Destination airport: LAS PALMAS (LPA)

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Surf in Las Palmas

The surf beach spot La Cicer is located on the beach section Playa de las Canteras next to the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, where the sand slowly gets darker and darker, until it turns completely black at the cliffs directly next to the famous concert house "Alfredo Kraus" in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Surf and Beach: La Cicer beach spot offers waves the whole year through. In the summer months the waves are slightly smaller which makes for ideal conditions for beginners. In the months from September to December it can get a bit bigger. The waves on this excellent beach break will also challenge the most advanced surfers.

As the surfers on the surf and beach La Cicer are quite international due to Erasmus surfers from all over Europe and the many beginners which come here, the atmosphere in the water is generally casual and relaxed. Locals and true masters switch to other more dangerous and more challenging beaches.

Known as one of the best european surf spots – perfect to learn surfing or to improve your skill-level. The Surf camp in Gran Canaria offers accommodation in self catering private apartments and professional surf tuition.

Fun in Las Palmas

Nightlife in Gran Canaria is lively, noisy and fun! It does start late and goes on all night with most bars opening until 02.00 am and discos and clubs usually until 06.00 am in the morning. Very little happens before midnight.

The nightlife in Las Palmas is lively and mostly Spanish orientated, although there are lots of small South American bars and a fair few Irish theme pubs. The big clubs get crowded, and that means CROWDED as the night goes on! The city is generally safe but avoid dark streets late at night, especially in the Puerto or port area. Taxis are very cheap in the city.

The main areas for going out are: Vegueta and Triana (the old town) are quite trendy at the moment with lots of bars for drinks and clubs (salsa music mainly) for later on. This area has a nice atmosphere. Places to check out include Stones (Irish theme Pub), Cuasquidas for live music and La Floridita, a Cuban theme nightclub.

Tan in Gran Canaria

Anfi Beach

5 minutes on a bus north from Puerto Rico or 5 minutes walk from Balito Beach or Patalavaca and you're at Anfi Beach. You only see the Anfi complex from the street and bus stop but look for the entrance to Anfi Beach complex and there's probably a security guard nearby at the entrance to a path heading down to the sea. Walk behind the security guard and down the path (remember, all beaches here are free/public no matter who puts the sand on it) and there's Anfi beach. Soft, fine Caribbean sand, fantastic water sports and beach side facilities, a trendy shopping arcade and generally/arguably the best beach on the island. It gets packed solid at weekends and during the July and August holidays but well worth the visit whilst you're here.

Balito Beach

The phrase "Balito Beach" sounds nice, actually the complex itself IS nice but the surrounding area leaves a lot to be desired (or developed!). The beach to the right of the complex in the photo above is a mixture of dark sand, lots of rocks and dirt. There's a shuttle service every hour into Puerto Rico though and you can walk for 10 minutes to Anfi beach which is my favourite at the moment. The buildings in the photo above by the way are all part of Balito Beach complex.

Playa del Cura

Well, certainly not the nicest of beaches in the resorts of the south but does the job I suppose. Black sand beach with quite a lot of dust and rocks mixed in but there's a few sun beds around and a couple of places to grab a snack and a drink. The more remote beaches we have are actually nicer than this but then I do hear there's big plans for the future .....

Taurito

This is a nice beach! It's not as busy as it would be as the public pool here (called the "Largo") is huge, very impressive and very nice indeed so a lot of people go there instead. The beach however is soft, black sand. There's plenty of underground parking by the largo and a nice choice of snack-type restaurants and shops a few meters away from the beach. Very nice atmosphere as lots of boats and ships drop anchor around here. 10 minutes past here and viewable in the distance is Mogan.

Mogán

What a surprise - not long ago this was a black-sand beach with plenty of pebbles and a pretty average place but the council have converted the beach and walkway in front into one of THE nicest beach areas on the island. Lovely golden sand, some very good beach-front cafes and restaurants and of course, the atmosphere and views of Puerto de Mogán make this one of my favourite beaches on the island. A highly recommended day out - plan a whole day here and spend the morning wandering around the Marina's streets and shops, go for lunch (have fish!) and then spend the afternoon on the beach. Plenty of sun beds, loads of towel-on-the-sand space but no sign of water sports (yet?).

Bahía de Santa Agueda

As you drive west out of Puerto Rico (direction Maspalomas) and pass through Arguineguin, just before approaching the motorway there's a fork to the right to take you on to the road C812. Going this way for 10 minutes will bring you to the bay of Santa Agueda and several small, not-that-well-discovered beaches. These beaches are known mainly by the locals and few tourists but do get very, very busy Saturday and Sunday as the island's population from the north comes down to enjoy them. The beaches are popular with nudists though each is mixed, "clothes off" isn't essential!

The number 32 salcai bus also passes by these beaches though stops are few and far between so you may have a hefty walk to get to the beach you want, best to go by car. First beach you come across is all rocks and gravel and not that easy to get to, it's called El Lomo Galeon. My advice, drive past that for 2 minutes and you'll see the next :

Playa Llanillo

As with most of the beaches in this bay, once you see a beach you like it's a case of finding level land next to the road where you can pull off and park. Just past this beach to the left is a place you could park or just before to the right there's space for a couple of cars. 5-10 minutes of pretty easy walking down there from your parked car. The beach is around 300 meters long, mainly sand though gravel further back from the water.

Los Bigotes & Playa Triana

The second of the more appealing beaches you come to and this one has a bus stop close by and is also very easy to spot from the road as you drive just a few meters away from it. There's space for about 10 cars to park just past it on the right or space on the left for a lot more right opposite. The beach itself is only about 100 meters long with little sand, mainly gravel. At the end of the beach though there's another 100 meters of flat, more comfortable rocks. Playa Triana, is literally at the north end of Los Bigotes. You wouldn't really notice one stopping and another starting but just in case anyone tries to pull me up on it .....

Montaña de Arena

This beach and the next, Montaña de Arena are my favorites.Not as easy to walk to nor visible from the road makes these beaches more popular with naturalists. Each of them is very sandy and easy to get in and out of the water so popular with families too. As you drive past Los Bigotes, so the part of the bay next to the road, carry on for another 5 minutes but look out for a large, flat area of land to your right about 100 meters back from the road. You'll see it well in advance on it's usually got a fair few cars already parked there. You'll see a track leading from the road to the parking area, there's space there for over a hundred cars. Once parked, head down towards the sea and to the left and you'll find a path that runs along the cliff top going left. Follow this path for 10 minutes of careful walking and you're at the beach. Very sandy beach and the hill behind is all sand too (hence the name, "Mountain of Sand").

Las Carpinteras

Much easier to reach than Montaña de Arena but still a hefty walk. The easiest way is to pass the parking for Montaña de Arena and watch out for the next flat area of land to your right, again there'll probably be cars already parked on it. There's a couple of tracks off the road to get to the parking, take either and drive as far away from the road as you dare. The further you go, the worse the track; you'll see what I mean when you get there. Once parked, walk along the path that takes you over the hill and down to the left. At the top of the hill you'll see the beach and the path down to it. If you drove past this parking area for another 1km or so round the next corner, you'll see another dirt track off the road. You won't see the parking area though this track does lead you to it and from there, it's an easy 2 minute walk to the beach. Chances are though you'll miss the turning!

Bahía Feliz & San Agustín

The first of the many resorts as you head south from the airport, one of the most characteristic and less "bed-factory" in appearance too. Several gravel/stone beaches and small coves around Bahia Feliz which has a nice "Canarian Village" which is home to a nice choice of restaurants and bars for some snacks and lunch. Adjacent, a 2 minute drive further south is San Agustin. A much bigger resort, less character but some posh hotels and apartments and lots of sandy coastline. Being a larger resort there's lots of restaurants and bars along the beach and a large commercial centre to the south. San Agustin has a sea-front promenade running the 7 or 8 kilometres of it's length.

Playa de Morro Besudo

Take exit 38 off the motorway and follow the initial white signs for Mogan and you'll then see the sign for Bahia Feliz. There's loads of free street parking parallel and adjacent to the beach and it's a simple, 2 minute walk from your parked car. It's a very quiet, almost deserted beach. It's a rock and gravel beach so not the most comfortable, there's sandy beaches close by to the north and to the south which is why this is a great beach if you want peace and quiet and not many (or any) people around.

Playa de San Agustín

Quite a long beach, perhaps a couple of kilometres and most of it comfy (dark) sand with some rocky patches in the middle. There are large car-parks at either end, otherwise plenty of free parking along the streets that border the beach. 2 minute easy walk from the car to the beach. Considering this is a main resort, sorry to see no water sports on this beach, you have to head further south a little to Las Burras and Playa del Ingles. Otherwise, good facilities, showers, restaurants, bars and shops all along the beach and a commercial centre with lots more packed inside.
Worth noting, the medical facilities along this beach are the best on the island so if you have "a condition" and don't want to be too far from help, worry not. As well as a dozen or more medical clinics the island's main private hospital is here too.

Las Burras

Very nice and popular beach at the very south of San Agustin, the last beach before you hit the beach and dunes at Playa del Ingles. A large car park opposite but a busy road to cross to get to the beach, only 50 meters walking but be careful.

At the far end of the beach, maybe a 5-10 minute stroll from the sand is the San Agustin commercial centre so a lot of restaurants and bars there for lunch but there's a couple more by the beach itself.

Veneguera

The beach is nice , a small wooded area to the left for shade, dark sand and not too many stones and it's quite a large beach too. Week ends and July-August it's very busy with locals but otherwise, a handful of people and popular with naturists. The drive takes you past various farms and banana plantations. Why aren't I going back there then? You'll be driving along a dirt track (which becomes a dry river bed and sometimes not a track at all) at 10kph for a good half hour to get there. One wrong turn and you're stuck so be careful, jeep highly advised.

Weather in Gran Canaria

The Isle of “Gran Canaria” is divided in two main climatic zones. The North centre which is very humid, where you can find precious green valleys with their enormous craters and boilers, and the dry part further south with its desert landscapes. In the South you can find incredible golden fine sandy beaches for a swim or some sun. The average temperature is between 17 degrees in the winter to 24º in the summer. Water temperature varies between 19º and 23º… So, water sports are an all year around event…with a very pleasant surrounding.

With the spectacular climate in “Gran Canaria” you can choose from a variety of outdoor, water or adventure sports (surfing, kite surfing, windsurfing, diving, trekking, climbing, parasailing, ultra light, cycling, tennis, golf, fishing, etc.) perfect to can complete your surfing holidays…