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Gran Canaria, an appropriate name indeed, is one of the big boys in the Canary Islands archipelago. Its popular and well known southern resorts - Playa del Ingles, Maspalomas and to the west Puerto Rico - have been around for a while and are little holiday metropolis in themselves. In terms of governance the 7 islands are split into two, with Tenerife (capital Santa Cruz) the main player within the grouping of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The eastern Canary Islands group refers to its big brother Gran Canaria (capital Las Palmas) and includes Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Santa Cruz in Tenerife and Las Palmas in Gran Canaria serve as the two central administrative hubs. There is still elements of competition between the two groups, a confrontation that stretches back to the beginnings of the Spanish conquest.
Gran Canaria was known as Tamaran to its original Guanche settlers. There are Arabic links in the name, as there are in numerous town and village names across the Canaries. Galdar and Telde were two central strongholds to the Guanche settlers before Spanish colonialists moved the focus to Las Palmas and the port. The southern resorts of Gran Canaria are party, sun, sea and chill hotspots, with a thriving gay scene in Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas. Many visitors, especially British, come to these holiday delights, but there is much more to explore - move to the interior and you'll be astounded by the rugged landscape, green with pine forests in places, and with many historic and attractive Canarian villages.
The round Island - Gran Canaria is almost a circle and it is the third largest in the Canaries archipelago, although it feels like the second really, as compared with Fuerteventura it's much more heavily populated (in fact it has the highest population of all the Canary Islands!), especially in and around the capital - Spain's seventh largest city Las Palmas. Gran Canaria is also often refered to as 'a continent in miniature' - a reference to its varied terrain - dry and arid in the south, mountainous and green in the North and Centre, and rugged and wild to the West (apart from the manmade resort areas around Puerto Rico).
Gran Canaria covers 1532 square kilometres. It's a varied landscape indeed, with a central mountainous area reaching a peak at Pico de las Nieves (6382feet/1945m) and with volcanic roots. There are a large number of barrancos or striking fertile valleys in Gran Canaria. If you look at a topographical map of the island you can see just how many - it's heavy going driving in both the central and western areas so Grand Tours are highly recommended on Gran Canaria, letting the expert coach drivers do the work! The fertile valleys jutt out from the centre. Parts of the centre and north of Gran Canaria are particularly green - it's a surprise if you're touring and coming from the arid desert like south where the main resorts and distinctive sand dunes of Maspalomas are situated. Banana plantations abound around Arucas and elsewhere in the north, as well as some stunning pine forests.
You've diversity on Gran Canaria's coast too. To the west it's rocky and jagged around Mogan, with a few sandy bay beach breaks especially at the resorts lower down. Gran Canaria's southern shores are the big attraction for most visitors to the island. The south is distinctly dryer than the north - all year round sunshine down here in Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles and San Agustin. There's good winds too, making for excellent windsurfing and kitesurfing conditions!
Hiking and walking hotspots are to the east around Telde, the north around Galdar where Guanche history and caves abound, and in the centre around Teror, Tejeda and San Tartolome de Tirajana. The capital, Las Palmas, is a big city, Spain's 7th largest. Some of the best museums across the Canaries are here. For a journey into Guanche (original settlers) history you won't do better than the Museo Canario in Las Palmas. The historic districts of Triana and Vegueta are crammed with stunning traditional Canarian architecture, a selection of museums and art galleries and the best of the cafe scene, and bonus Las Palmas has a superb urban beach Las Canteras. Many visitors also rather like the shops in Las Palmas - it's a city with great character and a must visit if you're holidaying on the island.
Las Palmas as the most exciting city on the Canaries might just have the edge over Santa Cruz, Tenerife's capital. It certainly feels bigger - Las Palmas is long too stretching from the historic regions of Triana and Vegueta in the south upto Santa Catalina (prime shopping territory), Puerto de la Luz Port and La Isleta to the north.
Las Palmas offers a bustling Spanish Canarian vibe, with a superb choice of chic restaurants and cafes, numerous renowned Museums and art galleries, the best of historic Canarian architecture, great shops around Santa Catalina, a fantastic beach lined with a promenade littered with bars and a work-a-day feel that truly appeals. Many locals who work in the tourist resorts to the south live here, and it shows. If you're looking for a touch of Spain, rather than a resort atmosphere consider Las Palmas as your base - here is the best of everything including beaches, art and culture and the best restaurants and shops.
Many guidebooks warn about the pain of parking in Las Palmas, this busy city with heavy traffic and a network of one way systems. This, however, is a little overdramitised! There are numerous large car parks in the city - just follow the large white and blue parking signs. Traffic is heavy, so just take your time and have a good map with you, with some decisions on where to plonk the hire car before you set off. You've also the option of hooking into numerous buses which run from the main Gran Canaria resorts of Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles into Las Palmas. Or book yourself on a Grand Tour or day excursion tour to Las Palmas.
Despite the obvious heavy traffic in Las Palmas, local residents seem resigned to the fact and drivers are generally polite. Signposts are frequent, and getting about Las Palmas with a good map and an eye for the signs is a breeze. Preferable to hurtling down the GC-1 motorway perhaps.
We're in the land of mammoth holiday resorts in the south and up the bottom west coast of Gran Canaria - you don't navigate around these resorts by road names, you do it by hotels, shopping centres, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Most maps of Gran Canaria resorts given out by car hire firms and available free at tourist info points and indeed many hotels and apart-hotels show the layout of accommodation and attractions on resort maps.
Gran Canaria's holiday resorts have a real edge and some of the best beaches and party atmospheres (fab clubs, including Pacha, and a crackin' gay scene around Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas!) can be found in them. Starting with the obvious, Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles for a stretch of coastline commonly known as 'Costa Canaria'. These are the two most established resorts on the island and they're not for those looking for a hidden retreat, although Masaplomas is certainly the quieter option. The two resorts do join inland, but on the coast they are separated by one of Gran Canaria's iconic natural phenomena - the Maspalomas sand dunes. The dunes are a popular cruising ground and nudist sunbathing spot too! Walk across these or take a camel ride and you could well believe you're in the desert!
Playa del Ingles is Gran Canaria's largest resort, a crowd puller indeed for gay and straight party pounding. Sand dunes, a golden sandy endless stretch of beach, watersports including windsurfing and beach fun rides, so many commercial shopping centres, restaurants, bars, and clubs you'll lose count, and some supremo holiday attractions including an enormous golf course bording the dunes and between Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas a vast aqua waterpark, a miniature train whisking you round the resort and easy access to attractions around the island via regular buses. Maspalomas pushes a bit more upmarket, and more laid back with a chic cafe beach bar vibe, some luxury accommodation and again a superb 6km stretch of golden sandy beach.
The core focus of these two resorts, alongside the spectacular sand dunes, is the Yumbo Centrum - a mammoth shopping centre with some great 'bazaar' bargains by day, and by night the discos, clubs, bars, restaurants, saunas, sex shops and more all come alive to one of the best party calls, gay and straight, in the Canaries! The rest of Playa del Ingles is more of the same, albeit a pale copy of Yumbo. Manmade and all-inclusive resorts don't come more fully comp than Maspalomas and Playa Del Ingles, mainland Spain you won't be finding much of here. Still, you can have the best of both worlds - it's easy to book yourself on tours and attractions elsewhere on Gran Canaria from these resorts - an inland Grand Tour of Gran Canaria is not to be missed - you'll be amazed by the contrast and what else is out there!
The choice of holiday resorts on Gran Canaria is ever increasing, and suburbs of the main existing resorts are pushing up the coast. To the south west side the big smoke is Puerto Rico - one of the best family holiday resorts on the Canary Islands. There's more of a family bar and restaurant feel here, with a gentle sheltered beach perfect for family bathing. You can tap into any watersport activity you can think of here, from fun water rides to catamaran and fishing trips - sailing, fishing and catamaran trips are particularly prevalent here, and they tend to move up the pretty west coast towards Puerto Mogan.
Smaller off-shot resorts from Puerto Rico, also with a family vibe and nice sheltered beaches include Playa del Cura, Amadores, Taurito and Playa de Mogan, and Patalavaca. As you'd expect too Playa Del Ingles and Maspalomas have a number of off-shot quieter resorts including Meloneras just to the west. There's a new feel to this resort with luxury hotels on the beach - for a relaxing luxury base within easy reach of bustling Maspalomas, Meloneras is a good choice.
The main of Gran Canaria's best beaches are to the south of the island, but Las Palmas the capital lays claim to the superb beach Las Canteras - you can catch a few waves here surfers! The resorts are quite concentrated to the south and south west on Gran Canaria - more so than Tenerife which has Puerto de la Cruz to the north as well as its well known southern resorts. Gran Canaria's beaches are mostly golden brown sands (thanks to largely imported sand from the Sahara), with clear clean waters combined with warm sea water temperatures of between 18 to 22 degrees centigrade in winter and summer respectively. Gran Canaria's beaches are less impressive than those on Fuerteventura, but where its beaches lack that edge, its friendly party resorts make up for it, and the holiday attraction choice on the island, with everything from watersports, golf, waterparks, camel rides, shopping galore, markets, catamarans, jeep safaris, fishing trips and excursions tours around the mountainous interior - Gran Canaria is an island to get active on!
A particular favourite watersport on Gran Canaria is sailing - several sailing champions have hailed from the island. Sailing centres abound in sailing hotspots like Las Palmas, Puerto Rico, Puerto de Mogan, Arguineguin and Pasito Blanco. Puerto Rico particularly offers numerous sailing and boat trip opportunities for holidaymakers. Windsurfing hotspots on Gran Canaria include Las Canteras beach at Las Palmas, the island's capital. They get good winds and some nice surfing waves here too. Gran Canaria's top windsurfing hub is Pozo Isquierdo just south of Vecindario and Playa de Vargas (see weblink right) where the big windsurfing grand prix is held annually. There's plenty of lower key, beginner oriented windsurfing to be had around Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogan too!
Surfers and bodyboarders need to head north around the Galdar area and on the northern coast towards Las Palmas. There's some good beginner surfer waves at Las Canteras beach in Las Palmas too. Diving excursions are numerous and easilly accessed from Gran Canaria's main resorts. Diving hotspots include Arinaga and the protected Playa del Cabron and El Cabron Marine Reserve (see diving weblinks right).
Golf Course choice on Gran Canaria is excellent, and expanding. Currently there are 7 excellent golf courses, including the big one at Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles. Four golf courses (as of 2006) are currently under construction. With a favourable climate for all year round golf holidays, Gran Canaria alongside Tenerife is a good choice for golf holidays. They're cheap to enter too. The choice includes Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, El Cortijo Club de Campo, El Cortijo Golf Centre, Club de Golf de Maspalomas, Salobre Golf & Resort and Anfi Tauro Golf. Golf fans would do well to opt for Maspalomas, Puerto de Mogan, Las Palmas or Telde as their holiday base for easy access to Golf courses on Gran Canaria.
Fishing fans, deep sea or angling, head to Puerto Rico to hook into the choice of numerous deep sea fishing trips from the little harbour. Boat trips and marine excursions are particularly good from Puerto Rico and increasingly Puerto de Mogan - you'll often be bused to Puerto Rico from Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles for Catamaran excursions and other marine excursions. Other good choices for deep sea fishing include Pasito between Meloneras and Arguineguin on the south coast. There's an excellent yacht club here and plenty of berthing space (see the superb Pasito Blanco weblink right for details). Watersports like jet skiing, water skiing and parascending are all available galore in the main southern resorts of Gran Canaria.
Gran Canaria Airport Tourist Information, Llegadas Comunitarias - Puerta A. Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria. Tel: 34 928 574 117. Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Calle Leon y Castillo 17, Las Palmas. Tel: 34 928 219 600 (note, in Las Palmas there are numerous tourist information kiosks scattered about the city, particularly in the historic districts of Triana and Vegueta.
North and Central Gran Canaria: Agaete Tourist Information, Calle Nuestra Senora de las Nieves 1. Tel: 34 928 554 382. Artenara Tourist Information, Camino de la Silla, Tel: 34 928 666 102. Arucas Tourist Information (Arucas is famous for its rum production), Plaza de la Constitucion 2, Tel: 34 928 623 136. Firgas Tourist Information (renowned for its spring water), Plaza de San Roque (Casa de la Cultura) 3, Tel: 34 928 616 120. Galdar Tourist Information (Guanche stronghold renowned for its painted Guanche Caves), Calle Tagoror 2, Tel: 34 928 895 855. Moya Tourist Information, Calle General Franco 10, Tel: 34 928 612 348. San Mateo Tourist Information, Calle Del Agua, Tel: 34 928 660 358.
North and Centre Gran Canaria Tourist Information: Santa Brigida Tourist Information, Calle 18 de Julio 5, Tel: +34 928 641 059. Santa Lucia de Tirajana Tourist Information, Avenida de Canarias - Plaza de la Era. Tel: +34 928 125 260. Santa Mar’a de Guia Tourist Information, Calle Perez Gald—s (Casa de las Artesan’as) 24, Tel: +34 928 895 077. Tejeda Tourist Information, Calle Leocadio Cabrera. Tel: +34 928 666 189. Teror Tourist Information, Plaza de Nuestra Senora del Pino 6, Tel: +34 928 632 054. Valleseco Tourist Information, Calle Leon y Castillo 27, Tel: +34 928 618 740. Valsequillo Tourist Information, Calle Leon y Castillo 1, Tel: +34 928 570 795.
East and West Gran Canaria: Aguimes Tourist Information, Plaza de San Anton. Tel: 00 34 928 124 183. Ingenio Tourist Information, Calle Ramon y Cajal (Biblioteca Municipal) 1, Tel: 0034 928 780 076. Telde Tourist Information, Calle Le n y Castillo 2. Tel: 00 34 928 013 331. South Gran Canaria: Maspalomas Costa Canaria Tourist Information, Mirador Plazoleta de Jandia, Avda. de Gran Canaria esq. Avda. TTOO TUI. Tel: 00 34 928 769 585. Mogan Tourist Information, Avenida de Mogan. Tel: 00 34 928 560 029.
Gran Canaria waterparks - no problem. There are three big aquaparks on this Canaries Island. Aquasur near Maspalomas in the south is a whooper of a waterpark and open all year round. Stretching across 5300 square metres of land, rides include 33 slides and 13 other fun rides such as Crazy Race, Kamikaze, Rapids, mini golf, a choice of swimming pools and restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, gardens and free parking on-site. Aquasur is open from 10am to 18.00pm daily.
For a smaller, more manageable waterpark - easier with very young children - head for Maspalomas' other aquapark - Ocean Park. Ample choice of 13 slides, and all amenities on-site. Buses depart from the centre of Maspalomas/Playa del Ingles regularly to this waterpark. Holidaymakers in Puerto Rico also have their own little waterpark close to hand. Aqua Park Puerto Rico has excellent bathing facilities - you can't miss it as you enter the resort. The longest and fastest slide across all Gran Canaria's waterparks is here. There's a kindergarten for the tots too. Open daily from 10am till 17.30pm in winter and till 18.30pm in summer.
On the attractions and activities side, Gran Canaria offers real choice - the benefits of being one of the largest and most long-standing Canaries Island catering for holidaymakers. Many attractions are located in and around the south near the main resorts - if you want to be close to most of these holiday attractions basing yourself either in Puerto Rico, Maspalomas or Playa del Ingles is best. Palmitos Park just outside Maspalomas is one of the favourtites. It's an animal park with 100s of species of birds. Bird of Prey shows take placed here. There's also parrot shows, a cactus garden, aquarium, Gibbon Island and more.
We're not finished with Maspalomas attractions just yet. Also on offer is Holiday World - a large funfair type theme park with ferris weels, amusement arcades and a recently added health spa with gym. Nightclubs are here too as well a a karting track. Other top favourite attractions in Gran Canaria include Sioux City, Gran Canaria's own recreated wild west in San Agustin, and Mundo Aborigen, a recreation of a guanche village (urring on the kitsch side this one!) is here, plus a little archaelogical museum. Mudo Aborigen is on the raod from Playa del Ingles to Fataga. You can also hook into Camel rides in Fataga. Other delights include a Crocodile Park and Cactus Park in San Nicolas de Tolentino, a reptile park to the north between Galdar and Agaete, and in Las Palmas as well as the museums and historic quarters there's a reconstructed Canarian Village built in the 1930s located in the Parque Doramas area. Doramas by the way was one of the original Guanche kings of Gran Canaria in the Telde region. He was known for his courage.
It's worth noting if you're visit is coinciding with any of these listed festivals and events. Less so in Las Palmas, but prevalent in the smaller inland villages and towns they tend to close the villages and towns for these festivals, for example the Pino Pilgrimage to Teror. Not only this, they also block off access roads to the site of the festival, so if you're doing a car hire island tour that day around the mountain roads you may be caught out. Make a note of any coinciding dates below, and check before you visit on access to villages and towns like Teror, Aguimes, Galdar and Agate. Las Palmas, Gran Canaria's dynamic and cultural capital has numerous festivals and events running throughout the year. 5th January - Cabalgata de los Reyes/Procession of the three Holy Kings, Las Palmas. January to March - Festival de Musica de Canarias, Las Palmas Classical Music Concerts. February - Festival de Opera, Las Palmas. February/March Carnival in Las Palmas. June - Festival Internacional de Musica Popular. July - Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Mas Heineken
Also in Las Palmas - July 16th, Fiesta de Nuestra Senora del Carmen. October 6th - Fiesta de la Naval centred around La Isleta. Mid-October - Romeria de Nuestra Senora de la Luz (Pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady of the Light). October/November - Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas (The renowned International Film Festival of Las Palmas). November - Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).
Elsewhere around Gran Canaria throughout the year are a host of religious festivals and celebratory events. January 6th Dia de los Reyes (Three Holy Kings Day) centred in Aguimes. February - Fiesta del Almendro en Flor (Festival of Almond Blossom) centering on Tejeda and Valsequillo. February/March is the Island Carnival period with events at Las Palmas, Maspalomas, Bartolome, Maspalomas, Aguimes, Agaete and Telde. March/April - Holy Week. April - Car Rally El Corte Ingles. April 29th - Fiesta de los Aborigines (Fiesta of the Aborigines) centred around Santa Lucia. April 30th to May 7th - Fiesta del Queso del Flor (Festival of the Flower Cheese) which is based in Santa Maria de Guia.
May 1st - Feria del Caballo Horse Market in Valsequillo. Mid May Gay Pride Maspalomas (check weblink right for updates). May 30th - Dia de las Islas Canarias (The Canary Islands Day). Late May/early June - Corpus Christi (Body of Christ Day) with Las Palmas carpeted in flowers! July 16th - Fiesta del Carmen in Puerto de Mogan, Puerto de la Aldea, Arguineguin and Galdar. August 4th - Bajada de la Rama (Bringing down the Branches/gulp), there are links to Guanche celebrations here. Centred around Agate and Puerto de las Nieves. September - Encuentro Internacional Tres Continentes (International Theatre Festival of Three Continents) in Aguimes. September 6th - 8th - Pilgrimage to Nuestra Senora de la Virgen del Pino in beautiful Teror. September 7th -11th - Fiesta del Charco (Festival of the Lagoon) in Puerto de la Aldea. October 5th - Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario (Festival of Our Lady of the Rosary) again in Aguimes. December 13th - Dia de Santa Lucia, celebrated across Gran Canaria. December 25th - Navidad/Nativity play performed in Veneguera near Mogan.
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