The beauty of Agaete

It’s the perfect spot for people who have chosen to downsize, a place made to measure for people who want to swim in the sea all year round if they feel like it, or just to bask in the sun on the little harbour beach,  go fishing and eat fish, papas arrugadas and drink wine in their fishing gear, whiling away the hours with the locals and the tourists who come for a rest at the hotel, or smoking a cigar listening to the sound of the crickets in the evening.

You know what I mean – all those kinds of small, simple pleasures.

I’ve chosen to live here because it’s my kind of place. Other people get their kicks out of having a private helicopter that takes them directly to their board meetings, or having the kind of car that has so many gadgets you can pretend you’re a racing driver. Each to his own is what I say.

I prefer to have my fishing gear and tackle in the Puerto de Las Nieves, so that when I feel so inclined (which is very often), I can spend the day fishing, coming back in the evening with only the seagulls for company, wheeling round the boat, with the steep cliffs behind me. But that’s me, that’s what makes me happy.

Agaete is also a place to take your holidays, to wind down and disconnect. A quiet place – apart from when there is a local festivity, when things are totally different, or on Sundays, when everyone makes a beeline for Agaete for time out. So much the better, because life is short, so let’s make the most of it.

Or, at least, that’s my opinion. Each to his own,as I say. Me, I’m going to be hanging out a bit longer here, in Agaete.

Watch the sunset at Puerto de Mogán

The tourist town of Mogán is in the south of Gran Canaria, offering possibly the best climate in the whole Canary Archipelago. Few places in the country have as many sunny days Mogán does, although sunshine is not the only thing on offer here.

It has fine sandy beaches and a whole host of places to stay, namely Puerto Rico, Patalavaca, Amadores, Arguineguín and Taurito, which lie along on the route leading to the village and the Port of Mogán. The Port is just the place for visitors seeking out a peaceful haven, to watch the sun go down after a day on the beach.

Amadores

You’ll soon see that Puerto de Mogán is one of the most picturesque and welcoming spots in the south of Gran Canaria. It is the perfect place to stop and eat or to take a quiet break for a drink under the colourful houses which line the streets leading to the harbour. The windows are adorned with bougainvilleas and hibiscus and you can easily find a peaceful place to sit outside the port’s terrace cafés. Next to the harbour there is a group of houses built over small canals which only add to this fishing district’s charm.

You’ll also find that the seabed along the Mogan coast is phenomenally beautiful and a well kept secret among scuba diving fans. The Port of Mogán has often hosted underwater photography championships and it is a must-see for scuba divers when they get to Gran Canaria. It is also the mooring point for deep sea fishing boats. Not far from here, in Puerto Rico, if you are interested in sailing with dolphins, you can sign up for a day’s excursion. Would you like to go on a boat adventure for a few hours? Mogán is one of the best spots to jump on board a boat trip. If all you want to do is simply have a peaceful drink, Mogán Port is the perfect place to while away the hours watching the sun slowly setting behind the houses round the port. Later, when night falls, you don’t necessarily have to go to bed. The terrace bars are lively with music whilst tourists and locals spin out the evening just a little longer. You’ll have every reason to return to Mogán.

Leave rush behind

Gran Canaria doesn’t just start at the edge of the beach. Not at all. It appears long before that, although submerged under the sea. The powerful orography is reproduced on the seabed running all the way round the island earning it the nickname of Miniature Continent.

 

 

In many ways, the sea around the island represents all seven seas on the planet. Somebody should make the effort to collect a full set of specimens from around the same island because scuba divers can find tremendous walls in Gran Canaria ending in abysmal floors, monumental drops which cause an explosion of marine life, volcanic caves and dune “deserts” with a thousand fish… basically a captivating sequence of the best of each ocean. But something makes this island completely exceptional for scuba diving: the temperature, which is a big deal in Gran Canaria.

 

The Atlantic surrounding Gran Canaria fits scuba divers’ needs like a glove, in an extraordinary way for this latitude. In winter, it swaddles it in a higher temperature than in the months of March and April which is the lowest period. The warm flow which reaches the Gulf Stream sets the thermometer around 20 degrees, 25 - 30 metres down and in the middle of winter. Later it ‘drops’ to 18 degrees in the spring, and rises back up to 26 degrees in the summer.

 

 

Not even a gigantic heater could be so efficient. All this causes the amazing situation experienced by everyone lucky enough to dive here, finding that just a light wetsuit provides sufficient protection for many hours of diving. Obviously this ‘underwater climate’ is not just a treat for visitors, but amazing for fauna, providing a home for an astonishing representation of species. Endless numbers of moray, amberjacks, barracudas, turtles, alfonsinos, bream, spiny angler fish or gulls weighing up to 30kg are some of the living treasures hidden by the sea around the island.

 

 

 

Combining its large amount of flotsam, almost all with accessible depths which do not require decompression, with sea beds offering boulders which shelter millions of young, creates a highly desirable landscape under the island for a whole host of European divers, who grab the chance to fill their oxygen bottles in the middle of winter.

 

I recomen you to watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpmCjFBFHz8

Learn to Surf

The sea in Gran Canaria has determined that we should all get onto surfboards. At least once in our lives. At least to try it out. The entire ocean seems to have conspired that more and more people should gather on the island to practice surfboarding. And bodyboarding. And windsurfing, and now, in the last few years, kitesurfing. 

And for that reason, due to the conspiracy of the ocean, good waves don’t let up coming to the shores of Gran Canaria. Day after day. Good, medium sized waves for the novice. On beaches where it is easy, like child’s play, to start to learn. And where there are good, big waves for the more experienced surfer. Waves tucked away in secluded locations, because that is how the very competent like to surf. In solitude and in silence. 

And besides, the sea insists on sending us the best winds in this hemisphere and beyond. So that the windsurfers of Vargas and Pozo Izquierdo don’t stop running hither and thither, with the strange craziness of flying on the water that flows up onto the beaches of the southeastern Canary Isles.

And maybe you don’t believe us, but it is normal in Gran Canaria as soon as night falls and its time to let hair down, for the sea to gatecrash the windows of houses. It seems like an old wives tale, but it’s true. The ocean speaks directly into our ear. It speaks to us, it is true. Sometimes on a Wednesday, sometimes on a Friday, sometimes on Mondays. And it whispers in our ears: “Tomorrow there’s going to be big waves “or it says “Tomorrow is going to be windy in Pozo “. And you sleep in the noise of the sea. Counting waves and hearing them break, from the left. And from the right.

And it is for this reason, dear friend, that we recommend you leave your prejudices behind when you you visit Gran Canaria. Because, if you suddenly hear the call of the ocean, we bet you’ll walk through the door of any of the island’s surfing schools. Without even understanding why. You wouldn’t be the first to suddenly get the urge to try it.

And everything is to be blamed on this wretched conspiracy of the ocean. A conspiracy between the ocean, the fine weather and the gentle breezes which cover Gran Canaria. A marine conspiracy which obliges all who come to live here to try it at least once. Try it yourself. Once. 

And then you’ll tell us...

Discover the essence of Las Canteras beach

The jewel in the crown

Coming to the island on a cruise? If you are one many arriving in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on a cruise, we will quickly trust you with the keys to the city’s treasure, as soon as you set foot on the island. Why should we hide our treasure? You would end up finding it sooner or later anyway. With this, we save you time.

The jewel in the crown is Playa de las Canteras, the pearl the city doesn’t keep hidden away. It is a long strip of sand that stretches for miles along the bay, a place of special charm you will find only 3 or 4 blocks along from the cruise terminal. 

Locals keep saying Las Canteras is one of the nation’s best urban beaches. And they have every reason to believe it. This is a beach blessed with fine weather practically all year round. A getaway within the capital city, a place where the hands of time seem to have stopped. A type of beach-style Central Park, where sports can be played any day of the week. Don’t forget your swimming clothes and your surf board!

Furthermore, the island is a large marine life reserve. Its sea bed is home to a thousand fish species. On dry land, it shelters tourists, fishermen, and surfers. And it has a peculiar feature, which locals know as “La Barra”, a long rock formation spreading not far from the sand. A singular strip of volcanic rock that protects a large chunk of the beach from the tides, and which turns our bay into the best place this side of the globe to swim and practically “walk on the water” on days of low tide.

When a stroll is your undisputed choice, we recommend the long walk along the sand, past coffee shops and ice-cream parlours. The first thing you will come across are the Puntilla sidewalk cafés and the fresh-fish restaurants. At the other end of the beach is the surfing environment around the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, with yet more sidewalk cafés and bars by the sea.

Las Canteras is known by all as the Changing Beach. It will never be the place you saw on previous days. This is one of its special traits: it’s always the same place, but appears different all the time

There you have it. The treasure of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria lies hidden only 5 minutes off the cruise pier. Do not expect further clues. Should you wish to admire the jewel in the city’s crown, just walk four blocks. Follow anyone whistling as they walk with a towel, parasol, or surf board on their shoulders.

Catch the secret of Pozo Izquierdo

Gran Canaria, the best kept windsurfing secret

Why is Gran Canaria the European windsurfing capital?

The best windsurfers in Europe can’t be wrong. They all dedicate a large part of the year to surfing on the island. In Gran Canaria they have everything they need: wind, beaches and good weather. As far as wind is concerned, there are few places in the world offering the conditions you’ll find on beaches such as Pozo Izquierdo or Vargas. They are a real Mecca for windsurfing fans, where the very best meet up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe3s3WEImaw

You don’t have to be a professional. However If you want to have a go at one of the most addictive sports and you are looking for good beaches, there can be no doubt that Gran Canaria is the perfect place. Whatever your level, you can always find the right spot with ideal conditions whether you are trying it for the first time or you’re the most radical windsurfer. 

But if you have already been bitten by the windsurfing bug, you’ve experienced the sensation of speed on a board out at sea even just once, if you have only the smallest idea of what you are missing by not being in the water with your board right now, then you have to come to the island. All windsurfing addicts know that their destination is inevitably Gran Canaria.

And if not, then ask the experts. For example, we have the greatest windsurfing champion, Björn Dunkerberck or the Daida and Iballa Ruano sisters who live on the Island most of the year. They don’t think twice about it: to be able to go out everyday, you have to be in Gran Canaria. This was their secret for success in the World Circuit, which made them among the very best. You’ll only understand once you’ve surfed here. 

If you come here to windsurf in any month of the year, even if you’re not the most talented, you must go to the Pozo Izquierdo zone. It is the top spot for windsurfers. The trade winds and the sea currents in the eastern zone of Gran Canaria have made the beach the centre of world championships year after year. Here you will find the Pozo Izquierdo International Windsurfing Centre where you can learn and practise this sport at all levels. It is also a meeting place for the top riders during competition days.

But you don’t only have wind and beaches. Don’t forget the island’s good climate will encourage you to get outdoors. 

Join the locals in their peculiar passion to put your board and sail on the car and drive round the island looking for wind. They go out weekend after weekend because high speed surfing is easy to find in Gran Canaria. You can also use any which way to cross waves one to three metres high, in more than twenty locations. You don’t have to limit yourself to Pozo Izquierdo. You can cover a route of beaches: Ojos de Garza, Tarajalillo, Bahía Feliz, Playa del Águila, San Agustín, Playa del Inglés, Tauro or Puerto Rico. It depends on your level and the adrenaline you’re after. 

The question you’re doubtlessly asking yourself right now is: When can I get in the water?

Be an astronaut without leaving the ground

Couch potatoes do not go to Heaven

Couch potatoes exist. Yes, my dear reader, they do.

There are those who refuse to move outside a range of 5 blocks around their home, people who fail to see that we should really to be determined to reach the most “heavenly” spots. Determined to get to places too far away for the rest.

This explains why so many are incapable of taking the winding road that takes you from Gran Canaria’s warm coastline to the summit of the island.

These people will miss out on the chance of feeling like an astronaut without taking off from the ground. An astronaut touring Tejeda, the small town in Gran Canaria that is home to a sea of clouds. Indeed, some will definitely miss it, these are the unfortunate ones.

However, if you, my friend, belong to the restless crowd, to the select team of those who just cannot stay still even if nailed to the floor, then and only then you should follow our advice.

There is a road in Gran Canaria that begins on the beach, runs through many towns, and finally reaches the sky. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. But then comes the unusual part of the trip, when the road keeps going up and up, leaving behind a trail of clouds until finally reaching Tejeda.

And that is all, folks. Just a little piece of advice to travellers: do not miss the small town of Tejeda on your way through. Just a little over an hour from the coastline, along a road that takes you so high you will be able to set foot on Heaven (2 hours if travelling with a sweet-tooth who makes you stop in San Mateo to buy sweets and egg-and-sugar bread).