The festivities begin with an opening speech (known as “pregón”) which is packed with wit and satire, afterwards, the competitions for the murgas, comparsas and music group’s start. Lots of other events occur during the time between these competitions and the final event, which is the Burial of the Sardine, when grieving “widows” in costume bid Carnival goodbye each year. Competitions such as the Carnival Queen Competition and gala ceremony, the Drag Queen Competition and gala ceremony and the Great Carnival Parade draw masses of participants.

Gran Canaria has some great opportunities to do some Walking or Hiking. The Regional Government (Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria) has invested in the revival of the Caminos reales (royal paths) and reopened them to the public. These very old paths were previously the only way to get around the interior of the island, centre on Cruz de Tejeda and branch out from there to cover large parts of Gran Canaria. Nearly 66,000 hectares of the island is protected land with rural parks, nature reserves, fully protected reserves and natural monuments, these old tracks provide access to most of this land. A number of these walks are recently built paths with some challenging ones that need serious climbs, but there are also some comparatively short and effortless walks.

The Island’s mountainous topography, combined with the mild climate, presents perfect conditions for mountain or race biking in Gran Canaria. There are several places, where you can rent a bike and do your trip independently, with numerous accessible routes, there are also a lot of leisure companies offering guided bicycle tours, which frequently include a picnic lunch.

For keen Golfers, there are presently six golf courses in Gran Canaria, three courses are located in the north and three in the south, four more are being constructed. Some of the courses include the Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas, which is a par 71, 18-hole course and is the oldest golf course in all of Spain. It is located south of the Pico de Bandama; this course offers breathtaking views over Caldera de Bandama, an amazing volcanic crater.

The Campo de Golf de Maspalomas is surrounded by dunes and is a par 73, 18-hole course. This exceptionally long and flat course has long, wide lanes. The nearness of the sea and the mild breezes cooled by the trade winds make a visit to this course a fantastic experience, even on the hottest days. El Cortijo de Campo is located in Autopista del Sur – Telde and is a par 72, 18-hole course. The course also offers scenic beauty with six lakes and over six hundred century-old palm trees surrounding them.

The Anfi Tauro Golf course is located at Barranco del Lechugal in the municipality of Mogán in the south of Gran Canaria. This par 3,  9-hole, course has impressive lakes of sparkling clear water and a large range of plants and flowers as well as glorious views of the mountains. As well as a putting green and a practice area, there is a totally flat practice tee with the option to practice from both sides.

Cuisine on Gran Canaria is much in keeping as with the rest of the Canary Islands. Fish is a major attribute of many dishes and locally caught fish for example - tuna, swordfish and sea bass which are generally served with mojo Verde, a scrumptious coriander and parsley sauce. Another favourite dish is fish stew and the famous sancocho which is prepared with stone bass or sea bream is a popular dish. Accompanying many fish dishes, are the renowned Canarian potatoes - papas Arrugadas.  Grilled, roasted or stewed rabbit dishes are all popular, served with papas Arrugadas. Other meat dishes are available, but are more expensive because the meat has to be imported.

There is a wide variety of restaurants on the Island to suit all ranges of budgets – especially in the resorts. There is an abundance of middle to high class restaurants, snack bars/cafés and fast food outlets available.  For delicious authentic local cuisine, the smaller places where the locals go are a safe bet. Restaurants don’t get really busy in the evening until around 9.00pm and people can still be dining at 11.00pm.

Accommodation on Gran Canaria ranges from budget to luxury, from apartment complexes, lower range hotels to luxury villas and 5* hotels. There is always something to suit everyone’s financial budget and personal preferences.

The liveliest resorts on the Island are Playa del Ingles and the commercial centre of Puerto Rico, where there are numerous bars that are open to 04.00am, and a wide variety of nightclubs that stay open to 06.00am. The quieter resorts of Maspalomas and some areas of Puerto Rico offer a more peaceful ambience.

The gay and lesbian scene in Gran Canaria is largely located in the south of the Island –particularly in Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles. The Yumbo Centre in Playa del Ingles is a huge multi-level complex of restaurants, bars, and clubs for all tastes - with more than forty of them exclusively for the gay scene.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the Capital of the archipelago and has a population of around 352,641. Today, Las Palmas is a very cosmopolitan City, nearby are the popular beaches of Las Canteras and Las Alcaravaneras and a busy harbour (Puerto de la Luz) – which was one of the busiest ports in the World during the 1970s to the early 1990s. The extremely unique and individual architecture in Las Palmas illustrates the influences of all five Continents, and its vibrant painted houses. Las Palmas Airport – LPA is the main airport for Gran Canaria.

The Fiestas de San Juan is the main City Festival held in June that celebrates the foundation of the City. There is also an excellent Theatre and Dance Festival and an International Film Festival. The very stunning Alfredo Kraus Auditorium was named after the memorable tenor from Gran Canaria and is located next to Las Canteras Beach.