Gran Canaria – Exploring the tropical paradise

Hi travellers! We decided to travel to the beautiful Canary Islands for a short trip, some fun in the sun and some much needed time off. Gran Canaria in only one of the many beautiful Canary Islands and we really couldn’t decide which one is the most amazing, but Gran Canaria was recommended to us by friends who know we love to experience good food, nice beaches and beautiful scenery. And we weren’t disappointed!

What Gran Canaria offers

Gran Canaria has it all – sandy beaches and luxurious tropical resorts, busy nightlife, scuba diving, historical sites and even subtropical forests and rugged mountains if you’re in a mood to get away from all the ‘touristy’ things and just relax in the wilderness. At the airport, we decided on car hire - Gran Canaria has public transportation, but we wanted to independently explore the island. There’s so much to see and we only had a few days, so we decided to make the most of it.

Starting off in Las Palmas

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the island's capital and the ninth largest city in Spain. We spent the first day and night of our trip here. The Playa de Las Canteras beach was a little too crowded for my taste, even though it’s considered to be one of the most beautiful urban beaches in the world. So we went sightseeing instead. We walked along the historical city centre of Las Palmas, then sat in our rental car and visited the most amazing gothic church of Arucas, had lunch in a nearby seafood restaurant and spent the afternoon in a gorgeous botanical garden called Jardin Canario. At night the city wowed us with its beauty. We walked along the romantic Paseo de Canteras, a beautiful promenade, smiling ear to ear like the two crazy lovebirds that we are. Afterwards were lucky enough to catch a jazz concert in the Alfredo Claus auditorium, one of the most amazing buildings, truly worth visiting.  

Exploring the island

After spending the first day in Las Palmas, we decided to take our rental car and explore the rest of the island. Car hire in Gran Canaria truly is the best way to see the island. We visited Playa de Melenara, one of less known beaches of Gran Canaria, so there weren’t as many tourists as you would expect on such a beautiful beach. Alongside the beach, many tapas restaurants offer authentic Canarian cuisine, which we both enjoyed very much. After a sun filled day, we decided to try something new for dinner – we drove to a restaurant called Garbo’s in Bahia Feliz and enjoyed a night unlike any before. The waiters in Garbo's are singers and dancers and you can expect a nice show along with your meal. What an experience!

Luxurious hotel and an amazing restaurant

We spent the night at the Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia in Maspalomas, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful hotels on the island. And it truly is a luxurious and relaxing experience. We spent the next day and night in the resort and almost didn't want to leave on the next day. But we were encouraged to see Dunas de Maspalomas, a sort of desert in the middle of paradise and we would be sorry to miss it! We later drove to dine at La Aquarela, an amazing restaurant with a spectacular view of the ocean. They say that one cannot think well, sleep well or love well if one has not dined well. And boy, we dinned well! Truly the best possible end to a perfect trip. After returning to Maspalomas and spending an amazing last night in the gorgeous 5 star Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia, we sat in our rental car the next morning and drove to the airport. Even though the resort is to die for, we’re so happy we decided to see more of the island. Car hire in Gran Canaria truly is the best way to experience this tropical paradise!