Gran Canaria Travel Guide

The island of Gran Canaria the third largest of the Canary Islands, is located in the Atlantic Ocean, 130 miles from the African coast. The island's capital is Las Palmas, and is situated in the north east part. This wonderful holiday island has everything any traveller could ask for; and that is why it is also called "The Miniature Continent"

as it combines great diversity of climate, variety of landscapes, miles of sand dunes with a background of green mountains and features some of the best Gran Canaria hotels, clubs, bars restaurants and cafés in Europe.

Tourism

Gran Canaria is one of the most popular destinations for tourists since it has so much to offer. The south part of the island is the most favourite containing such delights as Puerto de Mogán, a picturesque village also known as Little Venice, Puerto Rico, Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles. However the west coast and island's interior is worth a visit as they offer fantastic views and beautiful landscapes.

The description for the island is "Miniature Continent" due to the different climates and found. The north part is cooler (like in all Canary islands)  while the south part is warmer and sunny. The east coast of the island has long sandy beaches while the western coast shows a scenery of rocks and mountains. Most tourists prefer the south of the island, which is sunnier and has less rain than the north.

Gran Canaria Culture

The Canary Islands were culturally developed when the consolidation of the islands took place in the Castilian Crown at the end of the 15th century, as of that time the Hispanic culture and tradition spread across all the islands of the archipelago. The island features several museums of great interest and culture centres, most important of which are the recent

Museo de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia (Science and Technology Museum) and the Casa de Colón (Christopher Columbus House) as well as the Centro Atlântico de Arte Moderno (Atlantic Centre of Modern Art) – all of them are in the city of Las Palmas.

When Gran Canaria Island was conquered by the Spaniards, it became a famous port  and lots of travellers settled there with their families, bringing with them their own cultures and traditions. As in all the islands around the world, Gran Canaria’s society was always open to everything that came from beyond the seas, and so the island has enriched itself with different cultures, however it has managed to preserve its ancient traditions and keep its original identity alive. Therefore this cosmopolitan island became a synonym for ‘culture blends’ having a rich archaeological, architectural, ethnographic and artistic heritage – so rear to find in other places of such small dimensions.