Gran Canaria-Spring Break

Where do you go for spring break in Europe? Well as you might have guessed, you can go to many different places. I got the opportunity to spend the break in Gran Canaria, one of seven oases in the Canary Islands.

No gap year is complete without a trip on Ryanair.
 

I soon figured out that Gran Canaria is much more than a beach destination, although it does have some the best beaches in Europe. It is like a mini continent-beaches, mountains, volcanoes (dormant), craters, it even can snow in some areas. My traveling buddies, Emma, Riley, Erin, and I had a bunch of fun on this island. Strap in and get ready to read about an action-packed, wild adventure!

Las Palmas
 

We stayed in the Northern part of the island, Las Palmas. The city has a great boardwalk and beach for sunbathers and surfers alike. I wish I could tell you more about the city, but we really didn’t spend too much time there.

View from the hostel
 

so cool

Our first day we took the guagua (meaning ‘bus’ in Gran Canaria-we invested a lot into this transportation system) to San Mateo to do some hiking. The trail led us up through the mountains and small towns. All along the way were gorgeous wildflowers with red, orange, and yellow petals. Waiting for us at the top were spectacular views of the rest of the island, soaking up the last rays of sunlight before the clouds blanketed themselves around the mountains.

Wooo! Hiking!
 

Emma taking in the view
 

Beautiful flowers
 

I'm the little orange spec in the distance
 

That evening we had some delicious crepes at the hostel and hit the sack early for an early start the next morning.

yumm
 

Day two of our adventure began at 6:15am to catch the guagua at 8am to the southern part of the island. Our destination was Maspalomas beach. The beach is famous for its natural sand dunes right along the coast. Walking over the dunes makes you feel like you are in a desert. After the small hike through the dunes, we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon on the beach.

Hey Erin
 

Photoshoot!
 

Getting artsy with Emma and her hat
 

At dusk, we went on a stargazing tour. Gauthier, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the stars, planets, and constellations. He shared an awesome presentation to us about space and where we were in relation to other stars in our universe. After the presentation, we looked through his gigantic telescope at nebulas, planets, stars, moons (ours and Jupiter’s), and even another galaxy!

Sunset from the mountains
 

Almost time to see some stars!!!!
 

There is no messing around with this telescope!
 

The third day was another beach day. This time we went to Puerto de Mogán. I got to try out my snorkeling skills in the small pools surrounded by rocks and was not disappointed. Colorful fish of all shapes and sizes swam a foot away from my face. Honestly, it was exciting and frightening at the same time. We stayed at the beach until nightfall, watching the sunset over the ocean from the jagged cliffs of the island.

For our final day in Gran Canaria, all of us did different things. Erin and I went to the center of the island to do some more hiking. We picked a trail that led us around a crater to Roque Nublo, a famous rock formation on the island. Roque Nublo is actually left over rock from an ancient volcano. As we circled the crater, we were gifted with stunning views of the densely forested valleys and far away ocean.

Finally we reached Roque Nublo; our rewards were more gorgeous views and lunch.

For our last night on the island, all four of us dressed up and went out for dinner.

We came to Gran Canaria with high expectations, and the island exceeded them. Tired, but happy and satisfied, we headed back to Sevilla, our second home. I’d call it a successful spring break.