People often come to Gran Canaria to step aboard a boat. Its south coast is a winter base for sailors from northern Europe, and its capital the starting point for crossing the Atlantic. If that is why you are here, the journey from plane to pontoon is the first gesture of the trip: the less you have to think about it on landing, the better.

The island makes it easy. The airport is on the east coast, between the capital and the south, and the three harbours that matter to visitors are twenty minutes to under an hour away. This guide covers them with what counts when you land. Information as of October 2026.

The essentials

  • Airport: Gran Canaria (LPA), at Gando. Indicative driving times: Muelle Deportivo, Las Palmas ≈ 20 min, Pasito Blanco ≈ 30 min, Puerto de Mogán ≈ 40-45 min.
  • Three harbours, three characters: the capital and the open Atlantic; the quiet residential south by Maspalomas; the fishing village of Mogán.
  • Confirm marina and pontoon before booking your transfer.
  • Canary time: one hour behind mainland Spain. Double-check the boarding time you were given.

Before you leave home

  1. The exact marina and berth number. “In the south” could mean Pasito Blanco, Puerto de Mogán or another harbour along the coast. Ask your base or skipper to put it in writing.
  2. The actual boarding time — and which time zone it is in: Canary time is an hour behind the mainland.
  3. Luggage decides. Soft bags, provisions and a cool box: choose the vehicle by its boot.

Muelle Deportivo de Las Palmas: the capital and the Atlantic

The marina of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the island’s largest, with more than a thousand berths and an expansion under way. Every autumn it fills with yachts preparing to cross the Atlantic: each November it is the starting point of the ARC transatlantic rally. From the airport it is about 20 km, around 20 minutes along the GC-1 without traffic. It is the logical base if you want to stay on in the city after sailing.

Pasito Blanco: the quiet harbour of the south

In San Bartolomé de Tirajana, about 2 km from Maspalomas and Meloneras, Pasito Blanco is a sheltered harbour with around 388 berths for boats of 6 to 40 metres. From the airport, about 30 minutes. It is the choice for those who want the south without its bustle: the dunes nearby and a calm pontoon.

Puerto de Mogán: the village beside the boat

At the end of the GC-1, in the south-west, Puerto de Mogán combines a fishing village, canals and a marina with more than two hundred berths, fuel and a travel lift. From the airport, 40 to 45 minutes. It is also the natural starting point for the coast we describe in Gran Canaria from the water.

From airport to pontoon: the real options

  • Bus. The 60 goes to Las Palmas and the 66 and 90 south. None drops you at the pontoon; with boat luggage, it is not the option.
  • Taxi. Rank outside arrivals, metered. Direct, no booking needed.
  • Private transfer. Time and vehicle settled from home, with a driver who already knows which marina you are heading to. Book with a licensed company.
  • If your destination is a hotel, our guide from Gran Canaria airport to your hotel will serve you better.

Once aboard

Charter with a contract, from a company that gives it to you in writing: it is what protects you if something goes wrong. And if you plan to go whale and dolphin watching from your own boat, remember that in Spain cetacean watching is regulated for every boat (Royal Decree 1727/2007), and companies offering it need authorisation; keep your distance and never chase the animals.

Who you are

  • Arriving as a group for a charter: a people carrier or minibus takes luggage and crew in a single run.
  • Expected aboard as a guest: make sure the driver has the marina and pontoon before you do.
  • Sleeping ashore and sailing by day: look at our houses of quiet luxury and choose your base according to the harbour.

Our view

Nothing in Gran Canaria is far from the airport, which is exactly why it is easy to be complacent. Our advice fits in three lines: confirm marina and pontoon, check boarding time in Canary time and choose the vehicle by its boot. The Atlantic takes care of the rest.

Information as of October 2026. Berth numbers from each harbour’s public sources; times are indicative. Confirm services and conditions with the marina before you arrive.