Canary Islands tips
Discussion
I'm not into package holidays (just the idea of them makes me shudder) and am more into crossing a continent off my back but I've just got a flight to Gran Canaria (Las Palmas) for a good price. Am going with two other male friends for a week of sun flying on the 27th.
Can anyone offer any advice on areas to stay, places to avoid and other interesting things to do.
Am looking for somewhere close to reasonable beaches, with a dive shop accessible, snorkeling if there is an accessible reef and the usual women and booze when we're not in the water.
I have a few reservations about this so far and only booked as it was cheap, I'm hoping this is not going to be full of the 'typical' Brit tourist, chavfest that I have the impression of.
I've read that Las Palmas has a mix of tourists and Spanish people there too, have been looking around the las canteras as a possible area to get a hotel.
Mixing it with the locals would be good as I speak Spanish too.
Can anyone offer any advice on areas to stay, places to avoid and other interesting things to do.
Am looking for somewhere close to reasonable beaches, with a dive shop accessible, snorkeling if there is an accessible reef and the usual women and booze when we're not in the water.
I have a few reservations about this so far and only booked as it was cheap, I'm hoping this is not going to be full of the 'typical' Brit tourist, chavfest that I have the impression of.
I've read that Las Palmas has a mix of tourists and Spanish people there too, have been looking around the las canteras as a possible area to get a hotel.
Mixing it with the locals would be good as I speak Spanish too.
I love the Canaries, good friendly places to visit.
Make sure you hire a car and do the coast road, the hire companies will tell you to go clockwise round as you'll be away from the cliffs. My advice is to go anti-clockwise, when you get to the west of the island the drops are sheer and straight in to the sea of several hundred feet, with just a little armco - should scare the passengers nicely
Make sure you hire a car and do the coast road, the hire companies will tell you to go clockwise round as you'll be away from the cliffs. My advice is to go anti-clockwise, when you get to the west of the island the drops are sheer and straight in to the sea of several hundred feet, with just a little armco - should scare the passengers nicely
Las Palmas is like a mini city, lots of lanes, lots of traffic, it's fairly tourist free, so gives a decent foreign city experience, plenty of nice 'eateries' and bars about, ideal as you speak the lingo, although their dialect is pretty strong if you're used to mainland Spain.
However, i'd reiterate the above. Anything South of Las Palmas on the Eastern side is tourist central and personally, i'd advoid. Once you get as far round as Puerto de Mogan (at about 7pm as you look at the island) things become a bit nicer. There's a tourist submarine that leaves Mogan harbour on a regular basis so I'm guessing (big guess/assumption) that there must be some stuff to look at in relatively shallow waters around there?
If you get a chance I'd suggest you head straight for the middle of the island, some nice lakes/reservoirs for you to cool off in, and there's some nice scenery (Plannet of the apes stuff) up there (if you like scenery/walking etc)
I'd recommend having at look at El Roque Nublo on google earth and go to 3D view.
Diving wise, well, as I said the East is very touristy, and the West takes a bit of a battering from the Atlantic, so beaches are not that common and difficult to get to. I'd imaging on a nice calm day you could do some diving around there, but the cliffs are steep and I would guess they go down deep very sharply - not a diver, so wouldn't really know what's good and what's not.
Have a nice time though.
Avoid the jumbo centre unless you're that way inclined.
However, i'd reiterate the above. Anything South of Las Palmas on the Eastern side is tourist central and personally, i'd advoid. Once you get as far round as Puerto de Mogan (at about 7pm as you look at the island) things become a bit nicer. There's a tourist submarine that leaves Mogan harbour on a regular basis so I'm guessing (big guess/assumption) that there must be some stuff to look at in relatively shallow waters around there?
If you get a chance I'd suggest you head straight for the middle of the island, some nice lakes/reservoirs for you to cool off in, and there's some nice scenery (Plannet of the apes stuff) up there (if you like scenery/walking etc)
I'd recommend having at look at El Roque Nublo on google earth and go to 3D view.
Diving wise, well, as I said the East is very touristy, and the West takes a bit of a battering from the Atlantic, so beaches are not that common and difficult to get to. I'd imaging on a nice calm day you could do some diving around there, but the cliffs are steep and I would guess they go down deep very sharply - not a diver, so wouldn't really know what's good and what's not.
Have a nice time though.
Avoid the jumbo centre unless you're that way inclined.
Not been to GC but go to a site like www.villarenters.co.uk or www.ownersdirect.co.uk and split a cheap villa between you. Hiring a car makes anywhere accessible really. Look up the locations on Google Earth.
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