Article by
Richard Curson
Destination of the month - Gran Canaria *****
(A humanHi SELECT location)
humanHi-Lights: Click below for the humanHi-Lights on this destination
Suits who? - Families, kids, couples and singles. Popular for Gay and Straight humans.
Departure AP - Luton
Travel Tip - Pre pack liquids in a clear plastic bag in hand luggage before travelling.
Flight Time - Approx 3hrs 30mins
Hotel - Buenos Aires ***
Board - Self Catering
Resort - Playa Del Ingles
Duration - 14 Nights
Cost - £540pp
Pocket Money - £700pp is ideal
Near - Meloneras (5 min taxi), Maspalomas (5 minute walk), Las Palmas (20
min taxi), Playa Del Ingles Beach (5 min walk)
Journey to Gran Canaria
All packed and ready for the off at 3.00am to catch the 7am flight to Las Palmas Gran Canaria – I’m off to sunny sunny Spain El Viva Espania!!
The weather’s wet, windy and stone cold at Luton Airport and excitement races through me as visions of endless sunshine, sandy beaches and fruity cocktails appear like mirages in the departure lounge! My travel companion had to calm me down by offering me a cream cake, it kept me quiet for five minutes.
I blew up my fabulous duck rubber ring and matching arm bands and donned them with my snorkelling set, ready for the plunge, but the nice lady taking the boarding passes said I would need to deflate them and put them in my hand luggage – I decided to donate them to the airport and get some more swim aides on arrival.
The flight was fantastic because it wasn’t too bumpy and I had a delicious hot meal, it was cauliflower cheese, my favourite! It always tastes better when you are looking forward to something! Then we sung “Summer Holiday” and sipped orange squash with the back seaters (the back seaters always enjoy a sing-a-long).
The captain soon announced we were due to land and asked us nicely to take our seats. On landing I couldn’t wait to get off the plane to smell that lovely hot tropical air and be first on the bus to the baggage belt. At the baggage belt I always regret being first in the queue at check in and end up being last on the transfer bus, excitement gets the better of me every time. Then on the transfer bus I can’t wait to get to the hotel (20 minutes), then at the hotel I can’t wait to unpack and have a shower with the warm soft healing water so unique to the island. By that time we’re all set to flop, shop and explore for the next two weeks in paradise. We have arrived in Gran Canaria, phew!
Mind Body and Spirit Hi-Light
Maspalomas Sand Dunes
Mountains of sand near the Riu Palace Hotel Maspalomas. Humans go there to roam, take the short cut to the beach and admire the beautiful scenery (they make great photos and video). I saw sand surfers, dune runners keeping fit and even a fashion photo shoot in the dunes. I got the relaxing and perfect location humanHi after a walk through the dunes of Maspalomas.
Click below for More Mind Body and Spirit Hi-Lights:
The Sea & Water
Food & Drink
Climate Change
Weather
Gran Canaria Restaurant Review - Restaurante Pizzeria Centrum
Restaurante Pizzeria Centrum
Floor: 2nd. Floor
Local: 232/7 Yumbo Centre Playa Del Ingles - Tel.: 928 76 66 19
Out of all the eateries I have sampled, and believe me I have been to all of them, this place is without any doubt the best for quality of food, service and offers great value for money!
Although it advertises as a Pizza restaurant it offers fabulous flambes, the most amazing fresh fish and speciality dishes like Paella which break all the boundaries in food enjoyment, food like this was created in heaven!
My favourite dishes are:
Beef stroganoff
The beef was light and flaky, coupled with a delicious spicy flambé sauce that so was so tasty I ate it all and had the same dish 4 times in 2 weeks. I had a choice of Canarian jacket potato, steamed potatoes, pomme frites or roast potatoes. I tried them all but the Jacket Potato was my favourite because it was full of flavour and served with their delicious creamy garlic sauce. It was also accompanied by a side salad and rice. The dish cost around 10 euros.
Grilled Gilthead Fish
Fresh from the sea that morning, seasoned and grilled on the bone, amazing! The flavour was perfect and such a healthy dish. It was served with a side salad and I chose pomme frites. But the fish was the most important bit and it was so big I didn’t eat the garnish. I was so full up I didn’t need a dessert. This cost around 12 euros.
Banana Flambé
Desert heaven! The head chef came out with the bananas and all his liqueurs and spirits and sets the pan on fire, it was like a celebration of food! All the butter and sugar, fruit juices and alcohol soaked into the bubbling bananas and created a caramel type sauce around them. He squeezed fresh lemons, limes and oranges, tossing the sauce. Served with lashings of ice cream and sparkly streamers for decoration, it is absolutely amazing and I haven’t tasted anything similar anywhere on the island.
- On leaving the staff shook our hands and wished us well!
Gran Canaria Shops Hi-light
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Joyeria Nest
Joyeria Nest (est. 1982), Yumbo Centre, Playa Del Ingles. Tel: 928 76 73 27
Gorgeous Gems At Rock Bottom Prices!!!
You will find hundreds of shops selling watches and jewellery but be very very cautious because some shops overprice and offer fake merchandise so you end up getting short changed. I have been going to Eduardo at Joyeria Nest for 4 years now.
It started as a recommendation and now I take all my watches for battery or strap replacements, any jewellery for alterations or repairs. The quality is better than in the UK and it costs a fraction of the price. Eduardo himself is very good at explaining problems or advantages and disadvantages, he is not a hard salesman and doesn’t pounce on people browsing, he is friendly and approachable. He has two beautiful golden retrievers who sleep on the marble floors and they are so friendly, everyone loves to come in and fuss over them!
He only uses 18ct gold for repairs and alterations, this is much higher quality gold than most UK jewellers use.
I took my father’s signet ring to be repaired, it was almost completely worn away on the band of the ring, now it looks like new and it fits me perfectly! He sells a range of watches primarily Mondia, a quality Spanish brand, and I have bought loads of them. Every time I go to Gran Canaria (twice a year) I buy watches.
They cost around £100 but the quality is absolutely fantastic, it’s like spending £1000 in Harrods. Watch designs and colours available are amazing, and so cheap. The watches are solid and heavy, the straps are secure and well sewn, his watches are the best watches you can get unless you buy a Rolex, which he also sells. I bought a watch from him and two years later took the same watch back because I wanted a different colour strap and he didn’t charge me for it because I bought the watch from him. If there was ever any problems he would sort it.
Also he specialises in diamonds and has a range a really unusual pieces and all very reasonably priced. A diamond ring which would cost £10,000 in London would cost around £4000 in his shop and the quality is amazing, better than in London. The Diamonds he buys are from Israel and he has identity cards for every piece which traces the stones back to every step since they were mined to make sure they were processed legally in compliance with international law. He is extremely fussy about quality and where his stones come from.
You will be looked after very well at Joyeria Nest, especially if you tell him Richard Curson recommended you visit him.
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Fund Grube
Fund Grube, Yumbo Centre, Playa Del Ingles.
Shopping In Paradise!
(The Fund Grube chain has shops all over the island but the main branch is in the Yumbo Centre).
There are hundreds of small shops and they are great but Fund Grube is the nearest you will get to John Lewis in the southern resorts unless you take a bus to Las Palmas, the main city, and shop till you drop in designer boutiques. Fund Grube is really good for sun creams, they are stored properly and sold at the cheapest prices, they also have a wide range of Aloe Vera products which are great as after sun. You can buy leather wallets, bags, clothes, cosmetics, aftershave/ perfume and tobacco and at very reasonable prices. If you spend over 35 euros in one transaction (excluding tobacco) you get a free gift – I got a beach towel and a shoe bag which isn’t bad.