Things To Do In Gran Canaria

If lying around on the beach is not your thing, don’t worry. Gran Canaria is among the best of Spain’s holiday destinations in terms of things to do. The island offers a large selection of theme parks aimed at visitors of all ages and many are good for an entire day’s entertainment. If you are more into culture, then a large and impressive selection of museums and art galleries is also on hand. All in all, Gran Canaria has something to offer visitors of every background.

Aquasur

Situated in Maspalomas, Aquasur is a water-based theme park with something for all the family in its 130,000 square metres of space. The park is open all year and features various pools covering some 5,300 square metres as well as a whopping 33 slides and 13 water attractions including Congo River, Surf Beach, Kamikaze, Winder, Rapids, Twister and the exotic mini-park - Polinesia. Away from the water, there’s a mini golf course and various restaurants. Aquasur is the biggest of the island’s three water parks.

Ocean Park

Ocean Park is the smallest of Gran Canaria’s water parks, but it still offers a good selection of attractions and is good for an afternoon’s entertainment. Covering a total of 25,000 square metres, the park has 13 different slides, a selection of pools including a wave pool, plus various eateries. Bus services from various parts of the island run to Ocean Park at 20-minute intervals throughout the day.

Palmitos Park

Palmitos Park is the island’s most popular attraction for families and it offers a subtropical environment in which a huge selection of unique flora and fauna are on hand for viewing. Some 200 different species of birds live in the park and include toucans, cranes, peacocks, hummingbirds, macaws and flamingos. Other attractions in the park include a butterfly house, aquarium, orchid house and a cactus garden. Meanwhile, Gibbon Island is especially popular and is home to a community of white-handed gibbons, whose origins are from Burma and Malaysia, but who have been bred here in captivity.

Cocodrilo Park

Otherwise known as Crocodile Park, this popular visitor attraction is home to the biggest collection of crocs in Europe as well as a variety of other animals such as birds and monkeys. Some 300 crocodiles call the park home, while a large variety of tropical fish, a cactus garden and a parrot show are just a few of the other attractions on offer.

Holiday World

Holiday World is a popular theme/amusement park featuring traditional fun-fair style attractions such as a rollercoaster, a 27-metre high Ferris wheel, shooting stalls and a laserdome. An  on-site leisure centre offers a bowling alley, amusement arcades,  health spa and a fitness centre. Various restaurants and cafés are also on hand for food throughout the day. The park offers everything for a family day out and something for individual visitors too.

Sioux City

At Sioux City, visitors get the chance to take a step back to the days of the ‘Wild West’, when cowboys and Indians roamed the plains of America. Recreations of the environment feature mythical characters such as White Herb and famous cowboys such as Doc Holiday among others. Gunfights, saloons, western barbeques and other scenes are all faithfully represented here at Sioux City, with shows such as 'Duel until death', 'Bank robbery', 'Town square hanging' and 'Indian rain dance' among the most popular live performances. The park covers a massive 320 square metres and also features a zoo for young visitors.

Museums

A large part of Gran Canaria’s cultural and historic wealth is represented in its selection of museums which cover a broad range of subject matter and include details on everything from the island’s native past right up to its most recent contemporary historical events. At Museo Canario in Las Palmas, for example, visitors will find a facility containing ethnographical and archaeological collections as well as artistic creations. Meanwhile, at Museo de Historia de Agüimes, artefacts tell of the island’s history over the last five centuries, covering events such as the Castilian conquest of the island and the establishment of the Bishop’s Seat and estate (Señorío Episcopal). Other museums worthy of mention include Museo Elder de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Museo Néstor and Casa Museo Pérez Galdós, all of which are located in Las Palmas.