Last Updated on May 21, 2024 by Suzy McCullough
I can’t believe it’s been 8 months since our holiday to Gran Canaria. It is a fabulous place and is one of the main tourist destinations of the Canary Islands. Today I am bringing you 10 great reasons to visit Gran Canaria for your next holiday.
#1 – Close proximity to the UK
Did you know that Gran Canaria is just 4 hours away.? Jamie was just 3 when we flew there and 4 hours on a plane was just about right for him. Just 4 hours flight time and we were finding lovely winter sun while all our family and friends were freezing and wet back in the UK.
#2 – The Weather
Leading on from our freezing family back at home comes number 2, the year-round sunshine. Although the Canary Islands are part of Spain they are actually located off the west coast of Africa. This means much warmer weather and actually pretty regulated weather. The average high all year round does not go below 20oC.
#3 – The Beaches
Every beach we visited in Gran Canaria had beautiful golden sand. Nearly every tourist resort around the island has a beautiful beach. With 82 to choose from you are spoilt for choice. The main tourist beaches can be found at Maspalomas, Taurito, Mogan, Puerto Rico, Playa de Mogan and Playa del Ingles (beach of the English!). If you want to read more head on over to the top 20 best beaches in Gran Canaria.
#4 – The Resorts
Around these amazing beaches, you can find some really lovely resorts. Beaches like Taurito and Anfi del Mar just have resorts built around them. Our two favourite resorts were Puerto De Mogan and Puerto Rico. Both resorts had plenty to do and see including great restaurants, especially in Puerto De Mogan.
Where to Visit in Gran Canaria
#5 – Camel Riding
One of the things Gran Canaria is most famous for is the camels that you can ride through the huge sand dunes of Maspalomas. The dunes are actually protected they are that impressive.
#6 – Theme parks and zoos in Gran Canaria
Palmitos Park is set amongst some of the most stunning scenery on the island and is the most beautiful zoo I have ever been to. Our favourites from our visit were the dolphin show and all the exotic birds. The island has a couple of other zoos plus a water park, an Angry Bird Park and a Wild Wild West theme park.
Places to go in Gran Canaria
#7 – Stunning scenery
I don’t think we were actually prepared for just how stunning Gran Canaria is. There are many green-rugged mountains and with different microclimates, the landscape is really varied. We had a lovely time just driving around and nearly every bend offered a new and beautiful view.
#8 – Watersports
It’s not something we had the chance to do but had we not had the little fella with us I am sure we would have gone jet skiing. There are loads of places that offer scuba diving, with crystal clear waters it is something I am sure would be worth doing. Gran Canaria has some great waves and is very popular amongst the European surfers. There are opportunities to learn surfing and windsurfing. Not all of the island has strong waves, the sea was mostly very calm in the east and south-east where we stayed.
#9 – Boat rides
We are really big fans of going out to sea on a boat and in Gran Canaria, you are really spoilt for choice. While we were there we went on a pirate ship and a glass-bottomed boat. I really wanted to go on their yellow submarine ride but we ran out of time and money. There are also plenty of opportunities to go on fishing boats and large sailboats. We found Puerto Rico a really good place to catch a boat ride and there are many different dolphin boat tours available in Gran Canaria.
#10 – Fabulous accommodation
There is a vast and wide choice of hotels, apartments and villas on Gran Canaria. After much research, we opted for an apartment in a hotel with a fridge and cooking facilities. We stayed there for a few nights in Puerto Rico and then stayed in Mogan Playa for the rest of our holiday which was a suite on a vast complex.
For more holiday ideas see my post – Top 12 things to do with kids in Gran Canaria
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