Playa del Ingles Travel Guide

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Playa del Ingles © canaryforum.com

Overview: 'The Englishman's beach' is how Playa del Ingles translates - those naming the resort had great foresight as today thousands of Brits flock here for sun, sea and San Miguels. Situated at the south of Gran Canaria island, the resort is one of the largest and busiest in Europe and its main attractions are the wide sandy beaches that stretch from the Maspalomas dunes to San Agustin in the north. The seafront is lined by the lovely pedestrian promenade, the Paseo Costa Canaria, planted with lush gardens. With its conglomeration of high-rise hotels, apartment blocks and shopping malls, Playa will not win any awards for architecture or sophisticated ambience, but the ever-growing resort, purpose-built for pleasure and leisure back in the 1960s, is hard to beat for a good value summer fun break. Although mainly geared for the younger market, families and older visitors are also attracted by the glorious year-round climate and endless beach, but tend to stick together in the quieter areas.
Shopping: There is a fine choice of shops in Playa del Ingles where visitors can indulge in some duty free delights, including cheap electrical shops and stalls selling imitation designer wear and African curios. The shopping is mainly confined to the dozen or so Commercial Centres rather than spread out along the roads and each centre has its own distinctive character. Yumbo is the biggest and most popular and also houses the Tourist Information Centre. Five minutes away are the Kasbah and Metro centres, but the widest selection of quality designer wear is in nearby Plaza Maspalomas. Be aware that some salesmen can be quite aggressive: haggle hard and remember that the shop next door probably sells the same thing. The San Fernando Market is held every Wednesday and Saturday morning offering all the same sort of stuff.
Restaurants: There is a wide choice of places to eat in Playa del Ingles, from fast food (including McDonalds), Chinese, Italian and local cuisine, and rows of restaurants serving something with chips. One of the favourites is an Irish bar/restaurant called 'Finnegans', near the Yumbo Centre, and offers good British home cooking and does great breakfasts and Sunday roasts. Koala Burger in the Kasbah has good hotdogs and chips and nearby Bei Leo, although German, offers good English food. There are a selection of restaurants on the Avenida de Tirajana and Avenida de Tenerife, including the Harley Rock Café - a lively American-style diner. Those looking for some authentic local cuisine should try Casa Vieja in Calle de Fataga.
Nightlife: Playa del Ingles is packed with bars, pubs and clubs, especially in the Kasbah centre, which is home to the famous Cream and Pascha nightclubs, both of which pump out the best in dance music until the early hours. Chinawhites is also immensely popular. Also in the Kasbah is the Hippodrome, Havana and, next door, Sugar a small cocktail bar that is a good place to start the evening. The English and Irish centres are also lively and entertaining. The Yumbo centre is orientated towards the gay scene at night and Rickys Cabaret Bar has regular drag shows; the centre is also popular with families looking for a less hectic evening. There are quieter bars along the promenade and a casino on the edge of town.
Activities: For those who have had enough of the beach there is loads of entertainment and activities for all ages, including amusement arcades, mini-golf, tennis, golf, scuba diving, skydiving, water parks, go-carting, horse riding and camel riding. Water sports in Playa del Ingles include jet-skiing, windsurfing and banana boat rides.
Negatives: Visitors should be aware that there are lots of steps from some hotels and apartments to the beach, and that the centre of the resort can be very noisy until long into the night. Outside many bars and restaurants there are people with 'info' badges on their jackets - they are actually salesmen that work to promote bars and restaurants who get commission if you go with them; they can be very insistent but can be worth chatting up as they sometimes offer free drinks. Also watch out for the Moroccan women by the Kasbah wanting to shake your hand - they snap bracelets on your arms and then say you are cursed unless you pay them up to €15 to have them burnt off! Salesmen may even come into the restaurants, its best to be firm but polite and avoid getting into a conversation if you are not interested. The beach in Playa del Ingles is great, but visitors should be aware that there are lots of nudists among the Maspalomas dunes!

Attractions

Activities

Golf: There are four world-class golf courses on Gran Canaria. El Cortijo and was home to the Spanish Open in 2002 and is just outside Las Palmas. The Real Club de Golf is nearby in Bandama and is Spain's oldest golf club, founded in 1891; it is closed to non-members at weekends. The Maspalomas Club de Golf is located close to the sand dunes within a nature reserve, while the newest club, Salobre, is just 10 minutes drive east of Puerto Rico.
Camel rides : One of the most popular activities in the south of the island is a ride around the Maspalomas Dunes on the back of a camel. The trip usually lasts for around half an hour – the camels generally carry two passengers and walk behind one another as part of a ‘caravan’. Although camels can gallop at up to 35mph (56kph) they usually go at a more sedate pace. Camel rides can also be enjoyed at Fataga.
Jeep Safaris : The most spectacular scenery on the island can be found within the mountainous interior around Mount Tejeda. Jeep safaris take visitors around this area which has been almost completely untouched by tourism and offers wonderful views over rocky peaks, alpine forests and scenic reservoirs. Full-day tours can be organised in the resorts and leave most days of the week. Be aware of the changeable weather - in winter it can be snowing in the mountains while people soak up the sun on the beaches, up to 6,562ft (2,000m) below. Jeep safaris cost around €35 per adult and €25 per child.
Boat Trips : Boat trips of all sorts can be arranged from the resorts. The choice of boats is quite extensive, ranging from an all-day booze cruise aboard a 350ft (107m) liner, to smaller cruisers, yachts, catamarans and glass bottomed boats where visitors can take in the marine life below. In addition to cruising around the coast many boats drop anchor and offer swimming, snorkelling and banana boat rides. Jet skis and parasailing can also be arranged. The highlight of any cruise is usually the sight of dolphins playing around the boat.
Big Game Fishing : Gran Canaria is one of the best spots in the world for big game fishing and there are a number of companies competing for business. While blue marlin are the most highly prized trophy fish there are plenty of other species including white marlin, wahoo, dorado, yellowfin tuna, and mako and hammerhead sharks. Regular catches of blue marlin range from 331 to 496 pounds (150 to 225kg) with last year's record standing at 794 pounds (360kg). Trips cost around €45 including all equipment, but excluding lunch.