As a bridge between three continents (Europe, Africa and the New World), Gran Canaria played a central role in the greatest adventure in history - the discovery of the Americas. Gran Canaria's legacy, as a stop-off point, is reflected in the open, cosmopolitan and multicultural character of the island.

Sunny all year round and 128 beaches to chose from. Beaches with crystal clear water and sands that are  fine and golden or dark volcanic.  Switch off and take long walks along the immense cliffs or spectacular dunes.

Las Canteras:
Playa de las Canteras is a huge stretch of golden sand, 3km long,  located right in the heart of the capital city,  Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the north-east of the island. It’s protected by a natural reef called La Barra which allows visitors to enjoy a swim in tranquil waters while surfers ride the waves in the south tip. People flock to this fantastic beach because it has ideal conditions for all kinds of water sports, provides a safe sandy environment for families and is simply a great place to relax in the sunshine.

Maspalomas:
Maspalomas, on the south coast of Gran Canaria, consists of the beach resorts of Águila, Las Burras, San Agustín and Playa del Inglés.  It's right at the heart of one of the most visited strips of coastline in Europe. It is known not just for its enormous expanse of dunes next to the sea but also for its old Lighthouse which is 55m high. It consists of 17 km of fantastic coastline with sand dunes, wide sandy beaches, shallow waters and an excellent all-year-round climate – a perfect combination for beach lovers and family holidays.

Playa del Ingles:
Bordered by the beaches of San Agustín in the east and Maspalomas in the west, the 2.7km long Playa del Inglés is one of the most popular beaches in Europe, offering all sorts of leisure and sports activities including jet-skiing, sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing and many more.

Puerto Rico:
This resort is bustling with holidaymakers during the summer months.  They come to enjoy its small and beautiful golden beach and the wide selection of watersports activities, ranging from jetskiing, sailing, diving, big-game fishing and windsurfing. This resort really does have a family friendly feel to it and there’s a popular public swimming pool situated a short distance from the beach amidst the exotic plants and flowers of a lush tropical garden. Other attractions include golf courses, a water park featuring entertainment for people of all ages and a handy shopping centre nearby.

Mogán:
Puerto de Mogán is an upmarket holiday resort  on Gran Canaria’s southern coast. It’s also a charming fishing village and a marina all rolled into one. The stretch of golden sand on this excellent and well-protected beach makes it a favourite with families. The clear water is calm and the sea around the breakwater is a great place for snorkelling as there is a variety of fish to spot.

Amadores:
Playa de Amadores is a glorious beach, nestled between Puerto Rico and Puerto Mogán, on the south-west coast of  Gran Canaria.  The extensive bay is well-protected from the ocean and boasts an 800m stretch of golden sand and crystal-clear waters. This is a favourite choice for couples looking for a romantic setting to spend a day in the sunshine and it’s no surprise that Playa de Amadores means lovers’ beach in English.

Meloneras:
Meloneras is one of the most elegant and attractive locations in the south of the island.  The beach in Meloneras is 500m long and is quite close to the impressive sand dunes of Maspalomas. It’s a popular choice for those seeking tranquillity and doesn’t get overcrowded. Families visit this stretch of sand as do groups of friends who hang out on the sunbeds and couples who walk hand in hand taking in the views of the ocean.

San Agustin:  
Playa de San Agustín is a very relaxing beach, much quieter than Playa del Inglés and Maspalomas. Visitors looking to get away from the crowds will love this dark-coloured sandy beach – a place where you have a lot of room to spread out, not to mention chill out. The beach is about 670m long with a gentle slope and is well protected against the waves. This creates ideal conditions for snorkelling and scuba diving.

Agaete:
Agaete is a small, picturesque resort with a volcanic beach on the north western coast of Gran Canaria.  It’s an ideal place for those who don't like packed beaches and bustling cities.

Angry Birds Activity Park,  Puerto Rico:  This Angry Birds Activity Park features a range of 25 different indoor and outdoor activities based on the hugely popular mobile game.

Holiday World,  Maspalomas:  This fun park is located in the centre of Maspalomas, close to Campo Internacional, the market, Playa del Inglés, Sonneland and San Agustin.  This theme park is one of the most popular in Gran Canaria. It features a wide variety of activities from bumper cars, to Ferris-wheels, roller coasters, and a sky drop for dare devils.  There’s also a pirate ship, and games such as ten-pin bowling, pony rides and a parrot show. For the little ones, there’s a merry-go-round and a ghost train.

Palmitos Park, Maspalomas: is Gran Canaria’s most popular family attraction and is the best zoological and botanical park in the Canary Islands. It has lots of animals to see such as monkeys, birds of prey, parrots and even butterflies. Kids will love Primates Island where they can watch the gibbons and orangutans as they swing through the trees. The Meerkats are also a big favourite.  

Sioux City, Bahia Feliz at San Agustin: Visit this park and ride back in time to the American Wild West.  This park is a re-creation of a typical town with its ranch, saloons, bank, church and houses. And of course, there are Cowboys and Indians. Get caught in a bank hold-up or a sudden shoot-out involving mythical characters from the Wild West.

Aqualand Maspalomas: is a world of water attractions for the whole family to enjoy.  Experience all kinds of water slides of different shapes and sizes. Feel the adrenaline rush or relax while watching the kids enjoy themselves at Children's Paradise, Aqualand - their own water playground.

Gran Karting Club Gran Canaria, Tarajalillo:  is located east of Tarajalillo town and is close to the Aero Club of Las Palmas.  By car, it is 10 minutes from the popular resort town of Playa del Inglés. It measures a total circuit length of 1.65 km and has three different go-kart circuits: a small circuit for children under 5, a junior circuit for children from 10-16 years old, and the main circuit for those over 16 of age.

Submarine Adventure, Puerto de Mogán:  Take a tour to the bottom of the sea on board the Yellow Submarine. Dive into the strange world below the surface and see the marine life of Puerto de Mogan. A great adventure for children! 

Camel Safari, Maspalomas:  For something a bit different, enjoy a pleasant camel ride through the famous sand dunes of Maspalomas. You’ll certainly get the feeling of wandering in the desert on this 30-35 minute camel ride.  

Casa de Colon (Columbus House), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Christopher Columbus stayed here in 1492 whilst one of his ships was being repaired and one of the first governors of Gran Canaria lived here. It is a great place for children who like history as the rooms have exhibitions on Columbus’ visits to the islands. Also very popular with the kids are the parrots that reside in the grounds.

The island of Gran Canaria is renowned for its variety of landscapes and its scenery.  There is a huge range of flora and fauna and this is the main reason that one third of the island is a World Biosphere Reserve.

This reserve covers six areas of rural towns with more than 18,000 inhabitants, most of whom are involved in traditional activities.

Owing to its central position in the Canary Islands archipelago itself, Gran Canaria is possibly the island with the greatest diversity of flora and fauna. Also, the island is quite round in shape with an approximate average diameter of 47.5 kilometres.

It has been described as a ‘massif’ rising out of the sea and at the centre of this massif lies Roque Nublo or Cloud Rock.

The name is appropriate as this huge rock has a habit of disappearing into the clouds and mists but even on a cloudy day, it's still worth a visit as the rock will occasionally appear through the clouds even if just for a few seconds.

Roque Nublo is 80 metres tall making it one of the biggest free-standing rocks in the world. It's 1813 metres above sea level but still not the highest point on the island.  This is reserved for Pico de las Nieves which is just to the east and is higher at 1956 metres.

You can walk up to Roque Nublo from Tejeda village or across the top from San Bartolome or Cruz de Tejeda. The routes are well signposted but make sure to bring plenty of water as there are very few shops on route.

Another of island`s main attractions is the immense, deep crater (Caldera de Tejeda) that dominates the centre of the island, providing a drainage network of rainwater which in turn runs down the ravines towards the coastal areas.

The altitude of the island and the complexity of its shape have made it possible for many different micro-climates to exist.  The lack of big vertebrates and harmful species has also helped the development of terrestrial flora and fauna. Indeed, birds and reptiles are the most numerous species of Gran Canaria wildlife.

While roughly five hundred of the plant species found on Gran Canaria are also found on the other islands, there are another hundred or so species that are endemic to Gran Canaria. This has led the island to become a focal point for the study of the flora and many experts believe Gran Canaria is to botany what the Galapagos Islands are to zoology.

The most preserved areas are in the southwest of Gran Canaria where the very best pine forests in the Canaries may be found. The Canarian pine is an endemic tree with peculiar characteristics making it unique in the world. Among the vertebrates, the Canary Island lizard, which is very abundant, is endemic to the island as are the Gran Canaria skink, Boettger's wall gecko and Osorio shrew. Endemic birds include the great spotted woodpecker, robins and the blue chaffinch, the latter can be found in the pine forests of Pilancones-Inagua.

In coastal areas, huge contrasts can be found, with underwater deltas, volcanic submarine caves, enormous cliff faces and interconnected sandbanks, making the coastline rich in bio-diversity. It is in these areas that giant turtles and different types of cetaceans inhabit the waters. Among other species, there are ‘mular’ dolphins and a large colony of grey ‘calderon’  dolphins.

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Playa del Inglés is the busiest resort on the Island and also has the liveliest nightlife, catering for Irish, British and other nationalities. The Kasbah centre is the focus for 18-30s with its many pubs, disco-bars and clubs, while the Aguila Roja Centre has a number of lively Irish Bars. The Hard Rock Café beside the Yumbo Centre, is another very popular spot and some of the best restaurants are located in the Yumbo Centre.

Maspalomas is more upmarket and slightly more subdued than Playa del Ingles. Night-time entertainment is centred around its commercial centres. Here you can enjoy a meal followed by a cocktail in pleasant surroundings and it just a short taxi journey from Maspalomas to heaving Playa del Inglés.

The capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, offers plenty of nightlife with an authentic Gran Canarian feel, which is a mix of mainland Spain and Latin America. There are many bars and clubs around Calle José Franchy Roca in Santa Catalina which play mostly Salsa, but there are also options for most tastes. There are also popular bars in the areas around Calle Triana and Vegueta which offer a more sophisticated atmosphere.

Puerto Rico is not as busy as Playa del Inglés but has plenty of bars.  Most are located in the Puerto Rico and Europa Centres. Centro Comercial is the hub of the action and where most nightspots are found.

Casinos: If all-night clubbing isn’t for you, then there are two casinos to keep you entertained at night - the Casino Las Palmas in Hotel Santa Catalina and the Gran Casino Costa Meloneras, situated next to the five star Costa Meloneras hotel.

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