"Gran Canaria - Playa del Ingles and other places." Top 5 Page for this destination Isla de Gran Canaria by Regina1965

Isla de Gran Canaria Travel Guide: 412 reviews and 1,163 photos

Gran Canaria is one of the islands in The Canary islands archipelago which is located in the Atlantic ocean close the north-west Africa and enjoys a mild climate 20-26 all year round. I stayed in Playa del Ingles, but VT has no special page for Playa del Ingles so my tips here are mainly of Playa del Ingles. Playa del Ingles is a big tourist resort with a 3,7 kilometres long beach which is connected to the Dunas of Maspalomas. It is wonderful visiting Gran Canaria during the winter months, especially in October-November when it is getting cold and dark in my country. Last time I visited (November 2009) it was 30 degrees C most of the time.

Playa del Ingles.

The Dunas with Playa del Ingles in the background.

One can reach The Dunas straight from Playa del Ingles, and walk through The Dunas to reach the beach of Playa del Ingles. The Dunas look like you are walking in Sahara. In The Canary islands archipelago every second day 3.000 tons of sand is brought in by ship from El Aaiún in Sahara to replace the sand which the ocean carries away every day from the beaches. It is then believed that the sand reaches Morocco again at a place called Tarfaya.

I have created other pages for Las Palmas and Maspalomas and Puerto de Mogán and Puerto de las Nieves

Playa del Ingles.

Overlooking Puerto Rico.

Here under this page I also add tips on other beaches, Puerto Rico and Playa de Las Amadores as VT has no special pages for these beaches. Under "Off the beaten track" I add tips on the mountains and valleys of Gran Canaria and a trip around the island of Gran Canaria.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The climate making it an excellent winter location for people living in N-Europe f.ex.
Cons:It can be very windy on the beach.
In a nutshell:Playa del Ingles is very "touristy" which has its pros and cons.

Last visit to Isla de Gran Canaria: Mar 2011
Intro Updated Mar 3, 2011
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Reviews (41)

The beautiful waterfall in the center of Firgas. - Isla de Gran Canaria

The lovely town of Firgas. Off The Beaten Path (8)

What a lovely little town Firgas is! I had drunk the Firgas water for many years not knowing that it comes from a little... more travel advice

I and Freddy Krueger. - Isla de Gran Canaria

Halloween in Playa del Ingles. Things to Do (21)

I celebrated Halloween in Playa del Ingles in 2010. My hotel was next to the Irish pubs so the evening was awesome. The... more travel advice

Centro Comercial Atlántico. - Isla de Gran Canaria

Vecinderio - Centro Comercial Atlántico. Things to Do (21)

There is a good mall in Vecindario. It has got a big Carrefour supermarket and a lot of clothes' stores, including Zara,... more travel advice

Mile (Miroslav Dejkov) - Isla de Gran Canaria

A first class violin player!! Things to Do (21)

I add this tip under "things to do" as this fantastic violinist plays his violin in many hotels and bars in Playa del... more travel advice

Hotels (6)
See All A two star (key) apartment hotel.
Nightlife (3)
See All A drag-queen show.

Travelogues (5)

1 - 4 of 5

Comments (14)

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Nemorino Jul 31, 2012 at 2:54 PM

Me again, coming back to look at the rest of your Gran Canaria tips. Those views from Degollada de las Yeguas certainly are fantastic! And I like that artificial waterfall in the center of Firgas.
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starship Jul 9, 2012 at 9:09 AM

Your page certainly changed my view of Gran Canaria -- not what I thought it would be like at all. Thanks for sharing this info.
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Florida999 Aug 12, 2011 at 5:17 PM

nice page of the location of my first vacation trip ever ( I don't remember much of it, I think I was around 5)
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Redang Dec 2, 2010 at 10:26 PM

Nice update!
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BruceDunning Nov 30, 2010 at 2:42 PM

You have described this island very well. They seem to have a lot of shopping for the tourists that come here, and need to beware of the promoters. You pictures and comments are very good.
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Greggor58 Nov 14, 2010 at 5:25 PM

The beaches and ocean looks really nice right about now..interesting page Regina...Im curious to know how long the islands have been a "holiday" destination..looks to be very well developed!Lots of good information!Thanks for the tour!!
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septem May 2, 2010 at 12:12 PM

Nice pages. Juliana
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BillNJ Dec 6, 2009 at 4:26 AM

Great photos, helpful tips, and interesting stories! I didn't know that so many Icelanders visited Gran Cararia. It looks like a great place if you can avoid the pushy salespeople, "friendship" bracelets, and dirty bungalows. Cheers, Bill
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nyperose Dec 3, 2009 at 11:00 AM

Very interesting page about Grand Canaria. I'm dreaming of going there one day... Have a nice evening:-D Ellen
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Toshioohsako Oct 21, 2009 at 9:52 AM

I have not yey been GC. It seems a place one can have a lot of fun. Very practical tips.