Isle of Gran Canaria

Attractions on Gran Canaria

Summary

Gran Canaria, despite its name, is actually the third largest of the Canary Islands, behind Tenerife and Fuerteventura, and, indeed, is situated between those two islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, much closer to the nearest point on the African continent than that in Europe. The island is well-known for its temperate, all-year round, climate, with temperatures possibly as high as 28 degrees Celsius in summer, and rarely below 19 degrees Celsius, even during the winter months. Rainfall, too, is sparse, and limited to the spring, autumn and winter months.

Attractions

In the north of the island, Arehucas, situated beneath a, thankfully, dormant volcano, is home to the Fabrica y Museo Del Ron, the major rum production facility, and a museum dedicated to the process, and history, of rum making. Architectural attractions here include the Parish Church of San Juan Bautista ­ the patron saint of the region, also commemorated with a lively, annual fiesta, on the 24th of June.

Las Palmas, itself, features the Caso de Colon ­ literally "House of Columbus" ­ a museum commemorating the visit of Christopher Columbus to the island, en route to the Americas, and also the main, "Museo Canario" museum, dedicated to the history of Gran Canaria, from prehistoric times.

Enthusiasts of nature, and natural history, will find much to interest and entertain them, on Gran Canaria. The north of the island features the "Parque de los Crocodilo" ­ unsurprisingly, home to crocodiles, alligators and many other species, as the name suggests, featuring many attractions of a cold-blooded nature. Further south, Palmitos Park features a, perhaps, more sedate, feast of fauna and flora.

Other "manmade" attractions include Pueblo Canaria, the brainchild of local artist Nestor Martin-Fernandez, and his vision of a stylised island village, and, of course, a distinctive cuisine, in which seafood ­ locally caught sea bass, swordfish, or tuna, for example ­ features very highly.

Gran Canaria, nowadays, is extremely accessible, via direct, international flights, from all major airports in the UK, and from mainland Spain, by air, or by ferry. Indeed, the "Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria", situated some 10, or so, miles, from the capital, Las Palmas, is the busiest airport in the Canary Islands. Property in Gran Canaria is, therefore, a very desirable commodity, whether it be for a holiday home, or on a "buy-to-let" basis, or, perhaps, a combination of the two.