This means approximately 66,571 hectares of land, which is almost 1,000 square metres of protected land for each inhabitant of the island.

An anecdotal piece of information is that only 1% of the island's population lives on protected land. The Parque Rural del Nublo is an interesting case in this regard. This rural park, which stretches over eight municipal areas in the centre of the island and covers a surface area of 26,307.4 hectares (the size of La Gomera island), but it supports a tiny population of around 5,000 inhabitants. This fact is ironic in the light of the environmental problems caused by overpopulation on Gran Canaria, mainly in the Northeast of the island where lives the greatest part of the population. However, the islanders are becoming increasingly aware of the need to take care of the environment and preserve nature.

The following are some of the nature areas on Gran Canaria that deserve special mention:

• Monumento Natural de Bandama (Natural Monument): This nature area, which covers a surface area of 325.7 hectares, includes parts of the municipal areas of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (the capital), Santa Brígida and Telde
• Parque Rural del Nublo (Rural Park): This is the largest protected nature area on the island. The 26,307.4 hectares of this park are spread over eight municipalities, namely Tejeda, San Nicolás de Tolentino, Mogán, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Artenara, San Mateo, Valleseco and Moya
• Parque Rural de Doramas (Rural Park) covers an area of 3,586 hectares in the municipal areas of Moya, Valleseco, Firgas, Santa María de Guía, Arucas and Teror
• Parque Natural de Tamadaba (Nature Park): This nature park, which covers a surface area of 7,538.6 hectares, with its pine groves, lies within the municipalities of Agaete and San Nicolás de Tolentino
  
  
• Monumento Natural de Amagro (Nature Monument): This area covers 407.7 hectares and is situated in Gáldar
• Reserva Natural Integral de Inagua (Fully Protected Integral Reserve): This nature reserve covers almost 4,000 hectares of land (3,920.3) and lies within the municipalities of San Nicolás de Tolentino, Mogán and Tejeda
• Reserva Natural Integral de Barranco Oscuro (Fully Protected Integral Reserve): This reserve is only 35.2 hectares in extent, being situated in Moya and Valleseco
• Reserva Natural Especial de El Brezal (Special Nature Reserve): The main purpose of this area is to protect the laurisilva and fayal-brezal habitats, in addition to the fauna and flora that is found in the reserve. This reserve is approximately 107 hectares in extent and is situated in Santa María de Guía
• Reserva Espacio Natural de Azuaje (Nature Reserve): Similarly to the previous reserve, this one is aimed at protecting the laurisilva, fayal-brezal and rupestrine habitats, as well as the fauna and flora that is found in the reserve. Being situated in Moya and Santa María de Guía, this reserve covers an area of 61.1 hectares
• Reserva Natural Especial de los Tilos de Moya (Special Nature Reserve): This reserve is situated in Moya and Santa María de Guía and is 91.5 hectares in extent
• Reserva Natural Especial de Los Marteles (Special Nature Reserve): This reserve is 3,568.7 hectares in extent and is spread over the municipal areas of Valsequillo, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Agüimes, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Telde, Ingenio, San Mateo and Tejeda on Gran Canaria. The reserve was created for the purposes of protecting rupestrine and aquatic habitats, as well as the remaining thermophile forests
• Reserva Natural de Especial de las Dunas de Maspalomas (Special Nature Reserve): Being situated in the municipal area of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, this reserve is comprised of 403.9 hectares of sand dunes. The Charca de Maspalomas (sea water lagoon), which also lies in this reserve, is extremely important ecologically, being a breeding area for birds
• Reserva Natural Especial de Güi-Güi (Special Nature Reserve): This reserve, which comprises an area of almost 3,000 hectares (2,920.9), is situated in San Nicolás de Tolentino. The reserve was created for the purposes of protecting rupestrine habitats and the forest areas in the steep ravines. The unique and endangered fauna and flora species that live in the reserve and the geomorphology of the massif are also important aspects that need to be protected
• Parque Natural de Pilancones (Nature Park): This nature park covers almost 5,800 hectares (5,794.4) and is situated in the municipal area of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.

The long catalogue of protected areas on Gran Canaria is completed by the Natural rural monuments of Montañón Negro, Roque Aguayro, Tauro and Arinaga.

There are also a number of areas that have been declared as "Natural Rural Landscapes", namely La Isleta, Pino Santo, Tafira, Las Cumbres, Lomo Magullo, Fataga and Montaña de Agüimes.

Lastly, there are a number of areas that have been declared as "Areas of Interest", these being Jinámar, Tufia, Roque de Gando and Juncalillo del Sur.