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Skydive
Get back to nature – in
more ways than one – at the
Maspalomas Sand Dunes. These
famous mounds are a designated
Special Nature Reserve and
are a popular place for nude
sunbathing. If you want to be even
more daring, visit Skydive Gran
Canaria, based on the edge of the
dunes, for a 20-minute flight and
tandem jump.
Aeródromo El Berriel, S/N,
35107 San Bartolome de
Tirajana; tel: +34 928 157 325,
skydivegrancanaria.es
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Surf School
The island’s year-round sunshine
and steady north-easterly winds
make Gran Canaria a hotspot for
surfers and kitesurfers alike, who
grab their boards and head for
La Punta, at the southern end of
Playa del Ingles beach, to catch
some gnarly tubes. Beginners can
enjoy smaller waves elsewhere
or learn with the BSA-trained
instructors at the Surf School of
Gran Canaria, €45 for one day or
€225 for a five-day course.
Centro Comercial Nilo,
63 CP 35100, San Fernando de
Maspalomas, tel: +34 639 624
310, surfgranganaria.com
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Jeep Safari
From lakes to sand dunes,
from the dramatic Pico de
las Nieves (Peak of Snows) to
the picturesque Fataga ravine
– known as the Valley of a
Thousand Palms, Gran Canaria
has a diverse and beautiful
landscape, and the only way to
see it properly is from the seat
of a jeep with a tour guide sitting
next to you. It means you’ll enjoy
the bits that poolside layabouts
don’t get to see.
Through Ultramar Tours;
tel: +34 902 102 521, isandgo.com
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Scuba Dive
Angel sharks, butterfly rays,
bright-red parrotfish or
shimmering shoals of silver
roncadores – it’s the huge variety
of local species that makes Gran
Canaria one of the top 100 dive
locations of the world. Scuba
divers shouldmake a beeline
for the Arinaga Marine Reserve,
better known as El Cabrón, for the
rare chance to catch seahorses,
poetically named nudibranchs
(sea slugs) and even the
occasional turtle. Beginners can
learn here too, with year-round
PADI courses.
39 Calle Luis Velasco, Playa de
Arinaga; tel: +34 699 721 584,
davyjonesdiving.com
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Submarine Excursion
Those who want the underwater
experience without the effort
of scuba can go below on a
Yellow Submarine sea excursion,
a 40-minute trip to visit two
shipwrecks on the ocean’s
bottom. Fully safety-inspected,
air-conditioned tours dive several
times each day fromPuerto de
Mogán, a beautiful little fishing
village on the west coast often
referred to as Little Venice. If it’s
good enough for the Fab Four...
Pier, Puerto de Mogán, tel: +34
928 565 108, justgrancanaria.com
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Wildlife Park
Meet the animals at Palmitos
Park, home to a huge array of
birds, reptiles, mammals and
aquaria, with botanical gardens,
aviaries and a pelican lake. The
must-do here is the up-close-
and-personal Dolphin Encounter,
an educational, eco-friendly
alternative to swimming with
these glorious creatures.
Barranco de Los Palmitos
S/N, 35109Maspalomas, tel:
+34 928 797 070, palmitospark.es
WORDS SAM HARRINGTON-LOWE | ILLUSTRATION ©MARC ASPINALL
WHAT IS A
BIOSPHERE?
It’s said that Gran Canaria is to
botany what the Galapagos Islan
are to zoology – over 100 species
of plant that grow on the island ar
uniquely indigenous. The island al
has a number of microclimates, li
the central Tejeda Caldera valley,
offering extraordinary biodiversit
plant and bird life, withmany spe
of reptiles as well, not tomention
dolphins and whales in the waters
That’s why the island was
designated a UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve in 2005. This status is
awarded by UNESCO to an area
of land that contains biodiversity
together with sustainable use. Th
status means that the variety of fl
and fauna are under protection a
preserved for observation, makin
safe haven for ecological abunda
a “living laboratory”.
Gran Canaria’s total reserve ar
covers more than 100,000 hectar
– some 43%of the island’s surfa
– including a large marine area al
the south-west coast. Sustainabl
practice, in both fishing and touri
is helping to protect the wildlife a
unique ecosystemhere, and ensu
the island’s wildlife survives in an
uncertain world.
For more information on Biospher
Reserves visit
unesco.org
Thanks to its flora, Gra
Canaria is home to a
protected nature reser
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