In short
Often it is the same cruise: most week-long Canary sailings call at both islands. Gran Canaria is the easier journey — 25–30 minutes from the airport to the ship, with a city beach nearby. Tenerife has more sailings, especially in March, but Tenerife South airport is about an hour from the port. Both run from December to March.
Sailings by month
- Busiest months
- Jan, Feb, Mar
- Where ships go
- Canary Islands and Madeira
- Usual length
- 6–9 nights
- Round trips
- most
Which island suits you
You want more dates and the island itself
There are more sailings here in almost every month of the season, and the most in March. Ships leave from Plaza de España in central Santa Cruz, and before or after the cruise you can visit Mount Teide and historic La Laguna. Allow about an hour from Tenerife South to the port.
Tenerife port guide →You want a short transfer and a beach
One airport, 25–30 minutes by taxi to the new terminal, and about ten minutes on foot from the gangway to Las Canteras beach. Las Palmas is a real city, with the old Vegueta quarter. January is the busiest month, and in November and December a few Atlantic crossings head to the Caribbean.
Gran Canaria port guide →Point by point
| What we compare | Tenerife | Gran Canaria |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there from the Netherlands and Belgium | Direct flights from Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Brussels take about 4.5 hours, almost all to Tenerife South. The clock is one hour behind home. | Direct flights from Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Brussels take about 4.5 hours. The island has a single airport. The clock is one hour behind home. |
| Airport to ship | Tenerife South is about 60 km away: 45–60 minutes by taxi, or about an hour on bus 111. Tenerife North is 20 minutes from the port, but flights there are mainly from within Spain. | 25–30 minutes by taxi. Cheaper is the Global bus (line 60) to the Santa Catalina bus station next to the port. |
| Terminal to city centre | The terminal on the Ribera quay faces Plaza de España, a few minutes on foot from the centre. From the far Muelle Sur it is about 2 km, with a port shuttle. | The new terminal on the Santa Catalina quay (opened in 2025) is a few minutes on foot from Santa Catalina park and about 10 minutes from Las Canteras beach. The old Vegueta quarter is about 15 minutes by taxi. |
| Winter weather | Around 20–22°C by day and the sea at about 19°C. The sun is strong even in January, and the trade winds blow across the deck. | Much the same: around 21–22°C by day and the sea at about 19°C. November is still summery, at around 24°C. |
| Season | December to March, busiest from January to March, peaking in March; November and April open and close the season. Hardly any sailings in summer. | December to March, busiest in January; November and April open and close the season. Hardly any sailings in summer. |
| Typical itineraries | 7 nights around the Canaries, back to Tenerife, often with Madeira or Agadir; a few crossings to South America in November and one-way voyages to the Mediterranean in April. | 7 nights around the Canaries, back to Las Palmas, often with Madeira or Agadir; a few crossings to the Caribbean in November and December and one-way sailings at the end of the season in April. |
| City before or after | Santa Cruz is small and relaxed: Plaza de España, the market, the Auditorio. La Laguna and Las Teresitas beach are close by; Mount Teide takes a full day. | Las Palmas is the largest city in the Canaries: Las Canteras city beach right by the port, the Mercado del Puerto, and the cathedral and Columbus House in Vegueta. The Maspalomas dunes take a full day. |
| Where to stay | Central Santa Cruz, a walk from the terminal; La Laguna, 15–20 minutes by taxi; the south coast by the sea, about an hour from the port. | Santa Catalina and the Las Canteras seafront, a walk from the terminal; Vegueta and Triana, about 15 minutes by taxi; the south of the island, 45–50 minutes from the port. |
One cruise, two places to board
The key thing to know: Tenerife and Gran Canaria are almost always on the same itinerary. A week-long Canary cruise sails in a loop — Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote or Fuerteventura, La Palma, often Madeira or Agadir — and many cruise lines sell embarkation in more than one port. You board wherever suits you and leave the ship in the same port a week later. More on island itineraries in our guide to the Canary Islands.
- The journey decides. From the Netherlands and Belgium both islands are about 4.5 hours away. The difference is on the ground: on Gran Canaria the ship is half an hour from the airport, while on Tenerife almost all flights land in the south, about an hour from the port. If you fly in the day before and stay by the sea in southern Tenerife, that hour hardly matters.
- So do the dates. Tenerife has more sailings, especially in March; Gran Canaria peaks in January. If the week you want only leaves from one island, the choice is made for you.
- November and April go different ways. In November Tenerife has the odd Atlantic crossing to South America, while Gran Canaria sends a few to the Caribbean, in December too. In April the season ends: ships leave Tenerife one-way for the Mediterranean, and Gran Canaria is also left mainly with one-way sailings.
- Holidays and carnival. Both islands have sailings over Christmas and New Year, and these dates sell out first. In 2027 the Las Palmas carnival runs from 22 January to 28 February, around Santa Catalina park next to the terminal; the street carnival in Santa Cruz runs from 19 to 28 February, and hotels in the city fill up early.
Want to see both islands properly?
A port call is usually just one day. For more, fly in a couple of days early to one island and cross to the other to board: ferries between Tenerife and Gran Canaria sail daily and take from about an hour and a half. Book your flight home from the island where you boarded, as the cruise returns there. And if you are choosing between the Canaries and the winter Mediterranean, see our comparison Tenerife or Barcelona in winter.
Common questions
Are these different cruises or the same one?
Often the same one. Most week-long Canary Islands cruises call at both Tenerife and Gran Canaria, so you can board on either island and leave the ship where you joined it. Compare the departure dates and the flights: the better island is the one that is easier to fly to.
Where is it quicker to get from the airport to the ship?
On Gran Canaria: the island has one airport, 25–30 minutes by taxi from the terminal in Las Palmas. On Tenerife, almost all direct flights from the Netherlands and Belgium land at Tenerife South, about an hour from the port. Tenerife North is 20 minutes from the port, but flights there are mainly from within Spain.
Which island has more cruises?
Tenerife: it has more sailings in almost every month of the season, and the most in March. Gran Canaria peaks in January. On both islands the season runs from December to March, with November and April as its start and end; from May to October there are hardly any cruises.
When is carnival on the islands?
In 2027 the Las Palmas carnival runs from 22 January to 28 February, with many events around Santa Catalina park, next to the cruise terminal. The street carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife runs from 19 to 28 February 2027, and hotels in the city fill up early.
How the club fits in
Cruises from Tenerife and Gran Canaria that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which Tenerife and Gran Canaria dates are available in the month you have in mind.
How booking with points works →
Seasons and destinations are summarised from cruise line schedules for 2026–2027 and may change; check the current itinerary and terminal information before you travel. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.