Gran Canaria Holidays

Playa del Ingles is a real ‘look-at-me’ kind of customer. The whole place was pieced together with holidaymakers in mind, so you’ll want for nothing. Shopping malls and bars keep the huge sandy beach company and, when the sun ducks out, it wins the prize for the island’s best nightlife. The capital, Las Palmas, brings a culture-stuffed old town and a bevy of bars to the table.

For everything it offers in the way of partying, Gran Canaria’s just as accomplished in the relaxation game. Peaceful resorts like Playa Taurito and Amadores have a go-slow vibe, and the hotel-clad hills of Puerto Rico slope down to beside-the-beach arcades and restaurants. Meloneras is arm’s length from the biggest theme park on the island, and traditional San Agustin lands you close to the spaghetti-like flumes of the Aqualand waterpark.

Switch to explorer mode, and you’ll see there’s more to this place than lounger-loaded beach resorts. A big chunk of the island’s been made a biosphere reserve, due to the unique plants and micro-climates that crop up in the centre. Its other natural calling card needs little introduction – the golden sand dunes of Maspalomas are something of a local celeb in the Canary Islands. At first glance, this nature reserve looks like a mini version of the Sahara Desert.