Canaries in December: where to swim, eat and relax under 24°C sun

You want Vitamin D, but you also want easy — a direct flight, sensible prices, real food. The Canary Islands in December offer that middle lane: 24°C in the shade, sea warm enough to swim, and daylight that doesn’t disappear at 3.52pm. The puzzle is simple: where to swim without waves, where to eat like you live there, where to relax without falling into a tourist trap.

The morning light slides over Playa del Duque in Costa Adeje as if someone’s turned up the saturation. Locals walk in hoodies, visitors roll towels into pillows; everyone watches that first brave person wade in. The lifeguard nods — twenty degrees in the water, flags green — and the day loosens its shoulders. The coffee stand steams, a barraquito arrives layered like geology: milk, coffee, condensed milk, lemon peel. A boy builds a volcano in the sand, craters with a plastic spoon. The air smells like warm salt and sunscreen. A couple argue gently about whether to swim before lunch. The tide hums its answer. The trick is knowing where to stand.

Where to swim: calm coves, winter-warm water, and the south-coast rule

You go south in December. That’s the rule that locals mutter while pulling on sunglasses they probably don’t need. The tall islands — Tenerife, Gran Canaria — cast weather shadows that make their southern corners mild and bright. Think Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos on Tenerife; think Mogán and Maspalomas on Gran Canaria. **December sits at that sweet spot: air 21–24°C most afternoons, water 19–21°C, and beaches with pockets of shelter that turn the Atlantic into a big hotel pool.** Dark volcanic sand, some imported golden crescents, and a sea that doesn’t bite.

Las Canteras, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, has a reef — La Barra — that tames the water like a hand on a restless dog. On low tide days it’s a vast turquoise paddling lane; swimmers do easy laps past speckled fish and kids float with masks too big for their faces. Over on Lanzarote, the Papagayo coves are bowls of green glass tucked behind dusty headlands, a natural windbreak when the north breathes. I met a grandmother at El Cotillo in Fuerteventura who tapped the sand with her toe and said, “Mornings for the little one, afternoons for me,” as the Atlantic settled then stirred.

It comes down to geography and a bit of timing. Mountains snag clouds, trade winds ease in winter, and the south or southwest edges often sit in their own microclimate. If you’re island-hopping, treat these as your winter-swim map pins: Playa del Duque, La Caleta’s pocket coves, and Playa Abama on Tenerife; Anfi del Mar and Amadores on Gran Canaria; Papagayo and Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen on Lanzarote; Morro Jable and Costa Calma on Fuerteventura; Valle Gran Rey’s black-sand steps on La Gomera; La Restinga’s lava pools on El Hierro. Arrive by 11am, when the sun has taken the chill off. Watch the flags. If there’s swell, move one bay over. The islands reward patience.

Where to eat and linger: slow lunches, smoky grills, and sunsets with mojo

Start with lunch, not dinner. That’s when the grills wake up and the terraces soften. On Tenerife, slide into a chair in La Caleta, the fishing pocket beside Costa Adeje, and order papas arrugadas with red and green mojo, a plate of vieja (parrotfish) or cherne, and a cold Dorada. Ask for gofio escaldado — a comforting bowl that eats like a memory — and finish with a barraquito, sweet and perfumed. In Gran Canaria, the Mercado del Puerto in Las Palmas is a grazing paradise: oysters, croquetas, a glass of listán negro. Book late afternoon and let golden hour do the hosting.

Tourist menus will tempt you with a pan of paella the colour of a postcard. Skip anything with photographs. Look for chalkboard prices and a waiter who talks about the catch, not the “special for two”. We’ve all had that moment when a place feels right the second water hits the table. Dinner is late here — 8.30pm is normal — which means your best table might be 3.30pm. Some kitchens close between 4 and 7. Sundays can be family days with shutters down. Let’s be honest: no one actually does that every day.

Eat what the islands do best, where they do it best. **A fisherman in El Hierro told me, “If the wind is kind, the plate is kind.”**

“December is for grilling outside,” laughs chef Luis at a tiny guachinche near La Orotava. “We pour new wine, char old recipes, and argue about which mojo burns brighter.”

• Must-try bites: papas arrugadas, grilled vieja or cherne, lapas with mojo verde, goat’s cheese (Majorero, Palmero), bienmesabe dessert.
• Where to linger: La Caleta (Tenerife), Puerto de Mogán marina (Gran Canaria), Charco de San Ginés (Arrecife, Lanzarote), Avenida Marítima tapas (Corralejo, Fuerteventura).
• Drinks to learn: barraquito coffee, ron miel over ice, volcanic-listán wines from La Geria’s moonlike vineyards.

December downtime that actually feels like a break

You come for a swim and stay for the quiet in your head. Rooms breathe easier in winter; pools mirror pale skies, and spa steam seems wiser than in July. On Tenerife, the road up Teide lifts you into a night sky that makes phones feel silly. Gran Canaria’s Maspalomas dunes turn evening walks into cinema. Lanzarote’s lava fields look like a trick until you taste the wine grown in their black bowls. Fuerteventura gives you wind on your cheeks and a page that finally gets read. **The islands don’t shout in December; they hum, and you can tune in if you want to.** Bring a light jacket, a book you actually like, and the willingness to do one thing a day. Sit long, talk slow, swim when the light says now. Leave a day blank and see who you are in it.

FAQ :

• Is December warm enough to swim in the Canaries?Most days, yes. Expect air 21–24°C and sea 19–21°C; pick sheltered beaches and late-morning dips for the softest conditions.
• Which island is warmest in December?Tenerife South and Gran Canaria’s south coast often feel warmest thanks to microclimates. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are sunny but can be breezier.
• Where are the calmest beaches for kids?Las Canteras (inside La Barra) in Gran Canaria, Playa del Duque and Abama on Tenerife, Amadores and Anfi del Mar in Gran Canaria, Papagayo coves in Lanzarote.
• What should I pack for a December trip?Swimwear, light layers, a windbreaker for evenings, reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes for lava pools, and trainers for coastal walks.
• Is it busy over Christmas and New Year?Yes, especially in resorts. Book stays and restaurants early, plan beach mornings, and keep one flexible day for spontaneous finds.