The beautiful Gran Canaria
We all want to travel the world and revel in all its diversity, unfortunately only few of us have the resources to pack a huge suitcase and take off a year. The rest of us are faced with the dilemma of having to pick a single destination for our next vacation, cutting back on excitement and diversity. Luckily there are places like Grand Canary, or Gran Canaria, where you can see the world on an island, much like a model train worlds only much more beautiful.
We tend to think of the Canary Islands as a tourist trap where fellow Brits turn on the beach like spit roast pigs, but far from this image Gran Canaria is blessed with a breath-taking natural beauty which is hard to come by.
The enormous diversity of the region is
only properly appreciated on a round trip through various regions, and the
necessary mobility is easily acquired: simply hire a car.
The entire island has been placed under protection as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, one of only 500 places in the world which meet the strict requirements for this prestigious title. A number of extraordinary ecosystems on land and water are watched over by several national parks and the biodiversity spans from rare flowers to a spectacular underwater world home to sea turtles, mantas, dolphins, and millions of colourful fish. Diving clubs take you out to all the best spots like the Playa de El Cabrón just outside the town of Arinaga. If you do not have a diver’s license you can obtain one from the clubs after just a few lessons. All of which can be easily reached in your car hire.
The island’s countryside
The island’s countryside is no less fascinating than the coastal world, as the volcanic lands range from eerie moonscapes to fertile explosions of green and colour. One of the more curious landmarks is Roque Nublo, a 260 ft (80 m) monolith standing up against the sky.
The mountains are largely used for traditional agriculture, fine examples of which you can see on the terraces of Juncalillo and Tejada. Pozo de las Nives is the highest peak (6400 ft/ 1950 m) and an excellent hike. Guided treks also lead you to Cruz del Saucillo (5900 ft / 1800 m). For a night in the highest village of the island find a guest house in Artenara.
A popular photo motif is the Caldera de Bandama, an enormous volcano crater in the north-eastern part of Gran Canaria. Also impressive are the blue-black basalt rocks of Arucas in the north.
Las Palmas
No visit to Gran Canaria would be complete without a good look at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital which can be easily reached in your car hire. Home to about half of the 800,000 citizens it has a great metropolitan flair, and the north-eastern peninsula is a great place to have a city to begin with. 500 years ago it charmed Christopher Columbus who used it as a resting place on his travels between the Old and the New World. To this day you can visit his house, Casa Colon, in the historic Vegueta district. Also check out the Santo Domingo church, built during the 17th century.
In your car hire, drive to the far south of the island you will soon realise you weren’t the only Brit travelling to Gran Canaria. This is where most of the 2m tourists annually spend their holidays on the beach, and should the craving for a pint of Guinness become overwhelming or the thought of missing Saturday’s football be unbearable, this is the place to go.
Where else can you lie on the beach while watching a Premier League match?
