In an emergency in Gran Canaria, call 112 - it is free and the island's line answers in English. For everyday problems, start at a pharmacy. For a prescription, or to continue medication you already take, see a private or online English-speaking doctor. Your GHIC or EHIC covers state care only, not private clinics or a flight home, so keep travel insurance too.
Not sure where to go?
Pick what is happening and we will point you the right way.
Start at the pharmacy
For minor illness, bites, upset stomachs and advice. Pharmacists handle a lot at the counter, and it is free to ask.
See a doctor
For a prescription, or to continue medication you already take, an online English-speaking doctor is the simplest route. The Holiday Doctor can help where it is safe and clinically appropriate.
Call 112
For chest pain, breathing difficulty, severe bleeding, a bad allergic reaction or any life-threatening sign. Do not wait.
What's different about getting ill in the south of Gran Canaria?
The southern resorts are an easy place to be unwell in one sense: care is good and English is widely spoken. But a few things catch visitors out, and they matter most for older travellers and anyone with a heart or lung condition.
The public hospitals are an hour away
The island's public hospitals are in Las Palmas, in the north, roughly 45 to 60 minutes from Maspalomas. The southern resorts are served mainly by private hospitals close by, which your GHIC or EHIC does not cover, so travel insurance matters here more than most places.
Calima (Saharan dust)
Hot, dusty air blows in from the Sahara, sometimes for days, and can settle over the whole island. It can sharply worsen asthma and COPD. If you wheeze, keep your inhalers close and stay indoors on bad days.
Strong UV all year
The sun is fierce even in winter. Sunburn, heat exhaustion and dehydration are common. Use high-factor sunscreen, cover up between midday and late afternoon, and drink more than you think you need. Heatstroke (confusion, a very high temperature, collapse) is an emergency: call 112.
Atlantic stings and currents
Jellyfish and Portuguese man o' war can close beaches, which fly a purple flag when marine creatures are about. Rinse a sting with seawater, not fresh water, and do not rub it. Weever fish buried in shallow sand give a painful sting that lifeguards treat with hot water, so wear water shoes.
Where do I go in an emergency?
Call 112 for anything urgent or life-threatening. It is free, works from any phone, and the Gran Canaria line answers in five languages including English. For serious problems they will send help or direct you to the nearest A&E (urgencias). Ask for an ambulance (ambulancia).
The main public hospitals are both in Las Palmas, about an hour north of the southern resorts:
- Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrin, Las Palmas - a 24-hour A&E and one of the island's main referral hospitals.
- Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil, Las Palmas - adult, paediatric and maternity A&E.
How do I see an English-speaking doctor in Gran Canaria?
For a visitor who is not in the Spanish system, booking a routine public appointment is difficult, so most people use a pharmacy first and then private or online care if they need a prescription. English-speaking doctors are easy to find across the southern resorts around Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico.
- An in-person private consultation typically costs around €30 to €100, paid upfront.
- A doctor coming to your hotel is roughly €130 a call-out.
- An online consultation with an e-prescription is usually the quickest option, from about €24 to €40.
If you simply need to continue a medication you already take, an English-speaking online doctor can review a continuation supply where it is safe and clinically appropriate. The Holiday Doctor is built for exactly that.
What about the pharmacy (farmacia)?
Spanish pharmacies are excellent and everywhere, marked by a green cross. Pharmacists are highly trained and handle minor problems directly. There is always one open: look for the farmacia de guardia, the duty pharmacy that covers nights and weekends on a local rota. In Playa del Ingles there is a 24-hour pharmacy in the Yumbo Centre.
No prescription needed
Paracetamol and ibuprofen (sold only in pharmacies in Spain, not supermarkets), rehydration salts, antihistamines, bite and sting creams, and the morning-after pill.
Spanish prescription required
Antibiotics, codeine-based painkillers, asthma reliever inhalers and stronger anti-inflammatories. A UK or other foreign paper prescription cannot be dispensed here.
Does my GHIC or EHIC work in Gran Canaria?
Yes, exactly as on the Spanish mainland. The Canary Islands are part of Spain and the EU for healthcare. The card covers state care only, never private clinics or a flight home, so keep travel insurance as well. Tap a card below to focus it.
UK GHIC
Covers
- State care, same terms as a local
- Emergencies and care that can't wait
- Flare-ups of ongoing conditions
Does not cover
- Private clinics or hospitals
- A flight home (repatriation)
EU EHIC
Covers
- State care for EU/EEA visitors
- Emergencies and necessary care
- Ongoing conditions and maternity
Does not cover
- Private treatment
- Repatriation home
Travel insurance
Covers
- Private care and clinics
- Repatriation home
- Cancellations and extras
Check the policy
- That it covers any pre-existing conditions
I've run out of my medication, what now?
A private electronic prescription issued in Spain can be dispensed at any pharmacy in the country, but prescription-only medicines still need a lawful prescription. Spain uses an electronic prescription system (the receta electronica), but it works through a Spanish prescriber, so your home prescription cannot simply be carried over at a pharmacy. If you have run out of something you take regularly, the quickest route is an online English-speaking doctor who can issue a continuation supply where it is safe and clinically appropriate.
The Holiday Doctor is set up for travellers and residents in this position. A prescription is never automatic: a doctor reviews each request, and some medicines or situations need to be seen in person.
What an online doctor cannot help with
Some situations need a person in the room, and it is important to be honest about them.
An online clinical review is not for emergencies; for anything urgent or life-threatening you call 112, not a website. It is not for under-18s, and it is not the route to start a brand-new, high-risk medicine for the first time, which needs proper in-person assessment. It cannot help anyone who is not physically in Spain. And a prescription is never automatic: a doctor reviews each request, and where a medicine or a situation needs face-to-face care, the honest answer is to say so and point you to it. None of this is small print. It is the difference between a service that is safe and one that is not.
Common questions
Does my GHIC work in Gran Canaria?
Yes. The Canary Islands are part of Spain and the EU for healthcare, so a valid UK GHIC (or EHIC) covers state care in Gran Canaria on the same terms as a local. It does not cover private clinics or a flight home, so travel insurance is still needed.
What is the emergency number in Gran Canaria?
Call 112 from any phone, free, for any emergency. On the island the 112 line answers in five languages including English, so you can usually be helped in English. Ask for an ambulance (ambulancia).
Where is the hospital for the south of Gran Canaria?
The main public hospitals are in Las Palmas, about an hour north of the southern resorts: Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrin and the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil. The southern resorts around Maspalomas are served mainly by private hospitals, which a GHIC or EHIC does not cover. A 112 ambulance takes you into the public system.
Can I see an English-speaking doctor in Gran Canaria?
Yes. English-speaking doctors are easy to find across the southern resorts around Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico, and an online English-speaking doctor can help for non-urgent problems and prescriptions.
What if I run out of my medication in Gran Canaria?
Start at a pharmacy for advice. For a continuation of medication you already take, an online clinical review with a Spanish-registered English-speaking doctor can arrange a supply where it is safe and clinically appropriate. A prescription is not guaranteed.
What is calima and is it dangerous?
Calima is a hot, dusty wind from the Sahara that can settle over the Canary Islands for days and noticeably worsen asthma and COPD. On bad days, keep reliever inhalers to hand and stay indoors where you can.
Check it yourself
Rules and entitlements change, so the official source is the final word.
