Coast and Interior, identical in beauty and beautiful places
It’s incredible the large number of magical places that come together in a place as small as the South of Gran Canaria. It’s a small area regarding the extension, but immense regarding possibilities of leisure, nature and fun. The best way to explore the South of Gran Canaria is to rent a car and get to know the different towns, tourist attractions and natural surroundings in a leisurely and relaxed pace, in keeping with the calm nature of the island.
In general, what attracts the attention of the southern part of Gran Canaria are its beaches, located in a little wilderness coast, of extensive sandstones of fine white sand. This coastline extends along the highway, which takes the traveller from the capital Las Palmas to Puerto Rico, the tourist resort located in Mogán. As we go along the route, we hit first with Vargas beach and Cabrón beach. Both are close to the towns of Ingenio and Argüimes, and it’s a famous spot for water sports specially windsurf and diving.
Pozo Izquierdo is the mecca of Windsurfing as well as being one of the venues of the World Windsurf Championship, which during the month of July welcomes experts and fans of the sport of waves and the wind from all over the world. On this area, you will find a large array of Beachfront Accommodation, perfect for your next holidays in Gran Canaria.
But the most touristy and popular area of southern Gran Canaria (and we can almost say that of the whole island in general) is the one that appears below. The beach of Tarajillo is its starting point, followed by Aguila, San Agustín, Las Burras, English, Maspalomas and Meloneras Beach. All these “Arenales” are part of the region called Maspalomas Costa Canaria, belonging to San Bartolomé de Tirajana and that counts in its possession with no less than 17 kilometres of beaches.
The natural environments related to these are truly spectacular, from the beautiful salt water lagoon known as La Charca, which is the centre of the Oasis of Maspalomas. This enclave is a zone of dunes, populated by palm trees as if an oasis in the middle of the desert was; In fact, the “Dunes of Maspalomas” is a protected area due to the ecosystem of fauna and flora that houses.
Once inland, the ravines and cauldrons leave to meet the visitor to astonish him with his majesty. The Barranco de Guayadeque, located between Agüimes and Ingenio, has its highest part at 1,500 meters above sea level and descends gently to die in the sea, to the East of Gran Canaria.
The church excavated in Guayadeque rock and the many hospitality establishments that have ingeniously adapted to the sheer ruggedness of the region. The Caldera de Tirajana, between Saint Lucia and San Bartolomé, shows itself abruptly in the landscape, offering the possibility of visiting the surroundings to contemplate the great variety of its native flora, and the beautiful Risco Blanco, which rises majestically with its 400 m of height.
The towns of the south of Gran Canaria, as we have said, deserve a particular route at a relaxed pace, so that they can enjoy their heritage and its people. On the coast, we find places as beautiful and exciting as Agüimes, whose historical centre deserves a visit already, as well as its Episcopal Palace and the church. Santa Lucia is another nearby town, whose historic centre is also a redoubt of timeless beauty. And in Maspalomas, we cannot miss the lighthouse that has the same name, and that rises to 65 meters above the beautiful Oasis. A place as special as unique in the world, where to perceive the known limit of the Earth…
Once inside, more beautiful and picturesque villages await the visit of lovers of beauty and tradition. The city of Telde, home to one of the Aboriginal kingdoms of Gran Canaria, boasts treasures such as the San Francisco Quarter, with its old mansions and stone and wood buildings, and San Juan, with its leisure and Fun Park.
The church of San Juan and its remarkable altarpiece of flamenco style stand out in this enclave. The archaeological sites of this area are also of great interest. Continuing with the route, we arrived at Valsequillo and The Church of San Miguel; the beauty of this place lies in its surroundings, plagued by ravines cut to peak and the profusion of flowers and crops, which is possible to admire as far as the view from the Mirador del Helechal. Another picturesque and exciting town is Ingenio (whose unique name is due to that it was formerly the location of a sugar mill), which has a famous Stone Museum.
And already in the zone of Puerto Rico and Maspalomas, we arrive at the end of the route by the south region of Gran Canaria. This area is eminently touristy, with a large number of restaurants and local as well as high-end hotel facilities. It is worth mentioning the theme parks and nature that will delight children and adults, such as the West Village, Pamitos Park or the Aboriginal World.