Golf in the Canary Islands
Europe's most reliable winter sun, four hours from the cold, with subtropical golf on five islands. From Abama and Buenavista on Tenerife to Anfi Tauro and the Bandama crater on Gran Canaria, here are the courses that matter, the islands, the seasons and how to plan it.
Last reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk
Photograph: Meloneras Golf Club, Meloneras Golf by Lopesan, via Google
Why golf in the Canary Islands
The Canaries do one thing better than anywhere else in Europe: they guarantee golf in shorts in January. Sitting off the coast of Morocco but flying as Spanish territory, the islands enjoy an eternal spring that holds the temperature in the low twenties through the depths of the northern winter, which is why the courses fill with sun starved golfers from Britain, Germany and Scandinavia from November to March. The flight is only around four hours from the UK, the food and prices are friendly, and the golf is far better than the package holiday reputation suggests.
Two islands carry the golf. Gran Canaria has the most courses and the most range, from the desert drama of Anfi Tauro to the 1891 Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas perched on the rim of the Bandama crater, plus the resort golf of Maspalomas and the thirty six holes at Salobre. Tenerife answers with Abama, the islands' luxury headliner, Seve Ballesteros's clifftop Buenavista and the popular Costa Adeje. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura each add a strong single course and a beach base, while the volcanic landscape gives the whole archipelago a look found nowhere else in golf.
The islands
Gran Canaria
The golf heavyweight, with Anfi Tauro, Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas on the Bandama crater, Lopesan Meloneras and the thirty six holes of Salobre, most within reach of a Maspalomas base.
Tenerife
The other heavyweight, headlined by Abama on the west coast, Seve Ballesteros's Buenavista in the north and the much played Costa Adeje, all under the shadow of Mount Teide.
Lanzarote and Fuerteventura
The quieter eastern islands, each with a strong main course set in volcanic ground, paired with calm beach resorts at Puerto del Carmen and Caleta de Fuste.
The courses that matter
Abama Golf
The luxury headliner of the Canaries, a Dave Thomas design that tumbles down a subtropical hillside above the Atlantic on Tenerife's west coast, threaded with more than twenty thousand palms, twenty two lakes and waterfalls. Attached to a Ritz Carlton resort, with views to La Gomera.
Anfi Tauro Golf
An Arizona style desert course carved through the volcanic Tauro valley in the south of Gran Canaria, all emerald fairways, white sand and deep red rock. Long rated among the very best in the Canary Islands and high in the Spanish national rankings.
Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas
Spain's oldest golf club, founded in 1891, now playing around the rim of the Bandama crater four hundred metres above the sea. The Mackenzie Ross layout gives huge views over the volcano, the summit and the ocean, a round steeped in history.
Buenavista Golf
Seve Ballesteros's clifftop course on the wild north west coast of Tenerife, set beside the Teno country park with the Atlantic on one flank. Laid out in Seve's favoured balance of par 3s, 4s and 5s, it is dramatic, exposed and one of the island's finest.
Lopesan Meloneras Golf
A Ron Kirby resort course beside Maspalomas in the south of Gran Canaria, the front nine looking to the mountains and the back nine running down to the ocean and the Pasito Blanco marina. Convenient, sunny and a fixture of a Maspalomas golf week.
Salobre Golf Resort
The only thirty six hole resort on Gran Canaria, above Maspalomas. The Old course, by Roland Favre, has hosted the Spanish PGA, and the New course is a Ron Kirby design from 2008, both played from a hillside hotel with desert and mountain backdrops.
Costa Adeje Golf
A Jose Gancedo design woven through former banana terraces above the resorts of south Tenerife, with broad greens, ocean views and a shorter nine alongside the championship eighteen. One of the most played and most accessible courses on the island.
Lanzarote Golf
Ron Kirby's modern course slopes toward the sea through the volcanic landscape of southern Lanzarote near Puerto del Carmen, the black lava and white villas giving it a look found nowhere else in European golf. The island's principal eighteen.
Fuerteventura Golf Club
The first course built on Fuerteventura, a John Catarineu design at Caleta de Fuste where the constant trade wind is the main defence. Several holes run beside the sea, and the island's reliable warmth makes it a dependable winter base.
Designers and founding years verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| December to March | Warm, dry, low twenties, the reliable winter sun while Europe is cold | The standout season, book the marquee tee times early over Christmas and February |
| April to June, October to November | Warm and settled, fewer crowds, the islands at their most comfortable | Excellent all round golf and the best value of the year |
| July to August | Hot but tempered by the trade winds, busiest with families | Still very playable, breezy, favour early tee times |
The Canaries are a year round golf destination, but the winter is when they have no rival in Europe for guaranteed sun. The shoulder months pair fine weather with the quietest tee sheets.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resort green fee | Around €70 to €120 | Most island courses in season |
| Premium green fee | Around €110 to €160 | Abama and Anfi Tauro at peak |
| A week, all in | Around €1,200 to €2,500 per person | Good courses, 4 to 5 star hotel, hire car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
The Canaries are easy to reach, with year round direct flights from across Europe of around four hours from the UK. Each main golf island has its own airport: Gran Canaria at Las Palmas, Tenerife South for the resort coast, plus Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Most travellers pick one island and stay put, since the inter island ferries and flights add time better spent on the course. A hire car is the simplest way to link courses on Gran Canaria and Tenerife, where the layouts are spread along the south and west coasts, though a private driver pairs well with the flagship rounds.
Where to stay
On Gran Canaria, base around Maspalomas and Meloneras in the sunny south to keep Anfi Tauro, Meloneras and Salobre close, with the Lopesan resort hotels anchoring a luxury week. On Tenerife, stay in Costa Adeje or at Abama itself, where the Ritz Carlton puts you on the course. Lanzarote golfers settle in Puerto del Carmen, and Fuerteventura's golf sits beside the resorts of Caleta de Fuste. Book the resort hotels well ahead for the winter peak, and let one planner match the base to the island.
Plan your Canary Islands golf trip
Tell us which island and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Canary Islands golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in the Canary Islands?
The islands play warm and dry all year, which is the whole point. The standout window is December to March, when they offer reliable sun while northern Europe is frozen, so the marquee tee times book up over Christmas and February. April to June and October to November give the same fine golf with fewer crowds and better value. July and August are hot but tempered by the trade winds.
Which Canary Island is best for golf?
Gran Canaria has the most golf and the most variety, with Anfi Tauro, Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas on the Bandama crater, Lopesan Meloneras and the thirty six holes of Salobre within reach of Maspalomas. Tenerife is the other heavyweight, headlined by Abama, Seve's Buenavista and Costa Adeje. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura each have a strong main course and a beach base.
How much does a Canary Islands golf trip cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees run to around €70 to €120 at most island courses, rising to roughly €110 to €160 at premium names such as Abama and Anfi Tauro in peak season. A week with a 4 to 5 star hotel and a hire car typically lands between €1,200 and €2,500 per head, excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Canary Islands openings, winter sun booking windows and the shoulder season deals worth moving on first. Every other week.