Pasito Blanco Yacht Club’s flagship event celebrates its 37th anniversary from 27–29 August, having become one of Europe’s leading showcases for sport fishing, nautical tourism and marine sustainability.
The Gran Canaria International Big Game Fishing Open returns from 27 to 29 August, bringing together around 50 boats for one of Europe’s most prestigious sport fishing events. Organised by Pasito Blanco Yacht Club with the support of the Tourism Department of the Gran Canaria Island Council and the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce, the tournament combines sporting excellence, marine conservation and the promotion of Gran Canaria as a world-class nautical destination.
Originally launched in the late 1980s as the Pasito Blanco Big Game Fishing Tournament, the competition has grown from a family event organised by local enthusiasts into an internationally recognised championship. Since adopting its current name in 2021, it has strengthened its position as a flagship event for the island’s blue economy and nautical tourism while remaining true to the values that shaped its identity.
Gran Canaria offers exceptional conditions for big game fishing thanks to its year-round mild climate, modern marina facilities, extensive tourism infrastructure and rich marine ecosystems. The waters between Maspalomas Point and La Aldea de San Nicolás form one of Europe’s most renowned offshore fishing grounds, attracting anglers in search of species such as Atlantic blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish, longbill spearfish and bigeye tuna.
The Atlantic blue marlin remains the tournament’s iconic species. Gran Canaria’s waters have produced some of the largest specimens ever recorded in the Atlantic, with fish exceeding 500 kilograms. For many specialists, few European destinations offer such an outstanding combination of accessibility, abundance and fishing quality.
The Open is also recognised for its longstanding commitment to sustainability. Long before catch-and-release became common practice, the original Pasito Blanco tournament had already adopted this conservation-focused approach, releasing fish after they had been documented and verified. Today, this philosophy remains one of the event’s defining features.
The success of recent editions reflects both the quality of the fishing and the growing international appeal of the championship. In 2024, competitors recorded more than 50 blue marlin encounters and 21 scoring catches under catch-and-release rules, setting a new tournament record.
The event now attracts boats and crews from across Spain, the United Kingdom, France, the Nordic countries and the United States. Its international profile has also expanded through specialist media coverage, collaborations with respected figures in the sport fishing community and strong digital visibility, with the latest edition generating more than 4.5 million impressions across online platforms.
Today, the Gran Canaria International Big Game Fishing Open is much more than a sporting competition. It has become a platform for promoting marine sustainability, nautical tourism and the island’s international reputation as one of the Atlantic’s leading destinations for offshore fishing.
Nearly four decades after its beginnings as a family tournament in Pasito Blanco, the Open continues to combine sporting excellence with a welcoming atmosphere and a strong commitment to conservation, preserving the spirit that has defined the event since its foundation.
Registration is now open and entries can be submitted via www.pasitoblanco.com.
