Gran Canaria HOLIDAYS

A superb summer holiday & winter sunshine destination.  The bustling resorts in the south offer golden beaches perfect for families, plenty of watersports, amusement parks and nightlife.

• Beaches & watersports

• Traditional mountain villages

• Hiking & golf

There’s also a range of first-rate golf courses. However, if you want to experience the real Gran Canaria you don’t have to stray far from the coast. From the dramatic central mountains offering breathtaking scenery, to idyllic villages full of culture and history, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Begin your Gran Canaria holiday.

WHY VISIT GRAN CANARIA?

1. Stunning coastline, beautiful beaches & watersports

Explore the impressive migrating sand dunes at Maspalomas, perhaps taking a camel ride over a section of it. Try a new watersport: parasailing, surfing, wake boarding or scuba diving.

For a resort with a stylish Venetian flair, head to Puerto de Mogan, a former fishing village developed around the marina. With its canals, beautiful flower adorned walkways and excellent cafes and restaurants its a great place to spend the day.

2. Central mountains: scenic drives, hiking & mountain villages

There are many scenic driving routes in this region and super hiking for both casual and experienced hikers along old paths and pilgrim routes. Why not try mountain biking or horse riding? See the contrast of luxuriant vegetation on the northern slopes with an abundance of wild flowers in spring, to the desert like south.

Take the path to Roque Nublo (cloud rock), an impressive basalt monolith with outstanding views over the lunar style landscape. Make time to explore Artenara, the highest village on the island and one of the oldest. The earliest inhabitants, the Guanches from North Africa, lived in rock caves here. The best known cave today is Virgen de la Cuevita. If you want to find out more about this ancient culture, head to Roque Bentayga. The visitors’ centre offers a tour and information about the Guanches’ ancient rituals and sacrificial sites.

3. Las Palmas: colonial architecture, excellent bars and restaurants, museums

Seek out the old town for colonial architecture at its best. Museo Canario has masses of information on the culture and lifestyle of the Guanches. The Catedral de Santa Ana took over 400 years to build and different styles are revealed in the architecture. We spent a pleasant afternoon in Casa de Colon, a museum reflecting Colombus’s life work.

4. The North: Fertile hills and valleys, ancient sites, 'real’ Gran Canaria

The cooler, humid north of the island is the main fruit & vegetable growing area. Jardin Canario has abundant plant life and over 500 species of endemic plants. Stroll around Teror which has typical Canarian houses in the old town with beautiful carved wooden balconies. Head to Moya for stunning views and explore the fertile valley in the dormant crater Caldera de Bandama; take water if you go down to the centre!

GRAN CANARIA: WHERE TO VISIT

Begin your holiday to Gran Canaria.

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