Gran Canaria

Arguably the most diverse of the islands

The third largest island in the archipelago, Gran Canaria is a favourite with travellers who want to combine some beach action with mountain hikes and visits to historical towns, Nearly half of the Canarian population have made their home here among Las Palmas’s historical highlights including the 15th-century Cathedral of Santa Ana and the 18th-century Casa de Colón, where it is claimed that explorer Christopher Columbus plotted his five-week first voyage to America. Christopher Columbus visited here on 4 of his voyages. The island’s mountainous interior attracts modern explorers, with Artenara perhaps having the most melodramatic views of all. In among the rugged mountains are many whitewashed villages. The favoured beach is Maspalomas with its wind-sculptured sand dunes. The first stop on our tour was the Santa Catelonia Park that surrounds the Santa Catelonia Hotel (previously called The Royal Hideaway), that opened in January 1890 and is the oldest hotel in the city and in the Canary Islands among those still in operation. Among the hotel’s guests were Sir Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, King Charles III (when Prince of Wales) and Gregory Peck. Amongst the park’s may trees and shrubs are the famous ‘dragon trees'. A cross between a tree and a cactus, they don't have any rings so their age is a total mystery. Our next stop was to see one of the island's most impressive natural sights – the Caldera de Bandama - an extinct bowl-shaped volcanic crater at the heart of Gran Canaria. Over 3,000ft high, it's one of the few inhabited craters in the world, although the family that lived and farmed there have since moved out. As you can imagine the views were stunning.

After that we headed to Barrio Vegueta, Las Palmas' old quarter; its maze of cobbled streets and sun-dappled squares is interesting to explore. We visited the Town Hall square where we saw the statues of Canarian dogs which gave the islands their name. The Latin word for dog is canaria, and when the first Europeans landed ashore, they were met with large dogs on the island of Gran Canaria. After a short tour, during our free time, we went to the house and museum of Christopher Columbus (entrance fee €4). Our final stop was Mirador de Altavista where we enjoy great views of the city, port and Las Canteras Beach.

Landscapes

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Made with Xara

Gran Canaria

Arguably the most diverse of the

islands

The third largest island in the archipelago, Gran Canaria is a favourite with travellers who want to combine some beach action with mountain hikes and visits to historical towns, Nearly half of the Canarian population have made their home here among Las Palmas’s historical highlights including the 15th-century Cathedral of Santa Ana and the 18th-century Casa de Colón, where it is claimed that explorer Christopher Columbus plotted his five-week first voyage to America. Christopher Columbus visited here on 4 of his voyages. The island’s mountainous interior attracts modern explorers, with Artenara perhaps having the most melodramatic views of all. In among the rugged mountains are many whitewashed villages. The favoured beach is Maspalomas with its wind- sculptured sand dunes. The first stop on our tour was the Santa Catelonia Park that surrounds the Santa Catelonia Hotel (previously called The Royal Hideaway), that opened in January 1890 and is the oldest hotel in the city and in the Canary Islands among those still in operation. Among the hotel’s guests were Sir Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, King Charles III (when Prince of Wales) and Gregory Peck. Amongst the park’s may trees and shrubs are the famous ‘dragon trees'. A cross between a tree and a cactus, they don't have any rings so their age is a total mystery. Our next stop was to see one of the island's most impressive natural sights – the Caldera de Bandama - an extinct bowl-shaped volcanic crater at the heart of Gran Canaria. Over 3,000ft high, it's one of the few inhabited craters in the world, although the family that lived and farmed there have since moved out. As you can imagine the views were stunning.