Gran Canaria Travel Guide
Travel guide to Gran Canaria, Spain with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Gran Canaria sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Gran Canaria Overview
Gran Canaria is the second largest of the Canary Islands, located off the north west coast of Africa but part of Spain. The capital city is Las Palmas, located to the north of the island and capital also of the Canary Islands.
Although only small, with a size of just under 600 square miles in an almost perfect circular shape, it has a varied climate from north to south. In the north of the island the weather can be rather cloudy, dark and rainy owing to the mountains there whilst the south of the island enjoys clear skies pretty much all year round. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to find the main tourist areas to be in the south of the island, where it is possible to sunbathe all year long.
The three key sites here are Maspalomas, Playa des Ingles and San Agustin, which between them are one of Spain's most important tourist destinations. They are all along a beautiful five mile stretch of beach that looks like paradise and, with the infrastructure of the hotels in place, caters for the visitors every need.
Gran Canaria is a beautiful part of the world, welcoming and friendly with all that a visitor could wish for. It also has a great mix of styles to it, from the beaches to the south and the mountains in the north, each with its own attractions.
Top Gran Canaria Attractions
The island is full of things to see, from the tourist traps of the south to the little fishing villages and gorgeous scenery moving northwards. Palmitos Park for example is a large bird park found inland, where some truly fascinating birds and animals can be seen in their natural habitats. Of particular note are the hummingbirds, where it is possible to see them hovering to feed.
Shopping in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is an interesting mix of styles when it comes to shopping. There are many local markets where home grown produce and hand made crafts are available, with the tourist ones being mainly at the southern end of the island, with the price increasing accordingly. However, with the influx of visitors to the island each year it is worthwhile for leading retailers and brands to be situated here too, and this generates significant revenue for the island.
Gran Canaria Sporting Events
With such an island as this the many sea based water sports - windsurfing, water skiing, diving and so on - are especially popular. The constant flow of new visitors and the outstanding climate create work for the operators all year round. For those wanting to explore a little though there are some good treks to be found in the north of the island in the mountainous areas.
