Entertainment

Gran Canaria has an incredible range of entertainment options for the entire family. All you have to do is decide exactly what you want to do. There are recreational centres in most tourist spots, as well as botanical gardens such as Jardín Canario, the largest in Spain, covering 27 hectares and offering an incredible display of local flora. You can also take part in all manner of water activities, such as boat trips like those on the San Miguel, or sign up for any of the trips organized by Yachtkat; then there are zoos and exotic bird exhibitions, medieval castles and amusement parks, such as Holiday World, with tons of rides and shows. You can also learn something new while having fun at Mundo Aborigen in San Bartolome de Tirajana, where you'll find out about the history, customs and lifestyle of the original inhabitants on Gran Canaria.

One of the archipelago's most distinctive features is its spring-like weather all year long, making it the ideal place for sport. If golf is what you're after there are various courses to choose from on Gran Canaria, including the Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas (the oldest in Spain, founded in 1891), the Campo de Golf Maspalomas to the south of the island and the Cortijo Club de Campo, found halfway between Las Palmas and the airport. The good weather also makes horse-riding quite popular here. You can ride yourself, or take in a race at the Hipódromo. Other options include trekking (various routes are organised by Rutas Canarias) or adventure sports, such as mountain bike or 4x4 trips organized by Canary Adventures. The crystalline waters surrounding this beautiful island make it the perfect place to practice other sports too, such as windsurfing, surfing or fishing. Alcor III and Barrakuda II are fishing boats; then again, try your hand at jet-skiing with Molina Sport. If scuba diving is what you're into to, contact Sardina Sub or Atlantik Diving.

For a unique holiday experience, you can always take in a match of lucha canaria at Skoda Tinamar. This indigenous sport has survived over the ages and is perhaps the most popular in the entire archipelago. The island has several good teams who compete against each other or with teams from other islands. More traditional sports such as football are also quite popular. Local team Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, which has just recently promoted to the Spanish First Division, is capable of sending locals into fits of rage or glory.

Traveling with children often means adapting your holiday to suit their needs and interests. Gran Canaria has a wide range of activities specifically geared towards the youngest in the family. You can visit Palmitos Park, for example, which features more than 1500 exotic species, or Cocodrilo Park, with more than 300 crocodiles, tropical fish and tarantulas. Aquapark and Aquasur waterparks are a great way to cool off, or you can go for a fun and unique camel ride Camel Safari.

Nighttime entertainment is certainly not overlooked here. The excellent weather conditions also mean a lot of popular outdoor cafes and bars are open all year long, serving drinks along the shore. Two such places are La Marquesina and Varadero. Gran Canaria also has almost a thousand discos spread out over the island, though the most dense concentration can be found in Playa del Ingles, San Bartolome de Tirajana, and the capital itself, Las Palmas. There is something for everyone, be it type of music, attitude, age, sexual orientation, etc. Some of the most famous include Space, Joy, Pachá and Chic.

Festivals of all kinds are also organized throughout the year; these include the Festival de Ópera Alfredo Kraus, the Festival de Música de Canarias, Womad and Atlántica. Then again, you can always take in a film at one of the many cinemas on the island, such as the Galaxy and Capitol, both of which feature new releases with the first shows starting around midday and ending after midnight.

The good roads on the island make it easy to get to any point on Gran Canaria for whatever form of entertainment option you're after. Some, however, just enjoy driving all around, taking in the sites. You can hire a car at a good price at CICAR and Agencia Guanche, for example, or ride a bus, take a taxi, etc. Nothing is stopping you from having a great time here.