La Aldea de San Nicolás is subject to many protection categories of various kinds, of worldwide, European or regional scope.

The whole municipality is part of the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve and practically its entire expanse is included within Red Natura 2000 (Nature Network 2000) in the Special Conservation Area and Special Bird Protection Area categories (ZEC and ZEPA respectively in Spanish).

It is worth emphasising that the core area of the Biosphere Reserve consists of the Inagua and Guguy massifs, both of which lie to a greater or lesser extent within the municipal boundaries. And many important areas are included in Red Natura 2000: Sebadales de Guguy (ZEC), the Mogán-La Aldea coastal strip (ZEPA), Tamadaba (ZEC and ZEPA), El Nublo II (ZEC), Guguy (ZEC) and Inagua, Ojeda and Pajonales (ZEC and ZEPA).

Within the Canary Islands Network for Protected Natural Areas we find the Tamababa Nature Park, the El Nublo Rural Park, the Inagua Integral Nature Reserve and the Guguy Special Nature Reserve.

In addition, the whole coastal strip of the municipality is part of an Area of Special Importance for seabirds (Marine IBA).