Don’t forget to put your clocks back this Sunday!

Residents and holidaymakers in the Canary Islands will gain an extra hour this weekend when the clocks go back in the early hours of Sunday, 25th October.

For anyone who struggles to remember the direction of the change, the familiar phrase still works: spring forward, fall back, meaning that at 2am on Sunday, clocks across the archipelago will move back to 1am, marking the end of summer time and the return to winter time.

For anyone heading to bed on Saturday night, that means an extra hour before Sunday morning gets under way — provided children, pets and work commitments cooperate.

The change applies across Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and the remaining islands.

Will the Canary Islands still have the same time as the UK?

Yes. The UK changes its clocks at the same moment, moving from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time.

That means there will still be no time difference between the Canary Islands and the UK, making calls home and keeping track of British television programmes straightforward.

Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands will also put their clocks back, from 3am to 2am, and remain one hour ahead of the Canaries.

What will happen to sunrise and sunset?

From Sunday, sunrise and sunset will fall roughly an hour earlier by the clock than they would without the change.

Mornings will therefore become lighter earlier, while darkness will arrive earlier in the evening. Anyone accustomed to an evening beach walk or an outdoor meal before sunset will notice the difference.

Changing the clocks does not remove an hour of daylight; it shifts where those daylight hours fall within our daily routines.

Do phones and watches change automatically?

Most smartphones, tablets and computers will update automatically if their date, time and time-zone settings are configured correctly.

Traditional clocks, some watches, car dashboards and household appliances may need adjusting manually. If you change them before bed on Saturday, remember to move them back one hour.

Holidaymakers with an early flight, airport transfer or excursion on Sunday should check their devices before setting an alarm and follow the local times shown on their booking.

Could this be the last time the clocks change?

Spain has asked the European Union to scrap the twice-yearly clock changes, a move that would also cover the Canary Islands. The government formally raised the issue in October 2025, arguing that the energy savings are increasingly uncertain and that changing the clocks disrupts people’s sleep and daily routines.

However, the request has not resulted in an agreed end date. Although the European Parliament backed abolition in 2019, EU governments have yet to agree the legislation needed to make it happen. For now, the existing system remains in force, and there is no confirmation that this Sunday’s change will be the last.