Gran Canaria Holidays

Upbeat beach towns

Welcome to the Canary Islands! Gran Canaria is the third largest of the islands, which means lots of coastline and, more importantly, lots of beaches. Playa del Ingles is a real ‘look-at-me’ kind of spot. The whole place was created with holidaymakers in mind, so you’ll find everything you’d want for a day in the Spanish sun. Shopping malls and bars keep the huge sandy beach company and, when the sun ducks out, it wins the prize for the island’s best nightlife.

Something for everyone

For everything it offers in the way of partying, Gran Canaria’s just as accomplished in the relaxation game. Peaceful resorts like Playa Taurito and Amadores have a go-slow vibe, and the hotel-clad hills of Puerto Rico slope down to beachside arcades and restaurants. Meloneras is arm’s length from the biggest theme park on the island, while traditional San Agustin lands you close to the flumes of the Aqualand waterpark.

The culture capital of the Canaries

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has the energy of a Latin American city, with half the travel time. Days are sunny and set to a soundtrack of Reggaeton, courtesy of Juanfran – the island’s homegrown pop superstar. Fiestas spring up year-round, and you can catch the biggest singers on the beach when the festival season ramps up in the summer. If the music scene doesn’t move you, strolling the city’s time-worn streets is sure to spread joy. Veguetta, the oldest quarter of the city, has a huge dose of handsome historic monuments, and colour-splashed houses sit side by side with tasty tapas bars.

Green and gold filter

Switch to explorer mode and you’ll see there’s more to this place than lounger-loaded beach resorts. A big chunk of the island’s been made a biosphere reserve, due to the unique plants and micro-climates that crop up in the centre. Its other natural calling card needs little introduction – the golden sand dunes of Maspalomas are something of a local celeb in the Canary Islands. At first glance, this nature reserve looks like a mini version of the Sahara Desert. Cameras at the ready…