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Gran Canaria Introduction
Being only 4 hours from the UK, Gran Canaria is nestled between 3 continents in the Atlantic Ocean - Africa's, Europe and the Americas. It is the 3rd largest Canary Island and is well known for its fabulous beaches and landscape.
Its weather is pleasant all year round which will enable you to take a well earned holiday at any time of the year. The north of the island is cooler than the south which can reach temperatures of 25 + in the summer but, away from the coasts into the interior, as these are mountainous it can be cloudier, cooler and experience more rainfall than the coastal areas. The sea temperature is still good, even in winter with average lowest temperatures being 18ºC, and during the summer months it will average around 22 ºC.
The normal amount of sun shine hours per year is around 2,700 with as long as 11 hours per day during July and August. The change in landscapes around the island is extraordinary, varying from the desert sand dunes to tropical forests, mountainous peaks in the centre, of which Pozo Las Nieves stands at over 6000 feet above sea level.
The capital of the island is Las Palmas which has a charming ancient feel about it, which might interest you. It draws many visitors each year for its shopping facilities and its variety of restaurants. It also has a delightful, clean beach where you can spend many hours just lazing and enjoying the atmosphere.
You can find something to suit you somewhere on the island whether it is lazing on a sun kissed beach, walking along the mountain foot hills, diving, shopping, and enjoying the magnificent churches and cathedrals, the architecture, the history and much, much more.
It is a holiday haven for all ages; its stunning scenery will leave you in awe and attract you in coming back year after year.
Gran Canaria Location
Gran Canaria is nestled between 3 continents in the Atlantic Ocean - Africas, Europe and the Americas. It is a small island, just 29 miles wide with mountainous peaks in the centre, of which Pozo Las Nieves stands at over 6000 feet above sea level.
Its weather is pleasant all year round which will enable you to take a well earned holiday at any time of the year. The north of the island is cooler than the south which can reach temperatures of 25 + in the summer but, away from the coasts into the interior, as these are mountainous it can be cloudier, cooler and experience more rainfall than the coastal areas.
Weather in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria benefits from a good climate all year round, so if you miss your chance to take a summer holiday, you can still enjoy warm and dry weather even in the winter. It is said by the International Scientific Community that Gran Canaria has one of the best climates in the world.
The climate does vary depending on where you are, for instance, it is dry and sunny virtually 12 months of the year in the South and North, but the further into the centre you go, and into the mountains you will find the climate cooler, and cloudier. So the temperature can vary between the different regions. This is reflected in the lusher areas which experience low cloud and more rain. In fact it isn't unheard of to have snow on top of the mountains.
The sea temperature is still good, even in winter with average lowest temperatures being 18ºC, and during the summer months it will average around 22 ºC. The normal amount of sun shine hours per year is around 2,700 with as long as 11 hours per day during July and August. You will enjoy a longer day enabling you to get the best out of your holiday.
It is a misconception to think that the summer temperatures reach greatly higher degrees than the winter temperatures, because of the trade winds that blow around the island during the summer this helps to actually keep the temperatures down to a more pleasant average of 24 ºC.
Visit Gran Canaria during the spring, summer, autumn or winter and you'll sure to experience sunny days with good temperatures.
Transfers from Las Palmas airport
Arriving at a foreign airport can often be a strenuous affair and with most customers traveling independently these days having a pre-booked airport transfer is an essential part of your holiday package. Local taxis at the airport can sometimes be limited or with long queues, by booking a pre-booked you can not only make a fantastic saving on your transfer but also avoid all the stress of queues and haggling with taxi drivers. Book your airport transfer service here now >>
Airport Shuttle Bus Service from Las Palmas airport
In most of our gateway airports you can pre-book an Airport Shuttle Service. This is a pre-booked only service that operates between the relevant airport and holiday resort. In normal times you can expect to wait up to 30 minutes for your shuttle bus to arrive however as this is a pre-negotiated service and only available to participating travel companies then expect to pay far less to get from the airport to your destination accommodation than other traditional forms or transport such as local taxis. Book your airport shuttle service here now>>
Gran Canaria Car Hire
Although you will find that you have everything you need close to your resort, hiring a car can be a good way of exploring Gran Canaria and getting to places that are perhaps a little off the beaten track.
It is easy to hire a car from the local agencies. There are a good selection of both cars, jeeps, 4x4s to hire and most usually offer child booster/car seats if you request it at the time of booking. Cars can be delivered/collected from your resort or a pick up point of your choosing.
With a car you will be able to go to some of the beaches a little out of the way and visit some of those shops away from the bigger towns. Supermarkets out of town are usually cheaper than those in the more well known resorts.
There are many attractions that you will be able to visit in your own time rather than an organisedexcursion, such as the Palmitos Park at Maspalomas or the Cocodrilo at Los Corralillos , to name but a few.
In Gran Canaria you drive on the right hand side with the road signs being international and modern. Always carry your driving licence, passport and car rental agreement because if you are unlucky enough to be stopped by the police, you could face a fine for not having one of these documents.
Shopping in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is duty free, along with the other Canary Islands. You will find your tobacco, alcohol and perfumes much cheaper from supermarkets in the main resorts than at the airport. Your allowance is treated as outside the EU so you need to be aware of your tax allowances for travelling back to the UK.
There are many shopping centres around the island and if you fancy hitting the shops, there are several good places to go to bend the plastic! Annexo I and II at Playa del Ingles have a variety of designer boutiques and gift shops.
You will find a market almost everyday, somewhere on the island. Try the Tuesday market at Arguineguin, which attracts tourists and locals to the array of fresh produce, local ceramics, pottery, lace and typical holiday souvenirs. On a Wednesday & Saturday there is a market at San Fernando which sells fresh fruit and vegetables, meat products and cheese. If you are self catering you will find many delights to suit your tastes and pockets.
Eating Out in Gran Canaria
Dining out in Gran Canaria will not break your budget. You can easily find a wide variety of choice from English fish and chips to nouveau cuisine. There is an abundance of good restaurants which provide the opportunity for you to enjoy authentic Canarian food, usually in a setting of ambiance and atmosphere.
If you see the word typicothis means a local restaurant serving traditional, good value fresh food so look out for this sign on many of the eateries.
There are plenty of good fish restaurants where the daily catch from the Atlantic Ocean is served, to your choice by grilling or frying the beautiful, fresh fish. Bass, tuna, cod, snapper fish, and parrot fish are the most popular types of fish. A typical local dish is vieja, or more commonly known as widow fish. Fish soup or stew is often a choice.
There are menus with steak to cater for tourists but local specialities are soups and stews with local goat, rabbit or pork.
Of course, because of Spanish links, Gran Canaria restaurants usually have paella and gazpacho on their menus, as well as its own speciality dish called gofio. This is a course roasted wholemeal flour, usually put into bread, cakes and puddings but is often used to increase the texture of soups and stews.
If you have a sweet tooth you will love the local dessert called bienmesabe. This is made of honey, almonds and rum. A real sticky treat!
Goat cheese is popular, as is fresh fruit grown on the island. Don't forget to try the dwarf cavendishbanana, which is grown on its sister Canary Island, Lanzarote.
There are a few tapas bars placed around the island, these will serve a variety of hot and cold food such as olives, mushrooms, cured ham, squid salad, garlic prawns (delicious if you like garlic) and chorizo sausage. Don't get confused about what to ask for if you feel hungry: una racionmeans half a small plateful and una porcionis a much greater helping.
Other typical Canarian meals, if you feel adventurous, are:
Puchero - a casserole with meat, vegetables and beans
Ropa vieja - a chick pea stew
Sancocho - salted fish, sweet potatoes and vegetables
Cazuela canaria - a casserole made with fish and octopus
Papas arragudas - (wrinkled potatoes) jacket potatoes cooked with rock salt and a hot paprika and chilli sauce called mojo picon
Mojo Verde - a sauce with parsley and coriander
Gran Canaria produces some excellent local wines particularly El Grifo which is the oldest producer of wine. Canarian wine is more expensive than imported wines, but the quality is excellent. There are a variety of white, red and rosé wines to choose from. There is also another Canarian produced wine which is excellent called Malvasia.
There are two types of Canarian beer Dorada and Tropical. Rum is a local drink, and at Gomera their speciality is a sweet liquer called ronmiel, made from the sap of palm trees. There are many fruity liquers available which are also made by Canarian distilleries.
Coffee is usually served black but if you ask for cortadoyou will have a splash of milk added. Ask for con lecheif you would like more milk.
So with all those different menus, tastes and colours, what more could you ask for on your holiday?
Gran Canaria Nightlife
Generally you will find Gran Canaria is more relaxing and quiet than some of its neighbouring Spanish islands, however, there are places to go if you feel like being jolly and partying the night away.
Las Palmas, the capital of the island, is definitely the place to go for excitement. Here you will find a wide selection of bars, clubs, discos and restaurants to suit everyone. If you are looking for a good meal with a pleasant ambiance then you could try one of the traditional Canarian restaurants, or one of the multi-national eateries which serve everything from fish and chips to steak.
How about trying your luck in the chic resort of San AgustÃn's casino at Melia Tamarindos which is open until late into the night. Here too you will find plenty of night life to keep you busy and get you rocking and rolling.
Around the marinas in the port of Las Palmas you will find a selection of tapas bars, and restaurants and at Puerto de Mogan there are also nice variety of places to eat and drink.
At Playa del Ingles you will find the Yumbo Centre - this is often considered the gay capital of Europe. You will find a selection of entertainment from drag acts to theme nights and cross dressing parties.
Many of the hotels offer entertainment from karaoke to ballroom dancing; these are usually well organised and not as boisterous as some of the other nightspots.
So these are the areas to avoid at night if you are just on holiday for a quiet time, to chill out and unwind from your daily pressures of life.
Gran Canaria Beaches
If you are looking for almost constant sunshine with golden sandy beaches, then head for the southern end of Gran Canaria. The northern beaches tend to be more shingle than sand and some have dark shingle which can be less attractive. For windsurfing or body boarding you would do better to go to one of the northern beaches as the seas are sometimes rougher.
Here is a list of some of these beaches and more:-
Agaete
At the Port of las Nieves which is in the locality of Agaete, you will find some beaches with some beach-front cafes and restaurants, where you can take a refreshment or snack, or an evening meal, in pleasant surrounding and ambiance. There are some water sports available at the beaches, or you can just swim or sunbathe if you prefer to chill out and relax. Looking out to the cliffs, you can see what remains today of a slither of volcanic rock, this is called God's Fingerbecause of the way in which it stands out and points upwards to the sky.
Amadores
It has a beautiful man made beach which is surrounded by cliffs, making it very sheltered and safe, especially for children. The beach is wonderfully clean and the sea is azure and sparkling. Ball games and radios are not allowed on the beach so if you are looking for a completely calm and peaceful resort, this is it. Your tranquility will not be interrupted by loud noise! It is a very popular beach and its ideal location makes for a perfect holiday. There are some calm water sports available such as scuba diving and pedalloes, nothing too strenuous to take you away from that sun bathing.
Bahia Feliz
This is a popular resort for wind surfers there are some strong tides which make it quite spectacular, however, we would not recommend Bahia Feliz as an ideal beach holiday for children because of its steep shelve into the sea. Not too far from the beach you will find places for refreshments.
Las Palmas
There is a super beach at Las Palmas, called Playa des la Cantaras which is ideal for families; the children can play and swim in the gentle sea, which is made even nicer by the fact that it is a lagoon. The waters are crystal clear and clean, your children will love it. There are a variety of water sports available if you feel like being energetic. There is a part of the beach further along which is not protected by the natural reef like the lagoon is, and on this part of the beach you can wind surf, thanks to the stronger winds in this area. You can take a gentle stroll along the promenade, browsing in one of the souvenir shops or stopping off at one of the beach bars as you go.
Maspalomas
A relaxing holiday with sun, sand and sea is what Maspalomas is all about. It is an ideal beach based family holiday, the children will just love the magnificent sand dunes and drifting into shore on their body boards. The area is well protected and therefore very safe. The beach is famous for its beautiful sand dunes, which in fact, form a good few miles of the beach landscape.
Also at Maspalomas there is Playa Meloneras which stretches between Maspalomas Beach and this section of the beach. It has an exceedingly long beach, just perfect for taking a stroll along the waters edge as the sun goes down. There are some water sports facilities and it must be said that the beach is wonderfully clean and safe for children.
Playa de Mogan
The beach here is safe and well protected from winds and currents, it is semi circular shaped, clean and, the water is crystal clear. It is a quiet and relaxing resort, simply the place to go if you wish to recharge your batteries. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes which are all close to the beach so you don't have to go far when you want some refreshments.
Playa de Taurito
Playa de Taurito is a man made valley with a sheltered beach that gently shelves, lying to both its sides. The beach is what you would expect from lava sand, a course, dark sand, to remind you of its origin. The calm water gently lapping on the shore line provides an excellent place to cool off.
Playa del Cura
The beach consists of dark, almost black, course sand which will constantly remind you of where you are. It is not a busy resort, despite recent building developments, here you will always be able to find somewhere to laze and unwind. It is a quiet cove where reading a book, sunbathing or just a bit of splashing in the sea is the most you will be able to do on the beach itself. There are a few sun loungers and parasols available for hire, but generally this quiet cove is exclusively tranquil and you won't find much to disturb your peace.
Playa del Ingles
The beach at Playa del Ingles offers a good variety of water sports and its facilities such as sun beds and parasols are ideal. The beach has been awarded the European Blue Flag for its cleanliness and its facilities. The sea is beautifully crystal clear and warm here.
Pozo Izquierdo
This resort is an absolute must if you are a wind surfing enthusiast. The conditions are always ideal as the wind is always blowing (generally from the left) and usually quite strong. There are guidelines as to what type of sails you should use here, 2.8 and 4 metre, with waves no less than 1 metre high. Sometimes the waves even reach as high as 3 metres. We advise Pozo should only be for the more experienced surfers. The beach is well renowned as being one of the best for windsurfers.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is an ideal family resort, not least because of its breathtaking beach which is well sheltered, and lies between rugged headlands to each side. The beach is where most day time activity takes place and there are plenty of facilities available. Just a short walk from the beach there is a lido which you can use for a small charge. It is situated inside landscaped gardens to make it even more attractive.
San Agustin
This is an ideal resort to go for a beach and sun holiday but where you will never be too far from the busier resorts of neighbouring Playa del Ingles or Melia. The beach is a dark volcanic shingle but the sea is calm and tranquil and there is a promenade lined with palm trees if you feel like taking a leisurely stroll.
Sardina del Norte
If fishing is your hobby then this pretty traditional village is good for a catch, the beach itself is a course sand and pebbly beach so not the best one for sun bathing.
Nudist Beaches
Agaete
There are some isolated spots which provide an excellent retreat if you wish to participate in some nude bathing or swimming.
Maspalomas
Head for the sand dunes to find an isolated spot
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