As Canary Islands photographers we've visited most of the 500 beaches in the archipelago. It's tough to narrow them down to a Top Ten so we cheated a bit, but here's our pick of the best places in the Canaries to spend a day on the sand.

Nudists love Gran Canaria because it has naked beach spots to suit all tastes. Here's our pick of the best places to get an all-over holiday tan. Click on the beach name to see more detailed info on each one.

Gran Canaria's beaches are currently clear of fuel oil after a large volunteer-led clear up over the past two days. There is currently one confirmed oil slick 5 kilometres from the coast but no reports of fresh oil close to the island. 

We've got them so we know that once you've got kids, going to the beach becomes an expedition. Here are the Gran Canaria beaches that have the safe water, easy-access facilities and activities to make a family beach day as effortless as possible. 

Every tourist coming to Gran Canaria comes within metres of Ojos de Garza beach, but nobody ever visits.

Split in two by a little headland, La Aldea is the west coast's only beach that's accessible by car. 

While Puerto Rio and Playa del Inglés hardly existed before tourism, Arguineguín has always been a local town first and destination second. It's Las Marañuelas beach is the only easily-accessible one in south Gran Canaria with a real local feel.

Arguineguín's Scandinavian winter residents hang out La Lajilla beach and natural swimming pool and are quite happy that nobody else knows where it is.

Sometimes what you want is a beach small enough that you don't have to decide where to put your towel. Of the 100+ beaches in Gran Canaria, here's our pick of the teeny tiny ones.

Las Canteras beach in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria is the eighth best beach in Spain, according to the TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Awards.

Las Canteras was one of three Canary Islands beaches rounding out the Top Ten Spanish beaches. Papagayo in Lanzarote came ninth and Cofete in Fuerteventura was tenth.

See the full list here