Tempo Gran Canaria - Espanha

General Facts:

Capital: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - population: 370.000 Area: 1.529,9 Km² Altitude: 1.949 meter, Pico de las Nieves Position: Lat: 27,95° North - Long: 15,62° West Distance to Africa: 190 Km Population: Approx. 760.000 Nearest Islands: Tenerife - 55 Km Shoreline: 174,5 Km Dimensions: 55 Km (N-S) x 49 Km (W-E) Tourists per year: Approx. 2.800.000 Country: Spain Region: Canary Islands Government: Autonomous Language: Spanish Main Airport: Las Palmas Sea: Atlantic Ocean Climate: Atlantic Sub-tropical Time zone: GMT Religion: Catholic International dialing code: +34 Local currency: € Euro Canarian flag: Coat of Arms:

Gran Canaria, originally named Tamarán (meaning "land of the brave") is one of the most popular islands of the Canary Archipelago and is also known as "The Little Continent". The original inhabitants of Gran Canaria were the "Guanches", they came from the nearby African coast and were Berber in origin and reached the islands at different times. The variation in climate and temperature is very high, from green areas and forests in the North-West till the arid, dry and even desert like with the famous sand dunes of Maspalomas. The difference is easy to explain: Because of the high mountains in the centre, which separates the island in North and South, falls in the North much more rain then in the South. Some of that mountains are: Pico de las Nieves, Roque Nublo and Roque Bentaiga.

Roque Nublo - 1.813 meter

This weather in combination with the beaches and the accommodations makes Gran Canaria to a very popular destination for those who like spending a holiday or even a complete winter in the sun. For the younger people Playa del Inglés is a well known place with her big offer of bars, discotheques, restaurants and activities. The older people and families are choosing mostly the more quiet places like Maspalomas, Sonnenland, Puerto Rico or the picturesque village Puerto de Mogán.

Unfortunately the reputation of Gran Canaria went down the last few years. Probably the reason for this is that many tourists go to one destination, for example Playa del Inglés, without looking further. We would really advise everybody to discover the beautiful inlands of Gran Canaria by car or by an organized excursion, or to visit some other places like Telde, Las Palmas or Agaete and you will see that Gran Canaria offers more then a buzzing night life.

City information

Arguineguin Arguineguin is an old charming fishing village located about 2 km from the touristy Puerto Rico on Gran Canaria, most popular for Scandinavian tourists. Arguineguin is at the south of Gran Canaria and it is said that this is the place in the world with the best micro climate and most sunny hours a year.

Anfi Beach/Playa de la Verga Anfi Beach/Playa de la Verga is a small and but popular beach between Arguineguin and Puerto Rico and has fine gold sand which is imported from the Caribbean. It is the beach with the whitest sand on the island and surrounded by the luxurious accommodations of Anfi. There are several restaurants, bar and a shopping centre. There is as well a private harbour.

Maspalomas Maspalomas is situated on the south coast about 2 Km west of the livelier Playa del Inglés and about a 40 minute drive from the airport. The resort has a 6 kilometres long beach that is one of the biggest and most beautiful on the island. Accommodation is mainly apartments with a couple of nice hotels. Nearby there is a large oasis with dense vegetation consisting of palm trees and salt marsh brushwood. Next to the oasis there is a small lagoon. The housing developments include hotels, bungalows, sports grounds, etc. which have been nicely developed. Two kilometres west of the Maspalomas lighthouse, there is Pasito Blanco beach with a yacht harbour and a tourist centre. Maspalomas offers an exiting all-year-round holiday destination aimed mainly at families. The resort has all the usual tourist attractions including a 18-hole golf course, Go-carting and two nice water parks. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Surprisingly, Maspalomas isn't as noisy as you would expect.

Playa del Inglés Situated about 30 minutes drive from the airport, Playa del Inglés offers a superb beach of very fine, golden sand, gently leading to an always blue, peaceful sea. Playa del Inglés is a large development with hotels, apartments, bungalows and villa's. Playa del Inglés is by far the liveliest resort on the island and is a honey pot for the young and lively crowd. There is a vast array of shops, bars, clubs and restaurants to cater for the tourist. We would not recommend Playa del Inglés for those who are looking for a quiet and peaceful holiday, because of the buzzing night life and the many young people.

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico is around 50 minutes drive from the airport and is a modern development with apartments, hotels, villas and bungalows. The town is encircled by hills and has one of the best sunshine records on the island. The main attraction is its beautiful man-made beach with lovely soft sand imported from the Sahara. The beach has a gentle slope to the sea and is therefore ideal for young children. The majority of Puerto Rico is very hilly with more steps than you could ever count. It would therefore be unsuitable to those who are less mobile and to young children in buggies, unless you know exactly where you are staying. The resort also offers mini golf, floodlit tennis, water park, a bowling alley and two yacht harbours with a choice of many boat excursions like sport fishing and a pirate trip. The resort has great shops, bars and restaurants where most late-night entertainment takes place. The area of main shopping centre is a bit noisy but the beach area is very quiet.

Playa Amadores Close to Puerto Rico the new resort Playa de los Amadores is situated. A beach with white sand and many new hotels, mainly 3 and 4 star all inclusive accommodations. The long boulevard on the cliffs leads to Puerto Rico and is a must to see. You walk meters high above the sea with breath taking depths.

San Agustín-Playa del Aguila San Agustín has a splendid beach in an area of perpetual calm with a magnificent development with many gardens, hotels, bungalows swimming pools and a recreational centre. It offers a smattering of shops, bars, and restaurants and is an ideal place to recover from the stress of everyday life. This place is normally more windy then the other touristy places on the islands, but very peaceful.

Sonnenland Situated 4 km from Maspalomas Beach and 4 km from the lively resort of Playa Del Inglés you will find Sonnenland. It is a quite new resort with low houses and bungalows, mainly popular at German tourists and residents.