What made me venture to the Canary Islands:
I have always felt incredibly fortunate to have been able to travel as much as I did while I was abroad. Yes, I saved my money for years before heading to Barcelona, but I just had so many places I was dying to see with my very own eyes. Throughout my year, I saw more places than I had ever imagined. Every weekend was a spontaneous adventure.
There was nothing I would have done differently. However with that being said, many of my weekend trips were far from a relaxing holiday.
Something that I never considered before I started my journey was how draining traveling could be. Not just physically, which took a toll on me, but mentally as well. Every weekend, my mental state was challenged in some form or another.
Whether it was trying to find my hostel without any wifi (it’s a struggle let me tell you), trying to navigate a foreign airport in a different language or just the constant battle of balancing my money. Balancing a budget was one of the biggest struggles all in itself.
I learned very quickly that traveling is not always as perfect as some might think. It can be quite challenging, but it also makes it that much more rewarding at the end of the day.
So now let’s fast forward to when I was abroad. I was in the 2nd half of my last semester. I had crossed off a huge chunk of my bucket list but was not quite completely satisfied just yet. I had more destinations on my bucket list than I could fit within a year’s time.
While my dreams bounced from small fishermen communities along the Amalfi Coast to secluded alpine ski villages, I couldn’t decide where to venture next. At this point, I was looking for something a little more relaxing. Every weekend my agenda was jam-packed with sightseeing, partying, getting lost more than I’d like to admit, or a combination of it all. For this trip, I decided it was time to do something more low-key.
I was craving a day lounging on the beach with zero obligations. One where I could just show up, take a siesta on the sand, and get some good ole’ vitamin D. March in Europe is not exactly paradise when it comes to the weather. In fact, there were very limited options of having sunny weather, even for Spain.
One of the closest options we decided to gamble on was the Canary Islands. From all the research we had done, the Canary Islands was one destination in Europe that had a very consistent warm climate year-round, and always had great flight deals from Barcelona. Sold!
The Canary Islands are made up of a small cluster of volcanic islands sitting off the coast of Africa. Technically, even though it looks pretty far from the main land, these islands are still a part of Spain. The Canary Islands were a place I had always wanted to visit. Not because I knew anything about this area in particular, but solely for the fact that my Cuban grandmother’s ancestors originated from this part of the world.
I take great pride in my Spanish heritage and am always looking for ways to be connected in any way I can. Since a visit to Cuba was not realistic in my near future, the Canary Islands would be the next best option for some type of pilgrimage.
From Barcelona, I flew into Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. For under 100 euros round trip, the Canary Islands was the cheapest flight we could find with just a week before departure. My sister and her roommates had left a day before I had, which meant I would be taking my very first solo flight.
I had been in Europe since September, and I was finally flying by myself for the first time in March… I know it’s embarrassing. But hey, better late than never, right?
Transportation:
As soon as I got off the plane, my sister had sent me directions to get to Playa de Puerto Rico where our hotel was near. While taxis are available, this was not going to be an option with my limited budget. Public bus was the way to do it!
Since they had several bus lines running throughout the day from the airport, I assumed getting to my hotel would be a piece of cake, right? Well, not exactly. Let’s just say figuring out public transportation in Gran Canaria is a lot more than I initially bargained for.
I will warn you now; the bus system is VERY confusing, and that’s not due to that fact that I am extremely directionaly challenged. I ended up waiting an hour and a half for a particular bus, and turns out, several other buses were going in that same direction… Nice.
I didn’t want to hop on a different bus and end up getting lost when I could just be patient and wait for the right one to come. It also didn’t help that the buses completely disregarded the schedule that was posted online and at the bus stop.
Even the people who worked for the bus company couldn’t help me because they had no idea which bus would be coming up next. My suggestion, Get on a bus that you think is going in your direction and just ask the bus driver yourself if you’re on the right bus.
I ended up hopping on a bus that the majority of the other travelers scrambled on. I showed the driver my stop on a piece of paper since my level of Spanish is far from perfect. He just waved for me to sit down, so I did as the man said and pulled up Google maps on my phone to see where I was going. International phone plan saved my life yet again.
From the bus window, I followed the rocky terrain along the soaring coastline of Gran Canaria. It surprisingly reminded me a lot of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The landscape was dry as a desert, showcasing harsh rocky cliffs and scattered hotels lined with golf courses.
It didn’t take long for me to realize this island had been very industrialized for the holiday goers and tourists. However, even with that minor negative detail, the natural and pure beauty still shined, even through the dirty back window of my public bus. With the shimmering water peaking between each hillside, I knew I was in for a weekend holiday treat.
The bus ride took almost an hour with all the stops, but finally, after a long day of travel, I finally made it. If you plan on taking public transportation, check out this website for the bus schedule!
Accommodations:
I met up with my sister and her roommates at the Bahia Blanca apartments by Puerto Rico Beach. This accommodation sat on a hillside overlooking the ocean for miles on end. There were 6 of us girls all staying together.
We ended up getting one room to cut the cost down, so we each only had to pay 25 euros for the entire weekend. Now I don’t recommend this considering the hotel is very against sneaking extra people, but sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do when you’re ballin’ on a budget.
The location was great for us. Within ten minutes, we could walk down to La Playa de Amadores or La Playa de Puerto Rico. Within a 15 minute walk, we could be in the center of town with lots of dining options and souvenir shops. The hotel was also walking distance to the port where all the excursions took off from.
Playa de Amadores:
As soon as I put down my luggage, I was throwing on my bathing suite to enjoy the last few hours of sunlight on our first day. We walked down a path that led from the top of a cliff, down to Playa de Amadores.
The winding stone road spiraled downward with spectacular views of the ocean that stretched far past the horizon. Blue waters glimmered from below, as we got closer and closer to the pristine oasis of a beach.
Once we finally made our way down to the sand, my heart was filled with contentment. We had a quiet bay with calm turquoise waters all to ourselves. While I know for a fact this beach is packed like sardines during the summer months; we got to thoroughly enjoy this peaceful view on a breezy afternoon in late March without any other beach goers in sight.
Booze Cruise Catamaran Ride:
The next day, we decided to plan a fun activity. Through a company called Afrikat, we signed up for a 5-hour catamaran ride that would sail around the southwest coast of Gran Canaria. We spent the majority of the 5 hours drinking unlimited sangria and cervezas, while switching off between dancing and napping.
Half way through the excursion, we anchored in the crystal blue bay of “El Perchel.” This remote corner of the island was swarming with metallic schools of fish and crystal clear waters. We were provided with snorkel gear and took full advantage within minutes of anchoring. Even though the water was surprisingly cold, we immediately jumped off the back of the catamaran and threw on our snorkel gear.
A light lunch was provided while we were floating in the bay. Before heading back, we toured nearby sea caves by speedboat. This was a nice supplementary activity for our weekend of “non-sightseeing.” After an hour or two, we sailed back to the port for a relaxing afternoon of napping under the sun.
I must admit, I don’t remember the ride back at all considering I was sleeping the entire way home. Once I woke up, I noticed that my whole group of girls had been doing the same.
I’m sure all the other passengers on this 35 person catamaran were quite happy, considering a group of loud American girls got a little loud at times (sorry for validating our already known stereotype ). But hey, it was such a beautiful and sunny day, we were all just happy to be together in such a beautiful place.
We each spent 45 euros online, but since we didn’t have to spend money on museums or tourist attractions, it was definitely worth it.
Food:
While most places I visit I end up ranting and raving about the local cuisine, I have to say I was pretty disappointed in the food options here. It seems like every restaurant in town was gawking to get any tourist into their restaurant. Every dining option proudly displayed a menu in 5 or more languages, which to me, is always a sign to stay clear.
Even the town itself, with all of the shops, seemed to be run down and outdated in my opinion. While we only saw the areas surrounding Puerto Rico Beach, which is not a fair depiction of the rest of the island, that was our initial impression of restaurants in the surrounding area.
Did we dine at spectacular restaurants during our weekend in Gran Canaria? No, far from it. However, it wasn’t that the food was terrible either. I just wouldn’t suggest going to Gran Canaria if you are expecting to have an out of this world culinary experience.
All in all, would I suggest visiting Gran Canaria? Absolutely!
If anything, go for the raw beauty of the island itself. Go with zero expectations. If you are looking just to relax and unwind, Gran Canaria is the perfect weekend getaway. Whether it’s a romantic vacation for two or a much-needed girls trip, anyone will fall in love with Gran Canaria’s rugged cliffs and serene turquoise waters.
So maybe I didn’t learn too much about my family’s background from the Canary Islands, but all in all, it was a wonderful weekend filled with friends, sangria, and some high-quality relaxation.
Sometimes when studying abroad, it’s important to break up your travels with different kinds of destinations. This will give you a greater perspective on traveling in general. For us, Gran Canaria was a great way to do this. This “vacation” from our vacation was greatly appreciated.
-xox Dani
Have you ever traveled to the Canary Islands? If so, which island did you visit? How did you experience compare to mine? Feel free to comment below and share your trip!
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