Gran Canaria – Online

The island of Gran Canaria is one of the most popular holiday destinations. The climate here is also warm in winter.

I have been there in December 2009 and spent at first some time in the island capital Las Palmas. This attracts visitors with its unique cathedral of Santa Ana in the old town. It is the largest and oldest church in Gran Canaria. It was built in 1500 as a sign of the conquest of Gran Canaria by the Spaniards. But it has been finally finished 1781.



The space in front of the Cathedral, the Plaza de Santa Ana, attracts the tourists with its beautiful buildings from different eras that surrounded this place.

Also the home of Christoph Columbus I’ve watched on my journey. It is located directly behind the cathedral. Today this house is a museum. Other buildings associated with Columbus in context are in Las Palmas.

After I have explored Las Palmas, I equipped the nature of the island a visit. Here you can experience the amazing flora and fauna of Gran Canaria, which results of its lush vegetation. Here I have looked at the Caldera de Bandama, a part of Tafira reserve. From here you have got unforgettable views over the beautiful nature of this island.

Not far from this untouched nature is the tourist city Maspalomas. It is always worth a visit to the dunes here. They are so big that you might think you stand in a desert.



I can say that a visit to this varied island is absolutley nice. Here you will find unspoiled nature, great sights and pleasant temparatures at a fair price. You should rent a car to get in more remote parts of the island.

Along the coast of Gran Canaria you find a nearly constantly blowing wind. That means that windsurfing is possible during the whole year. The situation of the isle in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is an ideal condition to practice windsurfing.

Gran Canaria offers a total of 21 surfspots for beginners and andvanced windsurfers. The isle of Gran Canaria is very famous in the surfer scene and became an important place for championships and masterships in different disciplines in windsurfing. On Gran Canaria different masterships and other competitions are draged out.

One of the most famous windsurfing spots is Pozo Izquierdo in the municipy of Santa Lucia de Tirajana. This beach is one of the very stormy ones!;) The wind is blowing from the left direction and the waves normally are 1 m high but under stormy conditions they can reach up to 3 m and more. This windsurfspot is adequate for windsurfers with a certain level and experience. The beach Pozo Izquierdo permits advanced surfers to practice jumps and daring feats.

Another famous windsurf beach is the beach of Playa del Ingles. Here also find place different competitions and masterships.

Other windsurfspots on Gran Canaria are Bahía Feliz, Ojos de Garza, Playa del Águila, San Augustín and Puerto Rico.

Round the spots you find a good infrastructure and windsurfing schools, which offer boards and accesory for rent. The windsurfing schools offer courses and lessons in windsurfing for beginners and advanced windsurfers. During your holiday on Gran Canaria you can learn windsurfing and enjoy a huge variety of windsurfing spots. On Gran Canaria you can rent a room in a hotel or book a holiday apartement directly only.

Because af the abundance of different kinds of fishes along the coast of Gran Canaria one of the most famous sports here ist deep sea fisching. Lots of locals and tourists enjoy many hours by fishing directly on the coast or with an adventurous deep sea fishing trip.

The best months for deep water fishing are between May and November, but even during the rest of the year deep water fishing on Gran Canaria is possible. The most frecuent angled fishes are tuna or bonito, barracuda, marlin and sword fish. These examples can reach an impressionating weight and a huge size. It is very important that the angling rod and all the accessories are specially made for deep water fishing to resist this enormous forces. To take such a huge catch on bord of the boat you need a lot of force and endurance. A sword fish can reach a velocity of 90 km/h, which can be an enormouse energy to resist for the angling rod.

Who does not really know a lot about deep water fishing shall join such a trip only in companionship of a well experienced fisher man or a professional deep water fishing crew.

The government of the Canary Isles established some rules about the minimum size and species of the fishes, which can be angled. The rules are to protect some species in danger of extinction. If you practice deep water fishing you shall be well informed about those rules because the sea guards are realizing strenght controls. For non accordingly deep water fishing the coast and sea guards can punish you with a total of between 60 and 20.0000 €.

On Gran Canaria some agencies and professional deep water fishing organize deep sea fishing tripis for tourists and visitors.

Ahead the coast of Gran Canaria international records of deep water fishing have been realized. The records have been recognized by the IGFA (International Game Fishing Association). Deep water fishing ahead the coast of Gran Canaria is a very special experience during a holiday on the Canary Isle. Most deep water fishing trips are organized in Maspalomas in the south and La Aldea de San Nicolas in the Northwest of Gran Canaria.

If you are interested in enjoying a deep water fishing trip you can rent a room in one of the hotels or book a holiday apartment or a cottage near the marinas of Gran Canaria.

On the isle of Gran Canaria has been made one of the most important arqueological discoveries about the aborigins called los Guanches.

Cueva Pintada (painted cave) is a real jewel, which is telling us a lot about the natives called Los Guanches.

The cave has been discovered in 1862, when the discovery not has been seen as important. The real discovery has found place in 1873 by a farmer named Jose RAmos Orihuela. When he was working on the area he noticed a little hole in the earth, which has been the entrance to the cave. When he first entered the cave he saw a huge variety of wall paintings in different colours. Some of the paintings show geometrical figures. Because of the paintings the cave got it’s name.

After the discovery there have been made scientific investigations and excavations. Unfortunately only few of the found objects can be seen nowadays in the museum because some objects have been taken away by unauthorized visitors. There have been also found human bones, textiles, jars and different kinds of tools from the natives.

Since the 19. century many residents and scientifics fight for the conservation and protection of cueva pintada. Artists, philosophs and simple farmers protect the cave from distruction. Only 8 years after the discovery there have been noticed damages of the material and the paintings. The damages have been caused by percolating water from the surrounded agriculture areas.

As nowodays we know much more about how to protect such sensible materials the cave and it’s paintings can be conserved.

In 1982 the cave has been renovated and transformed into a visitors center. Since 1987 systematic excavations have been started and a total of 60 native houses have been discovered.
In former times the place was called Agaldar and nowadays we know this village as Gáldar.

Cueva Pintada is a good organized visitors center with valious objects to be seen. An arqueological park and exposicion rooms have been founded to inform the visitors about the forgotten times of the natives on Gran Canaria.

Cueva Pintada is opened from Tuesday to Saturday from 09:30 to 20:00. On Sundays its doors open from 11:00 to 20:00. For the visit and the exposicion you shall calculate more or less 1,5 h.

Gran Canaria is a popular holiday destination all over the year because of the mild and pleasant climate.

The temperatures are between 26 °C and 28 °C in the summer months and between 22°C and 24°C during the winter months. But not only the good weather and the sunny climate are the reason why Gran Canaria is so interesting to visit.

On the isle of Gran Canaria you can find such a big variety of landscapes as in nearly any other place. It has many sights to offer and many beaches to take a sunbath or practice water sports.

Another must on Gran Canaria is of the church of Santiago de los Caballeros. This church built in the baroque style dates from the 18th century. It is a jewel and all the culture interested holiday makers should visit it.

One of the most visited holiday resorts is Maspalomas with it´s spectacular sand dunes.

The isle is ideal as well for the ones who want to practice sports like for example hiking, mountain-biking, surfing, windsurfing and a lot more.

If you come to visit the isle of Gran Canaria you should taste something from the canary cuisine, which offers you a big variety on dishes and hot spicy sauces.

One of these specialities are for example “papas arrugadas” (wrinkle potatoes with salt crust) and the hot spicy sauce called “mojo”.

So if you feel well on Gran Canaria and you think about staying, you have the possibility to acquire a property on this wonderful piece of earth.