gran canaria holidays

sandy, sunny and sublime

Find the latest deals on Gran Canaria holidays and book online with The Co-operative Travel.  Gran Canaria is the southernmost of the Canary Islands archipelago situated in the Atlantic just off the western coast of Africa and along with its sister islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is extremely popular with sun worshippers.

Gran Canaria holidays are extremely popular because the climate is superb all year round. However, that statement doesn’t apply to the entire island! The mountainous north is lush and wet whereas the entire southern coast of the island is a sunny, sandy haven of dunes and long beaches. Average high temperatures seldom drop below 20 degrees Celsius even in the middle of winter and summer highs can climb to 36 degrees.

Combine those sublime temperatures, dazzling sandy beaches and friendly Canarian locals and it’s easy to see why holidays to Gran Canaria are so in demand. Indeed, over 2million tourists visit the island each year the vast majority in search of sun, fun and relaxation.

The capital of Las Palmas is the best place to discover the history of Gran Canaria as the town boasts a museum, historic churches and traditional squares. It also offers some of the best shopping on the island. Flights to Las Palmas airport, which serves as the destination airport for package holidays to Gran Canaria take around four and a half hours from the UK.

Traditional top resorts for cheap holidays to Gran Canaria include Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico. Spanish for ‘Beach of the English’, the resort of Playa del Inglés is the island’s biggest and liveliest. It is very cosmopolitan and attracts many gay tourists as well as couples and families. All can take advantage of the gorgeous five mile long beach which has pre-determined areas for certain types of bathers. Short on sightseeing but definitely long on fun, Playa del Inglés rocks for most of the year; its buzzing bars and clubs proving resoundingly popular night after night.

An alternative package holiday to Gran Canaria involves a stay at Puerto Rico. This smaller resort is also cosmopolitan and has a perfect crescent-shaped beach overlooked by the hillside town. Whether you want five-star luxury or cheap accommodation check The Co-operative Travel Gran Canaria offers before you go anywhere else.