Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands is located of the North West Coast of Africa, however, although this is not part of mainland Europe Gran Canaria is classed as a part of Spain, and it is still easily accessible from Europe. This popular holiday tourist resorts offers sandy beaches and year round good weather. The island offers a number of attractions ranging from a vibrant and diverse night life to local culture, a range of environments from beach to green areas in the centre of the island. The island has a number of local towns that offer a range of beautiful landscapes, local culture and places to explore. The island also caters for a variety of family activities including: water parks, sub tropical fauna and flora centre, the largest crocodile collection in Europe, museums and much more. The local quality of food is excellent with a diverse range of cuisines, obviously the main being Spanish, while catering for more European tastes also. To get the full benefit from this island holiday many hire cars direct from the airport through companies such as Car Rentals UK and Any Car Hire.
Gran Canaria Airport information
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) is based 19km to the south of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Bay of Gando. It handles just over 9 million passengers per annum and is Spain’s fifth busiest airport. It’s composed of two terminals: Terminal A deals with domestic and European Union flights and Terminal B-C with interisland and non-European Union destinations. ATMs can be found on level 1 and Bureau de change in arrivals. Food outlets are based in both arrivals and departures as are shopping facilities, including duty free.
For lost property, offices can be found in all zones of the airport. Information desks are on level 1. They will be able to assist you with cheap car hire in Gran Canaria. For business passengers there’s a conference room available. There’s also the Sala Galdós VIP Lounge located on the second level. Disabled facilities include elevators, ramps, parking spaces and wheelchairs on request.
Places to visit around Gran Canaria
The most popular region for tourists looking for sun and sand is south of the island. Not only is the weather warmer here, but the natural landscape with its stunning coastline allows you to enjoy this beautiful clime to its fullest. Unsurprisingly, the area contains a multitude of high class resorts. The south is also home to Palmitos Park, which includes a botanical garden and aviary. The lighthouse at Maspalomas is another popular landmark, and the town itself is the oldest on this side of the island. While there, don’t miss out on the Dunes of Maspalom: these massive sand waves stretch out over an area of 4 square km.
To the west is La Cueva Pintada, located next to the town Gáldar. This archeological park is one of the most fascinating areas on the island. The paintings in this cave date back to the Guanche, the prehistoric aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary islands, and the museum provides a deeper insight into the historical relevance of the findings. The region is particularly rocky and visitors can marvel at Roque Nublo, a monolith created by a volcanic eruption, and visit Cenobio de Valerón, a collection of nearly 300 caves. Other intriguing rock formations include El Cura, the Peñón Bermejo and La Rana. You can even climb up the Pico de las Nieves, which at 1950m is the tallest peak on Gran Canaria.
El Cabrón is located in the eastern region of the island. This is especially renowned for its excellent scuba diving. If you’re a fan of bananas then you should head towards Gáldar, where you’ll find plenty of trees bearing this yellow fruit. This area is also steeped in history: car hire in Gran Canaria is the easiest way in which to discover the amazing range of ancient tombs and archeological remains. Make sure to also check out the caves of the Guayadeque Ravine where even restaurants are found in these rocky dwellings!
Las Palma de Gran Canaria, the capital city of the island, lies in the center of Gran Canaria. Its home to a number of interesting museums. This includes the Museo Canario, which houses a multitude of captivating archeological finds. You can also find the island’s beautiful Cathedral here. Afterwards, the Plaza del Espíritu Santo is the perfect location to relax and sip on local wine.
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