Gran Canaria Map
Gran Canaria, the third largest island among the Canary Islands, is located right in the hub of Canarian archipelago, nearby Tenerife. It has a circular shape and that is why is often referred as a round island. The island covers about 1,560 square kilometers. The highest pick of the island, Pozo de Las Nieves, is placed in the hub of the island and is 1,949 meters above the sea level.
Gran Canaria Island is washed by the waters of Atlantic Ocean. It belongs to Micronesia area, as well as the other Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde archipelagos. The nearest European port is situated 1250 kilometers north, and the closest African point is about 210 kilometers.
Gran Canaria coastline is 236 km long. The best and most popular sandy beaches are mainly located in the southeast of the island. It is exactly the southeast where famous Playa del Inglés and magnificent Maspalomas dunes are situated. Closer to the western and southwestern parts of the island, beautiful rocky cliffs dominate the landscape. The north and the northeast is ready to offer a great variety of coves and beaches. In the center of the island, the highest picks are situated.
Gran Canary, also known as the land of many faces, is ready to offer a great diversity of natural wonders. Here you will be able to find coves, beaches, cliffs, mountains, craters, ravines, natural reserves with lush subtropical vegetation. This island is a perfect place for those who want to have all the wonders at hand.
Landscapes at Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is a perfect place to discover. It offers many natural reserves along with a great variety of sandy beaches. It is the place where you can get in touch with nature, as well as to participate in a variety of all the imaginable activities. In Gran Canaria everything is possible. That is why the island is considered to be one of the top tourists’ destinations in the world.
The Mother Nature created this island to be a perfect place for those who have a desire to explore its beauty. Here you can do anything you want, starting from hiking through amazingly beautiful Gran Canaria’s nature areas to taking part in some extreme sports. What is more, the island is full of unique species you will not be able to find anywhere in the world except Gran Canaria island.
The geological formation of the island is the reason why its landscapes are so different. There are varied ecosystems, as well as varied interiors. The volcanic origin is the reason of rounded shape of the Gran Canaria. The island is split by two ravines, Tirajana and Agaete. These ravines are the reason of high contrasts between the northern and southern parts. You can easily notice while exploring Gran Canaria. Here you will be able to find numerous ravines that make their way across the center to the island to meet the descent. Gran Canaria’s ravines, along with complicated relief and the Los Pechos massif that comes from the northwest of the island to the southwest, are the main reasons of Gran Canaria’s diverse climatic zones and ecosystems.
Gran Canaria Island has a huge protected territory. It makes almost 43% of the island, covering about 66,571 hectares of the area. It means about 1000 meters for the each of the island’s inhabitants is protected. Along with protection of the island’s areas, the inhabitants have also put together the supply of nature tourism. Its main characteristic is a deep respect to the wonders of the Moher Nature and the environment of the island. This includes every impact made, starting from renovated old-century houses to a wide range of leisure activities, such as rock climbing and hiking. When it comes to hiking, it is worth to mention that the ancient network of the country’s pathways was reopened for public use, representing the island’s cultural and historic heritage.
Though there are a great variety of landscapes to see in Gran Canara Island, as we mentioned before, the main tourist attractions are situated in the southeast of the country. There are 5 main coastal towns to explore here.
5 Coastal Towns
- Playa Del Ingles
Playa Del Ingles is mainly crowded by young people who come here to enjoy a good weather, sandy beaches washed by refreshing waters of the Atlantic Ocean and to join its dazzling nightlife.
- Maspalomas
Maspalomas is the biggest town in the south of Gran Canaria. Its beach is considered to be one of the best in the world and lasts for 6 kilometers. What is more, Maspalomas is the place where you can witness magnificent dunes that change their appearance every day and every hour.
- Arguineguin
Arguineguin is quite a big coastal town beloved by Norwegian community. It has a great beach mainly crowded by local people and, for sure, people from Norway.
- Anfi
Anfi feels more like a resort than a coastal town. The beach here is usually crowded but feels more comfortable than the ones in bigger towns. What is more, the area nearby Anfi and the town itself is extremely clean.
- Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a gig coastal town with a lot of attractions. But when it comes to beaches, the best one if situated about 20 minutes walk in a place called Amadores. The beach is clean, beautiful and is ready to offer a lot of private space and good vibes.
