Hello everyone,
I hope the festive season was a happy one for you and your loved ones. Have you made any good resolutions for 2021? If not, have you set yourself any personal and professional goals?
As for me, my first resolution for 2021 is to write my articles as soon as I get back from my trip, if possible! Because everything is still very fresh in my mind and I feel like I’m prolonging my stay 😉
I really enjoyed being able to go out into the sunshine to celebrate New Year’s Eve. I’m so lucky to have been able to get my sesame, a negative COVID test 🙂
We chose the Canaries because they offer great value for money, sunshine and a gentle pace of life less than 4 hours’ flight from France. Warmer thana New Year’s Eve in Prague and less far away than Thailand🙂
It was a real gamble we took, because at the time we booked the flights, we weren’t at all sure we’d be able to take off. The fares were so attractive (120 euros return with a checked bag) that we took the risk, which paid off in the end!
We already knew about the island of Tenerife (I was going to write an article for you, but I saw that it had been left in draft form). That’s why we decided to make a change and discover the island of Gran Canaria.
For a week’s vacation, it’s an ideal destination! It’s a great place to unwind, take in some color and give your body a good dose of vitamins. It’s the best way to avoid getting sick in winter.
In this article, you’ll find our road-trip and my favorites for 7 days of activities, idleness and shopping.
What you need to know before you leave: budget and packing
To give you an idea of the cost of the trip, here’s what we spent (divided by the number of people):
- Apartment(via AirBnB): 400 euros per week. We decided to take it in Maspalomas because the climate is milder and sunnier than in the north of the island.
- Car: the best rate we found from the airport was 200 euros for 7 days via Topcar, but you can take a bus to Maspalomas and rent one directly there. The fare may be slightly lower.
- Flights: via Volotea from Nantes. The fare was exceptionally low, as I explained above. However, I really appreciate traveling with this airline because, despite occasional delays, the staff are pretty cool about luggage (2 pieces in the cabin).
- Petrol: 55 euros. As the island is not very large and the Canaries benefit from a different tax system with much lower taxes on products such as fuel, perfume, etc., the cost of transport is not very high…
- Food: As usual, we assumed a budget of 25 euros per day per person(175 euros/pers), but in Spain this is a very easy budget to stick to. By shopping in local supermarkets for meals and trying out tapas bars for lunch or dinner, you’ll come home with a bit of money.
- For your suitcase, bring sun cream, bathing suits and towels, a little wool and plenty of room to bring back purchases and local specialities such as cactus jam (delicious!) and pipas, those little sunflower seeds that are delicious as an aperitif 🙂
If you’d like to take advantage of some of these activities, here’s what we’ve tried out and what I’d definitely recommend:
- Surfing lessons: the Canaries are a great destination for perfecting your surfing skills. Like Portugal, it’s a perfect destination because the waves are top-notch, and the water and temperatures are really mild. You can expect to pay 50 euros for a day’s surfing lessons, but if you really want to progress, I’d recommend 2/3 days. We went through the Surf Canaries school because I really appreciated the fact that they took photos during our sessions in the water, ideal for checking our progress 🙂
- Parasailing: For Christmas, I offered my darling a choice between two activities: a kite surfing session or a parasailing experience. We’d never tried this before, and as he loves new experiences, he chose this activity. We went straight to Puerto Rico to meet the staff at Canary Water Sports. You’ll pay less if you go directly there, rather than through a service provider. Count 70 euros for 2 people for this activity, 95 for three and twenty euros for photos if you wish.
What to see on the island and where to spend New Year’s Eve?
1. South of the island: watch the sun set over the Maspalomas dunes
Maspalomas may not be the prettiest town on Gran Canaria, with its hotels and shopping centers, but its dunes are well worth a visit! Of all the trips I’ve ever made, these dunes reminded me of my trip to southern Morocco, at the gateway to the Sahara. They are truly impressive and represent a unique natural area on the Canary Islands for their beauty and the variety of ecosystems they host. This 400-hectare nature reserve includes a splendid beach, organic sand dunes and a palm grove.
The best time to discover these dunes is at the end of the day, around 4:30-5:00 pm (in winter), to admire the sunset. Don’t forget to bring your wool, a towel and, why not, an aperitif or a picnic. The best way to get there is from the Hotel Riu Palace, towards Playa del Inglés. A path starts there.
2. Southwest of the island: Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán for water sports and relaxation
Looking for a revitalizing day out with a bit of water sports and lazing around? Then head west to Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán.
Puerto Rico first. Located at the mouth of a valley on the island’s south coast, Puerto Rico is one of Gran Canaria’s most popular family resorts. Once a small fishing port, it has become a seaside resort, with restaurants, a pleasant promenade and, above all, a small beach right opposite. A haven for sun lovers and renowned as one of the sunniest spots on the island, playa de Puerto Rico is the ideal place to perfect your tan! Here, the choice of water sports is vast. From jet skiing to jetovators and banana boats, there’s something for everyone! You can also find catamaran outings, a great way to enjoy the ocean in a more leisurely way.
Before setting off for Puerto de Mogán, you can stop off for a spot of shopping and lunch at the Mogan Mall, located high above the town. Here you’ll find many well-known Spanish brands (Bershka, etc.) and nice restaurants.
Puerto de Mogán is a small fishing port that has been expanded into a marina. Nicknamed “Gran Canaria’s Little Venice” because of its canals, the town is a pleasant place to stroll around at the end of the day. You’ll love the colorful Mediterranean-style houses opening onto narrow alleys, all beautifully lined with small gardens and flower boxes, mainly featuring bougainvillea in a variety of colors.
For the record, Rafael Neville is the soul and promoter of what has become Puerto de Mogan. It was he who spearheaded the marina project between 1983 and 1988, with the intention of creating the best and most beautiful urbanization on the island. Artist, developer, designer of natural spaces and with a very active social life on the Costa del Sol, Rafael Neville notably designed and built with Paolo Riccardi the famous Porto Rafael on the Italian island of Sardinia before settling in Mogán in the mid-60s.
The superb marina, with its St Trop’ air, chic restaurants, cafés and stylish piano bars surrounding the local fleet of fishing boats still in operation, is the perfect place for a romantic sunset dinner. No wonder Puerto Mogán was for many years the meeting place of the jet set.
Good to know: on Friday mornings, a huge, attractive market occupies the fishermen’s quay.
3. South of the island: Celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Meloneras resort
For New Year’s Eve, we thought we’d treat ourselves to a nice beachside restaurant. To do so, we headed for the seaside resort of Meloneras, at the tip of Maspalomas. In a way, it’s the chic part of town! It reminded us of Las Americas on Tenerife, with its trendy clothes stores, jewelry stores and perfume shops. The atmosphere is really nice, not stuffy either, but it’s fun to watch the surfers and the sunset from the embankment. It’s also here that you can discover the Maspalomas lighthouse, still in operation and dating back to the 1890s.
Lively beach bars and grill restaurants line the oceanfront Paseo de las Meloneras. This is where we found our restaurant for New Year’s Eve: Restaurant Escaleritas. We particularly enjoyed the seafood paella, the white sangria and the tiramisu!
4. North West of the island: Las Salinas de Agaete for an invigorating bath
A change of scenery as we head for the north of the island. Steep, wild cliffs… That’s also the richness of these islands. We don’t come to the Canaries for their cultural riches (although there are some, as I’ll tell you below), but we can marvel at the natural landscapes that await us.
The city center may not be much to look at, but it’s a great place to take a lunch break. Take the time to enjoy tasty tapas prepared to order at the Tasca El Surtidor restaurant. At very reasonable prices, you can enjoy the famous croquettes or papas arrugadas (potatoes with a typical Canarian sauce). Try Europe’s only home-grown coffee before heading off to the natural pools.
The Agaete salinas are three natural pools protected from the ocean by crenellated concrete pylons that counter the onslaught of the waves. These pools, connected by volcanic tubes, have it all. You can swim in them while enjoying the breathtaking view of the cliff-strewn north-west coast.
Good to know: if you want to spend a few days in Tenerife, there are boats from the port of Agaete that connect you with the neighboring island (from €10 for a single person).
5. Center of the island: a nature day in the Guayadeque valley, admiring the island from its peaks
My favorite day of the week! Like Tenerife, with its Teide National Park, Gran Canaria also has an incredible mountainous area, lush and perfect for trekking enthusiasts.
This is the route I recommend you take from Maspalomas for a rejuvenating day out.
Start by heading for Agüimes, a village you can visit on another day (I’ll tell you about it right after ;)) to reach the barranco de Guayadeque. For me, this is one of the most magnificent valleys on the island. Cacti, agaves, poppies, palms, Canary pines and almond trees, as well as over 80 endemic varieties, grow in abundance on these slopes.
For the record, this valley, which in prehistoric times was the most densely populated on the island, is the site of one of the most important prehistoric cemeteries, where the dead were buried in inaccessible caves. The Guanches – the first inhabitants of the Canaries – later used these caves for meditation, food storage and as sites for fertility rituals. In the 19th century, after locals began looting the caves and selling their archaeological finds to the Museo Canario de Las Palmas, the area was designated a nature reserve to protect it from further devastation.
Then join us (if possible before the end of the morning, as the view is clearer in the morning) the Pic de las Nieves. This is the second highest peak on Gran Canaria, at 1,949 meters.
After this first visit, head for Nublo Rock, considered to be one of the largest natural rocks in the world. This volcanic rock rises to an altitude of 80 metres from its base and 1,813 metres above sea level. A former place of worship for the aborigines, its entire environment was declared a protected natural area in 1987 and a rural park seven years later.
To get there, you’ll need to take a short, pleasant walk of around 1.5 kilometers. There’s plenty of time to take photos and admire the surrounding landscape.
Afterwards, a well-deserved lunch break will take you to the town of Tejeda. The summit offers a unique panoramic view of the Caldera de Tirajana and the Parc Rural del Núblo. We had lunch at the El Labrador restaurant, which was quite decent. For dessert, don’t hesitate to visit the village’s patisseries, which offer delicious almond-based specialities.
After this tasty break, we hit the road again, heading for Teror . This typical town is well worth a visit.
The first thing you’ll be able to visit there is its basilica, home to the Virgen del Pino, Patroness of the Diocese of the Canaries. It stands in the Plaza del Pino.
As you leave the basilica, you can admire the balconies typical of Canary architecture that adorn much of the town.
Good to know Every Sunday, from 8.00am to 2.00pm, the popular Teror market surrounds the Basilica. Here you can buy local produce, typical pastries or Teror’s famous morcillas dulces (sweet black pudding) and chorizos. You can also admire local handicrafts in the crafts area (Saturday, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sunday, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm).
And at the end of the year, as in all Spanish cities, a visit to the Christmas crib is a must.
6. East of the island: Excursion to a canyon before heading back up to Las Palmas, its stores and outlets!
Before leaving the island, a day in the east is ideal, especially as the airport is located in this part of the island, between Las Palmas and Maspalomas.
In the morning, set off for Agüimes. A small, pastel-colored village still untouched by mass tourism. You’ll fall under its spell as you stroll through the narrow streets of the casco antiguo, dotted with works of art and inviting terraces.
Then head for Barranco de Las Vacas. For those of us who have done Antelope Canyon in the USA, it brings back some memories, even if this one is less impressive!
It’s a beautiful canyon, but the walk is fairly short. You have to park well below the bend and walk down a small path in the dry torrent bed, then up it to pass through a small tunnel under the road to access the canyon.
To finish the day, head back up towards Las Palmas. Before arriving in the city, you can do some shopping in the two large shopping malls on either side of the freeway: El Mirador and Las Terrazas, with Nike Factory and Primark…
In the city, it’s especially fun to stroll through the narrow streets of the Vegueta district, where you can take a break in Santa Ana Square, home to the Town Hall, Bishop’s Palace, Casa Regental and Santa Ana Cathedral.
Vegueta is also home to museums such as the Casa de Colón (Christopher Columbus House), where you can get up close and personal with the most interesting aspects of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas and his stay in the city.
Well folks, I hope this article has inspired you to spend a week in the sun as I have. Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions you may have, I’d be delighted to answer them!
Kisses and see you soon!
