Visit The Miniature Continent For A Truly Memorable Vacation

The mountainous island of Gran Canaria is located South-east of Tenerife, around 130 miles from the African coast. It is another busy member of the Canary Islands archipelago. Due to the diverse microclimates that vary from subtropical to continental and the extensive flora and fauna, it has earned the nickname as the “miniature continent”.

While the north of the island has a cooler climate, the south is warmer and receives the majority of visitors. The east coast of Gran Canaria is flat with beaches in contrast to the western coast which is rockier and mountainous.

As with all of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria enjoys a pleasant climate. The average temperatures fluctuate during the summer months between 26ºC and 28ºC, often beyond 30°C and in the winter months between 22 ºC and 24 ºC.

Las Palmas Airport (LPA) is located around 18km south of Las Palmas and around 25km from the southern resorts.

Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and this is where Christopher Columbus stopped en-route to America.

Here, you can enjoy the traditional architectural style of its historic buildings, museums and the Cathedral with its gothic and neoclassical style. If you are interested in the island’s history, the Museo Canario exhibits all about the Guanches which were the original inhabitants.

There are a number of beach resorts in the south of the island that offer a variety of entertainment and all of the usual water sports and other beach activities.

Playa del Ingles is a busy thriving resort and is where the well known Yumbo shopping centre is located. At night, the place comes alive with several bars and restaurants and is a favourite with the gay community.

Another Gran Canaria feature is the Maspalomas sand dunes which stretch for some 400 hectares. The dunes are a natural protected area and are a habitat for some rare species of plants, lizards and rabbits. Another notable attraction nearby is the Faro de Maspalomas, a 65m tall lighthouse built in 1886 that dominates the area.

Birdwatchers will find the area of La Charca (which borders the upmarket locale of El Oasis at the western end of the nature reserve) of some interest. Several species of migratory birds rest at the remains of a sea-water lagoon fringed with palm trees on their way to Africa.

If you are looking for a more relaxing resort, then Playa de San Agustin may be just what you need, it is located not far from Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas. This beach is only 670m long, has darker volcanic sand but is well protected from the waves with its gentle slope. This beach is ideal for swimming, snorkelling and diving activities. San Agustin is much smaller than its neighbouring resorts and it has kept its traditional ambience, with shops, bars and restaurants all along the beachfront.

Further west on the south coast in the Municipality of Mogan is lively Puerto Rico. It is built along and up the high sides of a valley and is very hilly and steep so could prove hard for people with walking difficulties. The port has a horse shoe shaped (manmade) beach which is flanked by the harbours. Many yachts moor here and boat trips leave from here too. The pretty village of Puerto de Mogan is also known as 'Little Venice' as it has several canals.

Playa Taurito located on the south western side of the island (around 3 km from Puerto Rico) is another tranquil idyll that has a lagoon and Lido. It neighbours the attractive fishing village of Puerto de Mogan.

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