PUERTO RICO
Area: Gran Canaria
Country: Spain


Location:
On SW coast. 45 miles SW of Las Palmas. 10 miles W of Playa del Ingles. 28 miles SW of airport.

Telephone code from UK:
34

Position:
Shoe-horned into steep cleft between barren cliffs.

Description:
An exceptional microclimate, a tree-shaded traffic-free promenade, two marinas and beach have made Puerto Rico a popular package-holiday resort with the emphasis on sun, sea and sustenance. Nearly everything has been built since the 1960s, in a simple modern Mediterranean style, with plain white blocks crawling up parched escarpments. The resort is generally clean and well maintained, with tumbling flowers and the inevitable Canary palms and cacti, but there is little here of historical interest or beauty and you have to search for any true Spanish flavour. The whole area is also very hilly with many steps and steep ascents and, although only about two miles across as the crow flies, the twisting, winding roads which negotiate the town make real travelling distances longer. The main commercial centre is compact and borders on tacky, offering clubs, bars and shopping. There is a second, almost identical commercial centre on the W hillside, offering the same type of entertainments, while more simple eating places can be found on the oceanfront.

Suitability:
Families and couples with a preference for a compact, modern, purpose-built destination offering a good range of facilities and vibrant nightlife. Those with buggies or mobility problems might have difficulty with locations further up the steep hillsides.

Accommodation:
Mainly moderate apartment blocks.

Shopping:
Commercial centres and scattered premises provide a limited range of mainstays, as well as boutiques, fashion outlets and tacky gift shops.

Beach:
A man-made cove with fine, light-coloured sand, gently shelving and suitable for children; can get crowded. Larger, attractive man-made beach of Amadores, one mile NW along the coast, can also get quite crowded. Neither beach has lifeguards, buoys or warning flags.

Entertainments:
Daytime: minigolf, tennis, bowling, windsurfing, sailing, water-skiing and fishing. Nightlife: choice of bars and discos.

Eating:
Pavement cafes and restaurants to suit most budgets, including the inevitable fast-food joints, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, German and international; British breakfasts available in abundance.

Public-transport:
Regular, cheap bus to Playa del Ingles. Local service.

Local-excursions:
See Playa del Ingles.