If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I recently took a week’s holiday to lovely Island of Gran Canaria, and although the main purpose of this holiday was to just relax and unwind, we still did a few things that I’d highly recommend to anyone who is looking to visit Gran Canaria.
Whilst visiting Gran Canaria we stayed in the Rui Papayas Hotel in Playa del Ingles, of which I would highly recommend if you’re looking for an all inclusive resort with pretty much everything you’d need or want. With a choice of all-day buffet, 2 restaurants, 2 pools including a children’s pool, gym and entertainment all throughout the day and evening, you really cannot complain. What is also great is that their are many Rui resorts within various area’s of Gran Canaria, so there will definitely be a hotel to suit you!
Personally we absolutely loved our stay and the local area of Playa del Ingles was as expected for a tourist spot but we found that it was too lively with the main bars/restaurants all within walking distance of the hotel. Also what made the stay just that touch better was our Tui rep who was absolutely amazing, and couldn’t of wished for a better rep.
Anyway enough about where we stayed, and onto the few places and things i’d recommend doing whilst in Gran Canaria!
Puerto de Mogán
One place that we’d somewhat researched before going was Puerto de Mogán purely through Instagram photos we’d seen of which were absolutely stunning, and we could totally see why the call this the Venice of Gran Canaria. With its quiet side streets filled with the most pretty flowers and canals leading to the sea, it is sure a breath taking place to visit.
Depending on which area of Gran Canaria that you’re staying in, most buses will run to Puerto de Mogán or you can hop on a ferry from Puerto Rico which is essentially what we did. Minus a slight mare with our original booked ferry not running that day, we eventually found another ferry running through Lineas Salmon Ferries and enjoyed the sea breeze and views on our way to Puerto de Mogán.
When first pulling into the small port/boat docks you’re greeted by the most beautiful building as photographed below and a selection of beautiful restaurants looking out onto the water. As you walk further into Puerto de Mogán you’re greeted by the beautiful side streets, filled with beautiful flowers of which eventually leads to the beach where you’ll find more restaurants/bars, and a selection of shops to browse.
If you’re looking to do one day of exploring whilst visiting Gran Canaria, Puerto de Mogán would be the number one place i’d recommend visiting! We had such a lovely day and lets be honest, the Instagram photo opportunities are up there!
Maspalomas
Another place that we visited during our stay was Maspalomas, which was just a short €6 taxi journey from our hotel and we decided to visit in the evening as our rep recommended it for it’s beautiful sunset and bars.
When visiting Maspalomas we honestly didn’t have a clue what to expect, so when we arrived to see a stunning lighthouse along the beach front, we were pleasantly surprised. We also miraculously timed our visit just in time for sunset which drew in crowds, similarly to the crowds you’d experience on the rocks in Ibiza (if you’ve ever been that is).
To the right of the lighthouse, you will find a pathway along the edge of the beach with many restaurants slightly up market to your typical tourist restaurants, and an array of bars with very chilled vibes and a very good selection of beverages! We found ourselves stopping off at K1 Food&Lounge which has beautiful indoor and outdoor seating with chilled music and the most tasty Mojito’s. Once we’d had a couple of drinks, we moved on to Cafe Del Mar where we treated ourselves to a gin (as the gin in our all inclusive wasn’t the nicest) and again the atmosphere was so chilled, it just made for a great evening!
Excellence VIP Boat Trip
Finally moving onto one of the trips we opted to do during our holiday. As i’m sure many people are used to, with all inclusive holidays usually your rep will try to sell you trips and there are a lot of trip options within Gran Canaria, and there is definitely something for everyone! The one trip we went on and I would recommend time and time again is the Excellence VIP Boat Trip.
As the name would suggest, this is essentially a VIP style boat trip where they offer two different types of trips. A day trip and also a sunset trip. We opted for the day trip as it allowed us to be out of the hotel during our last day where we had an early check out, but we heard that the sunset trips are absolutely stunning and is something i’d look to do if I were to go back.
The trip itself cost us €80 each and it includes pick up and return from your hotel to the boat, a selection of drinks both soft and alcoholic, lunch, a bed and towels. So really all you have to take is suncream and additional money for on board extras such as upgrades, jet ski rides and drinks not included within the ‘all inclusive’. During the boat trip, they sail out along the coast of El Perchel which has some stunning veiws and the boat then anchors within the ocean for around 2 1/2 hours where you can swim, snorkel and enjoy an on board lunch before sailing back.
Personally out of all of the boat trips advertised, this was the only boat trip without any hidden extras such as extra charges for beds and the boat itself isn’t rammed like other boats we saw. For us we had such a relaxing time which was absolute bliss especially as it was our last day and it meant we could switch things up to the usual chilling by the pool agenda that we’d stuck to for the majority of the holiday.
So those are the three top things i’d recommend doing whilst in Gran Canaria!
Are any of you going on holiday soon?
