Gran Canaria

They call it a "continent in miniature", and it's no exaggeration: a single island holds desert dunes, green ravines, summit pine forests and white villages clinging to the mountainside. In the south, the dunes of Maspalomas and near-guaranteed sun; in the centre, the Roque Nublo and roads that climb through the clouds to Tejeda; in the north, Las Palmas, a capital with a historic quarter in Vegueta and one of the best urban beaches in the world, Las Canteras. It's an island of short contrasts: in an hour you go from the sand to 1,800 metres. Here are its beaches, viewpoints, villages and places to see, sorted by area so you make the most of each day.