran Canaria. In fact, it is one of the hallmarks of its capital and an image that travels around the planet on social media, one of the most recognisable symbols of the holidays in Gran Canaria. These figures have even been immortalised on a postage stamp and, although they will no longer be available after the holidays, they will never disappear entirely.

The Sand Nativity is a further glimmer of these salty, sunny, oceanic and decidedly different Christmas holidays offered by Gran Canaria. While the rest of Europe is rummaging in its wardrobe for coats and scarves, here you can stroll along the seashore and even take a dip in the Atlantic. In addition, the pleasant climate means you can hike trails, enjoy any type of sport or simply grab a map and explore any of the inland or coastal towns on this island dotted with points of interest. Gran Canaria at Christmas is a constant call to enjoy the holiday season in the open air.

As usual, Gran Canaria means variety, particularly at Christmas. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a city always filled with light, open to the sea and culture, shines even brighter with its Christmas lights, echoed in the island’s main towns and cities such as Gáldar, Arucas or Telde. In these places, you can lose yourself in the markets, lured by the intoxicating fragrance of roast chestnuts or in the shopping streets of the historical old towns featuring the marked architecture that emerged between two shores, halfway between Europe and America.

Christmas in Gran Canaria tastes like nougat and marzipan made at the island’s summit, where the almond trees flower several weeks earlier than other cooler latitudes, proclaiming that nature takes its own course here. It is also savoured with wine that has bottled Gran Canaria’s multifaceted landscape, which changes as you climb up towards the mountains or you set your course for the coast. The same happens with cheese, each one speaks of the place where the sheep and goats have grazed.

There is not just one Christmas in Gran Canaria, there are hundreds. You just have to seek them out in the coves, in the everlasting sun in the south of the island, in the solemn landscape of sky and stone you contemplate from atop Roque Nublo, in the village bar at the end of a hike through a pine forest, or in the children’s smiles as they play in Santa Ana Square, opposite the Cathedral, in the centuries-old neighbourhood of Vegueta. Christmas also comes to the Maspalomas Lighthouse, which seems to speak to the other lighthouses on the island using the secret language of light.

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Christmas in Gran Canaria