Gran Canaria Holidays

Do you know what a six-second pour is? If you don’t then perhaps you should go on a cheap Gran Canaria holiday and watch the bar staff. They pour large measures there, but that not the only reason to visit the beautiful islands off the north coast of Africa. There is some quite drastic scenery, and the people there welcome you with smiles and laughter when you visit.

Gran Canaria weather is hot and dry. It’s guaranteed winter sun for us who live in Northern Europe, and it’s only a four-hour flight from London. Staying at the Marina Suites, in Puerto Rico, we had an excellent four days soaking up the rays on the black sand beaches of this volcanic island.

People are pretty laid back in Gran Canaria, and I prefer it to Tenerife, it just seems classier. If you are in Puerto Rico, you could be forgiven for feeling like you’re in Blackpool if you’re walking through the main streets.

There’s certainly a lot of lights at night, but the views of the hillside apartments and hotels in Puerto Rico at night is fantastic. Especially when you see it for the first time. Hotels in Gran Canaria are very reasonably priced, and you can get some great deals online. We booked our stay, and it worked out around £90 for 3 nights 4 star which we thought was brilliant.

Flights to Gran Canaria

We flew to Gran Canaria with Easyjet this time around; however, you can fly Monarch and other airlines if you wish. We flew from Gatwick airport and the flight time there and back was about four hours. The Easyjet plane on the way there was ok, however on the way back discomfort seemed to be the watchword. Don’t know why but the seats were pretty uncomfortable.

The days we spent on the beach or by the pool. The evenings we spent wandering around the port, taking in the nightlife. We are not party animals anymore, so the highlight was being able to lie on the beach with some drinks and just chat, listening to the ocean waves and watching skinny dippers in the cold water (Caribbean sea temperatures it ain’t).

Places To Eat Puerto Rico

For me, the primo place to eat in Puerto Rico is Oscar’s Del Puerto (The upstairs one, there are two. This is an excellent place with absolutely excellent food.

While we were happy to eat breakfast at the Marina Suites, our first lunch there was disappointing. During the day, it’s hot, so you don’t much feel like eating lots of food, but for the evening meal with wine and so forth, Oscars is so far the best I have tasted there. The staff are very knowledgeable about the menu. The wine list, while not exhaustive, has some little gems and I would highly recommend the Grilled Garlic prawns or the Deep Fried Camembert which is fantastic.

Staff are brilliant and really make you feel comfortable and welcome. If you do venture to Oscar’s try the Chateaubriand. So lush and flavoursome. Gran Canaria weather will always keep me coming back for a weekend here or there every year. Puerto Rico is a great place to chill out, however next time I hope to rent a car and go exploring some of the more mountainous areas. Cheap Gran Canaria holidays are not as easy to find as they were a few years ago, but it’s still worth every penny.