Gran Canaria is an Island of discovery through its history of being the crossroads of many cultures and its consistently mild climate. Its location at the southern extremes of the European continent makes it a popular location for holiday visitors who use the myriad of available flights from the colder countries of Europe to enjoy warmer temperatures, particularly during the winter months.
The legacy of the Island warmly welcoming travellers throughout the ages has left it with a wealth of archaeological sites, a mix of architecture and many artistic and cultural traits for the modern traveller to enjoy and which give the Island a variety that is a pleasure to discover in a relatively small area. This history is reflected in the many activities that can be found on the Island today which includes International film and music festivals, exhibitions and museums. The Canary Islands Music Festival held at the beginning of each year is world renowned and particularly special in that it due to the Islands’ climate it is able to be held in the European winter.
The Islands’ museums range from the painted caves at the Cueva Pintada archaeological site to the Elder technology and science museum and the Abraham Cardenas sculpture exhibition. You can also find houses that were homes of the Islands more famous residents that have been restored and can be visited. Gran Canaria has been officially declared a World Biosphere reserve due its’ natural richness and great diversity of environments.
The Islands climate reflects the diversity in the culture. From the hot south of the Island and its majestic beaches whose 60kms of sand make up over 25% of the Islands’ coastline and where the skies are clear for most of the year. A short trip into the middle of the Island will find sub tropical valleys and forest and you can even find snow on the tops of the mountains at certain times of the year. However wherever you are on the Island you will have sunny skies and warm temperatures the year round. For those seeking more than just a quiet break the resort of Puerto Rico is easily the most lively with a wide selection of clubs, bars and restaurants to satisfy most tastes.
For sports lovers Gran Canaria is an ideal location. The absence of any extreme temperature variations makes this a favourite destination for top sportsmen and women to train for major events. The sports that typically benefit from the Island’s facilities include athletics, cycling and triathlon. Not only Europeans but athletes from the USA also prefer the stable climate during the winter. Gran Canaria welcomes these visitors and provides the infrastructure to make this the ideal destination for the clubman through to the Olympic hopefuls. There is a strong tradition of golf on the Island with a number of courses plus the weather and facilities to play 365 days per year. Gran Canaria also has a number of its own sports that you won’t see at any Olympic games; they include stone lifting, stick fighting, plough pulling and Shepherds leaping!
With sea temperatures ranging from a mild 18deg through to 22deg then it is no surprise that watersports feature highly in Gran Canaria. The Island boasts many champions from various disciplines developing their skills in the local waters including the 13 times world windsurfing champion. As well as windsurfing, sailing, both yacht and dinghy sailing and kitesurfing are also popular.
