Wanderings in Gran Canaria - 1

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Having enjoyed the superb weather of the British summer we decided, at fairly short notice, to book a two week holiday to Gran Canaria staying in the picturesque resort of Puerto de Mogan. A restful and relaxing trip would allow us to continue our adjustment from hectic working lives to a more leisurely, at least in theory, retired life. It would also allow us to continue to enjoy hot and sunny weather while a distinctly autumnal change is happening at home.

Puerto de Mogan is a small picturesque town in the south west of Gran Canaria, situated on the coast and nestled between imposing cliffs and mountains of mottled black, grey and brown volcanic rock. There are two contrasting areas of the town along the sea front. On the left side of the bay there is a sandy beach with a promenade backed with touristy shops, tapas bars, cafes and restaurants. On the right side, in contrast, there is an attractive small harbour, filled with yachts and occasional brightly coloured fishing boats. Behind this is the area known as 'Little Venice' - small white buildings in Andalusian-Venetian style separated by a maze of narrow streets, small canals, bridges and archways covered with dazzling bougainvillea. This is what makes Puerto de Mogan the prettiest resort in Gran Canaria. Although having the appearance of the old orginal fishing village - appearances are often deceptive - as these were some of the first buildings of the tourist resort in the late 1980s.

Having wandered around and explored most of Puerto de Mogan we caught a local bus along the valley and up into the hills to the small town of Mogan. From the bus we could see abundant cultivation of vegetables, fruit and avocados. Prickly pear cacti were particularly abundant growing on the roadside and uncultivated areas of land. Mogan is a small, sleepy-appearing rural town with a few bars, cafes and local shops. We discovered a good restaurant, Acaymo, on the southern edge of the town, which served excellent good value tapas, as well as a wide choice of meat and fish dishes all cooked on a wood burning grill/oven. We had a very enjoyable spanish-style lunch. After walking around the rest of the town we had some time to wait for the next bus back to Puerto de Mogan.

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Comments

[David Smith]

Blog looks good
Gran Canaria looks very atttractive, certainly compared with a wet and foggy Bradford.