With 236 km of coastline, of which 60 are made out of sand, Gran Canaria has about 150 beaches. All beaches on the island are free to access although a large part of the sand is often taken by private resort equipment such as umbrellas and sunbeds available for hire. Water sport facilities such as windsurfing, speed-boat hire, dinghies with motors, sailboats, yachts and surfboards for hire are readily available.
Anfi Beach, situated 5 minutes by car from Puerto Rico, is a very popular spot with locals and tourists alike, with plenty of restaurants and bars that get very lively especially at weekends.
The manmade Amadores Beach  has coral style sand that is cool to walk on, almost white in colour it gives the ocean a crystal blue colour and the whole area looks more Caribbean than Atlantic. The beach has easy access and plenty of shops, bars and restaurants.
Maspalomas, with Playa del Inglés and San Agustín forms a stretch of golden sand 8 km long and 3 km wide. From the lighthouse at it's south past Playa del Inglés and San Agustín to its north with a backdrop of sand dunes and a gentle surf to swim in, Maspalomas is famous for the Dunes Natual Reserve, a large area of sand hills that are crossed by beachgoers everyday to get to the sea. A fantastic spectacle resembling a desert, from the beach you can't see the hotels or the apartment blocks at the back but only mountains of sand. Thanks to its length, the beach seems to have been split into five main sections for bathers. The first closest to the lighthouse in Faro and the last at playa del Ingles are popular with families and good for the kids as water here is shallow. The second and fourth parts along aren't as suitable for kids as they are better known as semi-nudist beaches. There is also a section which is popular for the gay community and also fairly popular for nude sunbathing.
Tourist facilities are available at each of the main areas including lifeguards, umbrellas, sunbeds, water sports and bars. 
Playa del Ingles is Gran Canaria's largest holiday resort with plenty going on. The ideal place for groups or couples who want a lively night scene after a day lazing on the beach. The beach itself is well equipped with tourist facilities, but no food stalls and not even the possibility to take away food from the Annexo II center at the beginning of the beach.
Finally a mention goes to Las Canteras which is Las Palmas city beach, a 3km long sand stretch well equipped with tourist facilities and plenty of fun.