If Güi Güi beach was next door to Maspalomas nobody would think twice about it. It's not particularly pretty and at high tide most of it is underwater. The sand is on the dark side and disappears completely during the winter. At times it is covered in driftwood. Nevertheless, Güi Güi's remote location and high cliffs make it Gran Canaria's Shangri La.

El Puertillo is a tiny beach with a couple of excellent local seafood restaurants just 15 minutes drives from Las Palmas. It is completely local and oozes charm. Go during the week and you get its little beach, natural swimming pools and restaurants all to yourself.

There are still towns in Gran Canaria where the children stare at tourists, the menus are only in Spanish and life revolves around family, work, farming and fun rather than keeping tourists happy. 

Tourists love big, sandy beaches with plenty of amenities and umbrellas for rent. Canarians, on the other hand, prefer their beaches to come with fish restaurants, or to be completely natural. We covered the Top Ten Tourist Beaches in Gran Canaria here, but this post is about the beaches that the locals keep to themselves.