My Top 5 Beaches in Gran Canaria

I have lived in Gran Canaria (one of the Canary Islands just off the north western African Coast that belongs to Spain) for just over 8 years now. During that time I´ve experienced very hard times trying to fit in and understand this thing called expat life. HOWEVER one thing that I can say with 100% assurance is that I love the beaches of this island and that´s why I have decided to share my TOP 5 beaches with you guys today…

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My Top 5 Beaches in Gran Canaria

I can understand why families pick Gran Canaria as a vacation spot, like the amazing weather (nearly 365 sunshine days during the year), the fast flight time from mainland Europe (only 4 hours from London) and finally, the beaches…

Gran Canaria like other Spanish islands is characterized by sweeping shores and refreshing water temperature that is ideal for many hours of seaside sunbathing… Below are My Top 5 beaches in Gran Canaria and the reasons why I love them so much!

ANFI DEL MAR

Number 1 on my list! The shoreline was built by the enormous Anfi Timeshare complex (David Silva, one of the Manchester City football players, is one of the owners here) that overshadows it. It’s a beautiful beach (with a little port) that is perfect for families and sun bathers.  The perfect place to get your tan on! One of my favourite memories here on this beach, is of my son Luca when he was just one year old. I also love the Anfi Beach Club, the perfect place to sip your favourite cocktail and relax. This shore was originally meant to be private for the customers of the complex but since the Spanish law forbids this, it was allowed for everyone. A great thing is the under roof car park on the opposite end of the beach, especially great after a long day in the sun (when you´re super tired) and you need to carry a ton of stuff! Anfi also has upmarket boutiques with branded shops, bars and restaurants and a supermarket on the premises. Oh and before I forget there is also a ferry that transports passengers to some of the main beach areas in the south of the island, Anfi being one of them.

AMADORES

Amadores is characterized by its half moon shape which is lined with Caribbean type white sand. I have spent many lazy afternoons on this beach, soaking up the sun until sunset. And let me tell you the sunsets here are breathtaking. The sky lights up with an array of pinks, reds and oranges. So So beautiful! Amadores has loads of bars, shops and restaurants which allow tourists to refresh and satisfy themselves. This beach offers warm, protected and clear blue waters and tons of loungers if you don´t like the feel of sand on your hands or body (like me!).  Totally suitable for families but if you love your sand wild and unspoilt (I´m more of a commercial type of girl) then this beach is not for you. One of the most famous landmarks in the area is the 4 star superior Gloria Palace Royal Hotel that overlooks the beach. Amadores is approximately one hour´s drive from Las Palmas, the capital of the island.

LAS CANTERAS

3.5 km in length and located right in the centre of the town of Las Palmas. Classified as a top urban beach and certainly lives up to its reputation. Every single visitor I´ve had on this island fell in love with Las Canteras instantly. It’s protected by a reef and its a excellent beach for swimming. I love the fact that you can snorkel to the reef called LA BARRA and back! During low tide the water is super clear and the most gorgeous aquamarine turquoise colour. There are great hotels and apartments to rent on the parade with breathtaking views! There are also tons of restaurants and local bars on the parade that offer international and local cuisine. One of my favourite things to do in Las Canteras is to sit at one of the side walk cafés drinking cappuccino or a cocktail (MOJITO!) and take in the view… nothing better after a long week of working. Surfing takes place at the one end of the beach called LA CÍCER (right next to the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium). Here you´ll find tons of surfing academy instructors teaching students (beginner to advance level) how to surf (and something I´ve contemplated to do since I moved here…).

MOGÁN

Known as the Golden coast of Puerto Rico, located a few paces from the docks. The coastline offers a great spot for sun bathing and it’s protected which is a great family vacation spot. There are plenty of places you can have a picnic or you can eat also at the vast line of marina restaurants. The water is warm and calm. You can also rent out pedalos and SUP boards for fun.  Once we went on the Yellow Submarine that goes right down to the bottom of the sea – a super fun activity to do with the kids! Mogán is also famous for marlin fishing and a great place for a weekend breakaway. Fondly referred to as LITTLE VENICE in these parts, and one of my favourite places on the island to spend the day.

AGAETE

Agaete reminds me of the Mediterranean. It´s beautiful and rustic. I love the look of the pebble (big and small) beaches but just make sure you´re wearing flip flops (even when swimming) otherwise it can be downright painful (trust me!). The town of Agaete offers great sightseeing and I love browsing through the little shops in the main street. Here you can find awesome seafood restaurants that overlook the main beach offering great ambience and views, like for example watching the Fred Olsen ferries arriving / leaving from Tenerife.  About 1 km from the main beach you can find tidal pools that are filled with sea water and are seriously such fun to swim in!

Other beaches in Gran Canaria, not mentioned here, but famous with tourists and locals alike are:  Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, Puerto Rico, Taurito, Bahía Feliz, San Agustín, etc. The perfect place to visit if you love having fun in the sun 🙂 🙂

Besitos (which means “little” kisses in Spanish, and often used to say goodbye here on the island)

Johlene

xoxo

RESOURCES

I often get asked about the equipment I use when traveling. I mean this is the only real thing you´ll keep from your trip and therefore it needs to be really good! The camera I use for my blog photos is the Canon T3i/600D EOS (with the Canon STM 50mm 1.8 lens). I would like to upgrade to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (however my budget does not allow for it yet) because of its full frame (22MP full frame CMOS) sensor capacity. My current camera has a cropped frame which means I need to stand further away from my subject when I shoot.

Then, I use the Osmos DJI Mobile for my videos/vlogs. I love the Osmo Mobile because you control it via an app on any Android or IOS phone.  It seriously has changed the way my travel videos look! Some of its features are:

• Active Track technology, automatically keep your smartphone facing you as you move
• Smooths and even cancels out the movements you make, stopping camera shake and turning every shot into a cinematic video!

Here are a few photos of me and hubby using the Osmo Mobile