Gran Canaria Holiday Information

If you are planning your holidays to Gran Canaria the following information may help by giving you an overview on the island of Gran Canaria.

Most people take a holiday in Gran Canaria for its abundant sunshine and its golden beaches. They head for the south and the guaranteed rain-free resorts such as Playa del Ingles, Maspalomas and Puerto Rico. Here, the pleasures of sun and rest and recreation often prove so seductive that some never set foot outside their resort except to catch the plane back home. Thus they miss the one essential characteristic of Gran Canaria holidays - diversity.

Gran Canaria is the third largest of the seven major Canary Islands - the largest are Tenerife and Fuerteventura. It is a circular, volcanic island which last erupted seriously about 3,000 years ago. The land comes steeply down from the high central peaks, with vast barrancos - dry water courses or ravines - running to the coast like the spokes of a wheel.

Golden sands and blue seas are the essence of holidays to Gran Canaria for most visitors, but there are increasing numbers of people who come here to windsurf, sail, fish, ride, play golf, mountain-bike, or paraglide. Walkers and botanists find the island irresistible. As for nightlife, there is enough choice of clubs, cabarets, pubs, discos and casinos to satisfy any taste, and at any decibel level.

Things to See and Do on Gran Canaria Holidays
Experience one of the viewpoints, visit Firgas and marvel at the artwork adorning the streets, or walk around Palmitos Parque and see some wonderful birds and other animals - there are ample things to see and do on your holidays to Gran Canaria.

Top 10 Requested Hotels in Gran Canaria during February 2010

H10 Playa Meloneras Palace	5 Star	Meloneras, Gran Canaria
Barcelo Las Magaritas Hotel	4 Star	Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria
Cordial Mogan Playa Hotel	4 Star	Puerto Mogan, Gran Canaria
Terrazamar Aparthotel	3 Star	Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria
Gloria Palace Amadores Hotel	4 Star	Amadores, Gran Canaria
Riu Don Miguel Hotel	3 Star	Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria
Paradise Costa Tautiro	4 Star	Playa de Taurito, Gran Canaria
Melia Tamarindos Hotel	5 Star	San Agustin, Gran Canaria
Green Golf Bungalows	2 Key	Maspalomas, Gran Canaria
Riu Grand Palace Maspalomas	5 Star	Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

Map of Gran Canaria
Take a look at this Gran Canaria map and see where the various resorts are located.

Gran Canaria Weather and Temperature Chart :

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sunshine	6	6	7	8	8	9	9	9	8	7	6	6
Temp °C	21	22	22	22	23	24	25	26	26	26	24	22
Rainfall	36	23	23	13	5	0	0	0	56	28	53	41

Average daily hours of sunshine | Average daily temperature °C | Average monthly rainfall [mm]

Location of Gran Canaria:
The Canary Islands are divided into Eastern and Western provinces, with Gran Canaria in the east [along with Lanzarote and Fuerteventura].

Serving Airports in Gran Canaria:
Gran Canaria [LPA]
Flight time from the UK: Approximately 4 hours.

Beaches in Gran Canaria:
On your Gran Canaria holidays you will find a variety of beaches to suit all tastes. The more popular beaches can get very crowded, but if you are seeking a secluded spot, there's enough sand on the coastline to give everyone their own bit of space.

Playa del Ingles, in the south of Gran Canaria, is probably the most famous beach on the island and is also one of the busiest throughout the year. It stretches for nearly 3km and is lined with bars, restaurants, hotels and shops. Adjoining this beach is Maspalomas - arguably the most beautiful on the island with fine white sand stretching for 6km. The beaches here are well served by bars, restaurants and sports centres, especially at Faro de Maspalomas.

A little northwest along the coast, you will find the popular resort of Puerto Rico with its crescent shaped sandy beach and sports harbour. A more peaceful bay can be found west of Puerto Rico at Playa de los Amadores where ball games and radios are banned. Sunbeds are available for hire and there is a good selection of bars and restaurants behind the beach.

A short way west is the fishing port of Puerto Mogan with its traffic tree village of local-style houses and narrow alleyways. This quiet resort has an excellent protected beach which is perfect if you have young children on your holidays to Gran Canaria.

In the north of the island there is the wonderful beach of Playa de las Canteras which is to the west of the island's capital - Las Palmas. The beach is 3km of golden sand, flanked by a promenade.

Shopping in Gran Canaria:

There are plenty of opportunties for some retail therapy while on holiday in Gran Canaria.

LAS PALMAS : Shops are open from 10:00 to 13:30 or 14:00, and then from 16:30 to 20:00. The department store El Corte Ingles in Las Palmas on Avenida Mesa y Lopez, is open all day.

If it is shopping centres you want, try Las Arenas at the west end of Las Canteras Beach in Las Palmas. On three levels, it caters for a wide range of tastes, from fashion to traditional gifts, from books to jewellery. There are plenty of restaurants plus sea views. The biggest centre is at La Ballena, 3km out of town on the road to Teror, complete with hydermarket and more than 100 shops.

The best places to shop in Las Palmas are the streets around the Parque Santa Catalina and in the Triana district, particularly the pedestrianised Calle Mayor de Triana and the small streets off it.

RESORT SHOPPING: Shopping can be bizarre experience if you are on holiday in the Gran Canaria southern resorts because, with the exception of Puerto de Mogan, the activity is concentrated in the giant shopping/restaurant/entertainment malls called centros comerciales, rather than in shops on streets. Nobody will be surprised if you bargain over the prices quoted for goods on sale in the centros comerciales. You can take the opportunity to haggle over items such as perfumes, leather goods, T-shirts, towels, clothes, electronic products, etc.

Most of the ceramics sold on the island are made in the traditional manner and to traditional designs. These are generally simple objects of everyday use, like bowls, plates or jugs.

No extra money for souvenirs?
Just keep a few coins from each
country you visit - it makes a cheap
but excellent souvenir

Eating Out in Gran Canaria:
Spaniards love eating out, and Canarians are no exception. Given the number of visitors to Gran Canaria, it is no surprise that the island offers every kind of Spanish and European food. However, Canarian food is rather different: country cooking, revealing a deep love for the island's own ingredients. Make an effort to sample the local cuisine at least once on your holidays to Gran Canaria.

Main Dishes
Top of the list and found everywhere are papas arrugadas [wrinkly potatoes]. These are small potatoes, boiled in their skins in water and coarse salt. They are eaten with a sauce called mojo. Mojo verde [green] is made with oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, coriander and parsley. Mojo rojo [red] is with paprika instead of the coriander and parsley; and there is mojo picon, with a bracing dose of chilli. These dishes are also served with meat and fish. Other rustic dishes on the Gran Canarian menu include rabbit, usually served in stews, and hearty sancocho, a great favourite in bars and simple eateries. Sancocho consists of salt fish, usually in chunks, soaked and boiled, and served with papas arrugadas, mojo sauce and balls of gofio.

As may be expected, fresh fish is served in many places, especially in fishing villages. Cheese is also produced in a number of villages, most notably queso de flor [flower cheese], a light goat cheese scented with artichoke flowers. Asparagus and avocados are grown in many areas of the island.

Island Drinks
On an island where fruit is mostly tropical and sub-tropical - mangoes and papaya are common - the local fruit juice is well worth tasting; and Gran Canaria also boasts its own excellent mineral water.

Of other drinks, wine is produced in small quantities, especially in the Bandamas area, around Santa Brigida. A number of bodegas are to be found in and around Monte de Lentiscal, and quality is said to be improving. In San Bartolome de Tirajana a local liquer called guindilla is made from the sour cherry. A lemon-flavoured liquor called mejunje is made in Santa Lucia. More popular across the island is local rum, Arehucas, made in Arucas on a base of sugar cane. Canarian workers are very inclined to take a short of it at breakfast time.

Canarian Desserts
Desserts will not be a culinary adventure on your Gran Canaria holidays. Apart from flan, a custard pudding popular throughout Spain, the local speciality is bienmesabe ["how good it tastes"], made from almonds and honey, it is often used as a sauce poured over ice cream. Nougat and marzipan are other local products.

Other Canary Islands Holidays :

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Disclaimer:
By its very nature much of the information in our travel guides is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they are relying with the relevant authorities. Corona Holidays [UK] Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.