Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria is one of the beautiful islands of the Canary Islands, an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean 210 km from the northwest coast of Africa.  

Gran Canaria is called a “Miniature Continent” due to the different climates and variety of landscapes found. The island is under protection as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. According to a study carried out by director of research on climatology at Syracuse University (USA), the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria enjoys “the best climate in the world.”

Tourism

The number of annual visitors is 2.2 million (2,200,000). Most of the tourists visit the southern part of the island.

The north tends to be cooler while the south is warmer and sunny. The east coast of the island is flat dotted with beaches while the western coast is rockier and mountainous.

The island possesses 32 Natural Protected Spaces, that they emphasize the Rural Park of Nublo, Doramas’ Jungle, the Ravine of Azuaje, Tamadaba, Pino Santo, etc.

Most tourists stay in the south of the island, which is sunnier and has less rain than the north. However, just below the airport in the town of Vecindario there is a large shopping center “Commercial Atlantico” that includes a Carrefour and shopping mall. Vecindario is the town where the “locals” live and there is a significant price decrease from the south. Only a short walk from the shopping mall is an open air market on Wednesday mornings. In the south there is a large bird park, in the south of the island as well as many beach resort communities. The resort communities start in the central eastern part of the southern coast in the Maspalomas area which includes the towns of San Agustín, Playa del Inglés, Sonnenland, Maspalomas and Meloneras. The Dunes of Maspalomas are located between Playa del Inglés andMaspalomas. Another tourist attraction is the lighthouse at Maspalomas situated at the western end of Maspalomas.

Playa del Inglés is a popular destination for European gay tourists with bars, restaurants and businesses centered primarily in the shopping center. A wonderful beach is found near the Maspalomas Dunes. Maspalomas is known throughout the world for its lighthouse, lagoon and magnificent beach.

Still further to the west along the southern shore, in the Municipality of Mogán, are the communities of Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán, a picturesque village referred to as “Little Venice” on account of its many canals.

 

Other attractions include, Roque Nublo (an 80m monolith), Cenobio de Valerón with about 290 caves, Cueva Pintada the most important archaeological park in Canary Islands and the botanical gardens Jardin Canario (in Tafira Alta) and Cactualdea (in La Aldea de San Nicolás). El Dedo de Dios, or “God’s Finger” was a rocky spire jutting from the sea in Puerto de las Nieves, and was previously the signature attraction of the Canary Islands until it was destroyed by Tropical Storm Delta, that crossed the archipelago on November 2005. With its numerous off shore underwater attractions, scuba diving centres, guides and courses are readily available to take in the full beauty of the island.

Other famous rock formations are El Cura (also known as El Fraile), The Frog (La Rana), Bentayga, the Roque de Gando, and the Peñón Bermejo. The highest peak of the island is the Pico de las Nieves, with 1.950 m

The capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the north of the island, has a vibrant city life. Las Canteras Beach lies in the heart of the city. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is also known for its annual Carnaval. It was the first stop of Christopher Columbus’ expedition on his way back from the Americas, a commemoration of which is the Hermitage of San Antonio Abad, where the navigator prayed, and the Casa de Colón. Other attractions in the capital city include the Museo Canario (the most important archaeology museum in the archipelago), the Cathedral and the Plaza del Espíritu Santo.

 

The town of Agüimes, on the eastern part of the island, has been carefully restored, and its town centre, centered around its old church and a peaceful square, now evokes the quiet living of a traditional Canarian town. The district also has some of the best preserved cave dwellings, in the protected area of the Guayadeque Ravine, where even the church has been built into the hillside and visitors can find a number of popular cave restaurants. The district also includes the most renowned scuba diving area on the island: the marine reserve at the playa de El Cabrón just outside the town of Arinaga.

 

Other important towns are Telde and Vecindario (within the municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana) and Gáldar. In Arucas there is a magnificent Neogothic temple, popularly known as “Arucas’ Cathedral”, as well as a large fertile plain where bananas are grown. In Gáldar and its surroundings there is also a banana-growing plain and some remarkable archaeological remains, such as Cueva Pintada or Cenobio de Valerón’s communal silos, ancient tombs, and the port of Sardina del Norte (one of the island’s ports where, as in Las Palmas’, Christopher Columbus used to get supplies for his ships). In Teror is kept the catholic image of Virgen del Pino, the patron island.

Climate

Gran Canaria's average daytime highs range from 20 °C in winter, to 26 °C in summer. Some cool nights occur in winter, but lows below 10 °C are unknown. Hot southeasterly winds from the Sahara can push temperatures above 38 °C on rare occasions, but these conditions don't normally last long. Annual rainfall averages 228 mm, most of this falling in the cooler months, with July, August and September normally rainless. Cloud cover and sunshine is often quite variable during the cooler months, and in fact there can be several rather cloudy days at times in winter. Summers are generally quite sunny however, with the south of the island being most favoured.

 

Some Popular Places in Gran Canaria

Maspalomas is the oldest touristic town in the south coast of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. Maspalomas is part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The place is famous for tourism, its hotels, beaches, dunes, apartments, and other facilities including restaurants, bars, taverns, shopping centres, souvenirs, and businesses. There is a 68 m tall lighthouse El Faro de Maspalomas at the southern point from where the 12 km long beach and dunes, a nature reserve since 1897, lead to Playa del Inglés.

Playa del Inglés (Spanish for “Englishman’s Beach”) is a town in the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria. Playa del Inglés is part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. It has a nice long beach made of tall sand dunes that come from the Sahara desert, and is connected with other beach towns including San Agustín and Maspalomas in the touristic centre of the island. The population was 17,158 in 2002, and growing. Hotels, restaurants, taverns and villas are aligned with its beach. Playa del Inglés is linked with the old highway linking Puerto de Mogán and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and with the GC1 superhighway with an interchange to the north. Until the arrival of tourism, agriculture was the main industry in the area. Currently, after tourism, the leading industries are business and agriculture. The mountains can be seen to the north.

 

Puerto Rico is a specially constructed holiday resort situated on the south-west coast of Gran Canaria. The island’s proximity to the African continent ensures an ideal climate, particularly in the winter, when the temperatures remain constant at around 20-25°C.

The volcanic origins of Gran Canaria are very apparent in the island’s coastal ruggedness and contrasting verdant interior. Many of the rocky ravines that lead down to the coastline have been developed with holiday installations; Puerto Rico is one. The apartments and hotels adorn the sides of the otherwise barren cliffs.

Puerto Rico has a sandy beach encompassed by two small harbours. Inside the resort you will find that the majority of shops and restaurants are situated in commercial centres. The main centre is at the heart of Puerto Rico, The Europa Shopping Centre is in the higher part, and the Pasarela centre at the back of the beach.

 

Arguineguín (Guanche for “quiet water”), also Arguinegín is one of the most populated towns along the south coast of Gran Canaria, Spain. A typical Canarian fishing village, it is home to many locals rather than being a tourist resort. It is part of the municipality of Mogán and is located southwest of Las Palmas.

There are several bars and restaurants, the latter specialising in fresh fish caught the same day. Tuesday is market day (the largest on the island). Arguineguin features a beach and a port. Tourism is not as popular in Arguineguin as in the larger places as Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles.