Amusements, Eateries, Nightlife and Shopping!

Activities are in abundance in Maspalomas, it's hard to find the time to fit everything in; from water sports, day trips to shopping. There is just so much to see and do. There were loads of places we just didn't opt for this time around, but are definitely on the list for next time.

Our first stop was Holiday world, a big amusements centre with everything from Air hockey, bowling, to a roller coaster and Ferris wheel outside.

The place was huge but after wandering around it once, you've seen it all. It does seem a bit run down but the pricing is quite good. You can buy a pass with 60 units for €20 which lasted us 3 trips. We ended up giving it to someone when we were leaving as unless you go on all the amusements you wouldn't really use it up. It is really a family centre but to say it was peak season, it was never overly busy.

By far my favourite part of Maspalomas are the long stretching beaches from Playa del Ingles to Meleronas, with miles of sand dunes. There are some busy sections of the beach, but if you’re willing to walk a little way along you will find some stunningly beautiful spots which are a bit quieter, to soak up the sun. There is a nudist beach along here though, right in the middle, so keep your eyes to the sand if you’re shocked easily! We walked for over an hour and back and it was just such a relaxing thing to do by the sea. It’s also a great way to work on your tan if you bore easily by the pool, with the temperatures reaching 35c everyday.

There are literally masses of restaurants along the Playa del Ingles beach strip along with plenty of shops, and we ate in many of them; but by far the best food we had was in Meleronas and the Yumbo centre!The supermarkets are fantastic to, also great if you get a self catering apartment. We had plenty of meals on our patio, overlooking the pool.

This is the restaurant we visited in Meleronas - I cant remember the name!!

We went to La Candela in the Yumbo centre on our last night and the food was exquisite, both in taste and presentation. The décor was that of Old Hollywood glamour with easy lighting, but with a Spanish/ modern twist. It’s situated on the second floor of the Yumbo centre, and so we opted for a balcony seat as the night was breezy - which was a delicious break from the humidity - to soak up the relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant, along with the lively buzz of the bars and entertainment below. 

There are three Chinese buffets on the ground floor of the Yumbo centre, one out of three is worth a trip. The first night we arrived we had food in the Thailandia Chinese restaurant as I hadn't wanted to do the buffet thing. Our money was wasted - the meat had a rubbery texture and I was really disappointed as the service and presentation of the food was lovely. However a few days later we came back and decided to try the Chinese buffet just beyond Thailandia, by the stairs; and this was absolutely gorgeous and far cheaper than Thailandia. The service was impeccable and the waitress implored us to try the FIFTEEN types of ice cream - we politely declined.

It’s all about the nightlife in Gran Canaria – especially around Playa del Ingles where the Yumbo is situated! There are plenty of place to have a quiet drink but equal amounts of bars where you can dance until dawn! On our first night Sab suggested we head to a well know Show bar, Sparkles. We turned up just before the show started and sat outside on some high stools, I wanted to get a better view of the show so we squeezed in to find seats, one of the staff seated us front row and the fun started here! We got strips torn off us by Andi Martine one of the owners who was on stage pre show; all in good fun of course. I fell in Love. He is a great show man/ artist and I would travel back just to see him perform. Drag shows get a lot of bad press but this is one of the most professional acts I’ve ever been to, from the choreography to props.

MichealMarouli their leading show boy is another fine act with a whopping set of lungs on him, he really has a fabulous voice. Daniella Mantrapp is another of the cast and a fantastic performer. They have a fantastic team at Sparkles- taking time to chat with the audience, whilst engaging them in the acts; they certainly know how to show you a good time and keep you entertained. My face hurt, I laughed so much! All of the staff are extremely warm and friendly, but if you are in any way prudish, be warned this show isn’t for the faint hearted! Friday night is really the best night to go as they do a version of the Scissor sisters 'Let's have have a KiKi'!! It was brilliant - we made several trips to Sparkles and each night the show was brilliant – it is well worth a trip!

We visited a couple of other bars in the Yumbo, ManTrixx was not our cup of tea… it was DEAD quiet. We didn’t even finish our drinks and left bound for Coco Loco which was much more lively.

This is Si, lovely guy we met in Coco Loco

There really is nowhere like Gran Canaria for holiday shopping and you can't beat the prices and choice! My hat obsession was not helped by the huge amount of choice, and I had to limit myself to just one.

The only thing that I would warn against are the perfume shops. I had been advised before I went that they sold fake perfume and after experiencing the atmosphere in these shops, I would never buy here. Your best bet is to buy in the airport on the way over or way back. You can check out other peoples advice here, there seems to be a lot of con artists! Also, don’t be afraid to shop around and come back later or even better barter - what’s selling for €10 in one shop may be €7 in another a little further on!

Along the beach I also came across a place that did fish pedicures. I was a bit unsure but tried it anyway, it was certainly an experience. They don’t have teeth, so don’t bite you as such… more of a tickling sensation. My feet did feel quite soft afterwards though I didn’t like the way they  swarmed around my feet - but others could find this quite relaxing...

All in all Maspalomas has a lot to offer the tourist/ traveler, both high end or on a budget. Avoid preconceptions and taking advice too literally and go find out for yourselves - you might miss an amazing time otherwise!