I returned from Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria just over 4 weeks ago now and already it seems like a lifetime! As soon as I set foot back in England it seems like I was whizzed back to my desk (in my very boring temping job) and the tan started to fade in front of my very eyes!
It also ... Read review
The Parque Mar is a practical complex located in the heart of the popular Playa del Inglés ... more
beach resort, a short walk away from the Gran Chaparral shopping centre.Relax in the bright, functional rooms at the Parque Mar. Sunbathe on your private balcony, or go for a cool dip in the outdoor swimming pool.Keep in shape on holiday with a friendly game of tennis on the complex's court, and enjoy a tasty lunch outside at the restaurant.The Parque Mar also offers fantastic facilities for discovering the buzzing Playa del Inglés area. Rent a bicycle at reception and enjoy a lovely bicycle ride along the beach promenades.Alternatively, after taking advantage of the shuttle service from the airport, rent a car at reception in order to explore the beautiful island of Gran Canaria to the max..
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
This modern hotel, set in the heart of lively Playa del Inglés, caters for adults only. It ... more
is linked to main beach in this Gran Canaria resort by a free shuttle bus.At the Neptuno you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the heated lagoon swimming pool, shaded by pine trees. You can also stay fit in the gym before enjoying a meal in the buffet restaurant.Each evening, sit back and enjoy the live entertainment provided for adults only, head to the piano bar or experience the local nightlife. The property is set next to the Hard Rock Cafe and the Yumbo shopping centre..
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The hotel offers 412 units in two buildings with a lounge, sofa bed, bathroom, kitchen, ... more
fridge, terrace, in-room music, telephone, safe and satellite tv. most apartments overlook the sea and the dunes of maspalomas. facilities include an outdoor pool, heated pool in winter, solarium, bar, restaurant, internet corner, supermarket, garden, tennis table, pool tables, petanque, darts, children\'s and sporting entertainment, miniclub, shows and live music.
Set in the centre of Playa del Ingles, just a short walk from the beach, Los Porches is a ... more
complex with bungalows equipped with kitchens and small gardens, where you can relax in the sun and enjoy meals with all the family.Los Porches has its own outdoor swimming pool, surrounded by a sun terrace the ideal place to spend the day elaxing and soaking up the sunshine. Take a dip in the pool to keep cool, or to do some light exercise.Each of the bungalows is practically decorated, and boasts plenty of natural light. Prepare your own meals in the kitchen, and eat out on the terrace or in the small garden area.Ideally situated in the centre of Playa del Ingles, on the island of Gran Canaria the stunning beach is just a short walk from Los Porches..
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Parque Cristina is an attractive little bungalow complex situated in a peaceful location ... more
just 5 minutes walk from the beach and popular shopping centres.Boasting bright, nicely decorated rooms, the facilities at the Parque Cristina bungalows, including satellite TV, balcony, air-conditioning and heating, make it an ideal location for a sun-filled, relaxing break.Chill out under the parasols by the outdoor pool, take an invigorating dip in the water, or enjoy a drink out on the front porch.Alternatively, stroll down to the popular Playa del Inglés beach, where you can soak up the sun or try out water sports such as windsurfing.Savour delicious local cuisine at one of the numerous restaurants located in the area..
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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Advantages: Sunny, Hot, Lively, Lovely Beach, Great Nightlife! Disadvantages: Geared Towards 18-30's, Lacks Culture/Heritage!
I returned from Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria just over 4 weeks ago now and already it seems like a lifetime! As soon as I set foot back in England it seems like I was whizzed back to my desk (in my very boring temping job) and the tan started to fade in front of my very eyes!
It also seems much longer than 5 months ago that I found myself sat in Thomson's along with my 4 best friends eagerly planning our girly holiday to celebrate ... ...We finally decided on Playa del Ingles as it was the central party place in the Canaries, we were guaranteed endless sunshine to top up our tans and more importantly it was cheap! And so saw us departing for our 10 days frolicking in the sun just over 5 weeks ago now!
** Where is it? **
Gran Canaria is located in the Atlantic sea and makes up a quarter of the Canary islands (along with Fuerteventura, Lanzarote ... more
I returned from Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria just over 4 weeks ago now and already it seems like a lifetime! As soon as I set foot back in England it seems like I was whizzed back to my desk (in my very boring temping job) and the tan started to fade in front of my very eyes!
It also seems much longer than 5 months ago that I found myself sat in Thomson's along with my 4 best friends eagerly planning our girly holiday to celebrate passing (fingers crossed) the first year of our University degree. We finally decided on Playa del Ingles as it was the central party place in the Canaries, we were guaranteed endless sunshine to top up our tans and more importantly it was cheap! And so saw us departing for our 10 days frolicking in the sun just over 5 weeks ago now!
** Where is it? **
Gran Canaria is located in the Atlantic sea and makes up a quarter of the Canary islands (along with Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Tenerife). It lies between Fuerteventura and Tenerife, each island is easily reachable on a short flight from Gran Canaria. It's just over 200km away from the African cost and as such is able to share in their glorious hot weather. The island itself is actually of volcanic origin and as such is quite mountainous with a large peak in the centre of the island.
Playa del Ingles (which translates as "The Englishman's Beach) lies on the southern coast of Gran Canaria, approximately 30 minutes from the only airport on the island. The majority of tourist towns are also found on the south side of the island and Playa del Ingles is just a short taxi ride from Maspalomas, San Augustin and Puerto Rico.
The island itself takes between 4 and 5 hours to fly to from England depending which airport you use, all main airports fly to Gran Canaria (including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Birmingham).
** Climate & Weather **
This was one of the persuading factors for us when booking our holiday, all eager to secure that envious golden brown tan (each of us forgetting that we would inevitably burn on the first day). Gran Canaria has a spring/summer climate all year round, with temperatures in the summer averaging 22-27 degrees while in the winter they drop slightly to 17-22 degrees. The sea is equally as warm and the temperatures there tend to fluctuate between about 18 and 22 degrees all year round - good enough to have a bath in really! Luckily Gran Canaria is situated on the path of the trade winds (brings back my Geography GCSE now!), which means that there's a breeze blowing all year round so it'll stop you from sweltering in the summer heat!
** The Beach **
The beach is arguably one of the defining features of Playa del Ingles, there's a wide sandy beach that stretches right from Maspalomas (through Playa del Ingles) to San Augustin. There's also the huge sand dunes located just on the outskirts of Maspalomas which are certainly worth a look - brings the whole African theme even closer!
Most hotels offer a courtesy bus to the beach as it's about a 30 minute walk from those hotels set furthest back in the resort - at each bus drop off point on the beach in Playa del Ingles there's a selection of typical shops selling fast food, beach wear and small gifts. I found the beach to be amazingly clean, there wasn't a single piece of rubbish at the part we visited, it was a dark brown colour (not your typical golden sand but not as dark as the black sand which is typical of Tenerife beaches). The sea itself was warm, about 18 degrees while we were there and although it appeared a rather murky blue colour further out, in shore it was a crystal clear.
** Nightlife **
Of course being rowdy University students we were eager to sample the nightlife that Playa del Ingles had to offer! In the majority of resorts that are focused on nightlife there tends to be a "strip" or a street packed with bars in which the nightlife is centred around. However in the case of Playa del Ingles we found that the majority of entertainment was centred around what were known as "commercial centres" which were like small shopping malls in England. The main entertainment centres in Playa del Ingles were arguably the Kasbah centre, the Metro centre and the Yumbo centre. Other smaller ones included the Cita centre, the English centre and the Irish centre, each of these three had about 10-15 bars and restaurants obviously focusing on the theme of their name!
The Kasbah centre (and the Plaza which was almost co-joined) was arguably the biggest commercial centre in Playa del Ingles with over 200 bars and nightclubs to visit. This boasted the famous Cream and Pascha nightclubs which ran until about 7am in the morning. There was a huge selection of bars, some more family orientated than others and certainly something to satisfy everyone's music needs. Rodger's, the Hippodrome, Liquid and Havana are to name just a few of the bars situated within the Kasbah centre.
Gran Canaria has also been suggested as the Gay Capital of Europe - something we weren't aware of at time of booking and a fact that caused us a few sleepless nights before we left! However don't let that put you off, the gay scene is centred around the Yumbo Centre which is family orientated until about 10pm at night. After 10pm we didn't actually venture here but I heard that some of the bars there were the best on the island so it's maybe worth a look!
** Shopping **
Again the majority of shops can be found in the various commercial centres that are found within Playa del Ingles. There's a multitude of gift shops and perfume shops in which all items are fairly reasonably priced, we found most perfumes to be about £10 less than their equivalents in England so it's well worth stocking up while you're out there! There's also quite a few cheap electrical shops, designer clothing ones which sell imitation items and jewellery shops too - my friend bought some sun glasses out there at almost half price to what they were in the airport when coming out so if you're into bargain hunting then you simply have to check out the shops!
The Yumbo is the biggest shopping centre (it also houses the Tourist Information Centre too) but if you want to venture a little further afield it's worth checking out the Plaza centre in Maspalomos for the biggest selection of designer items. There's also the famous San Fernando Market which is held every Wednesday and Saturday mornings, this offers a wide array of local gifts as well as higher demand items such as jewellery - try haggling if you dare!
** Eating Out **
You name it, you can find it in Playa del Ingles! There's fast food available if you want something typically English (including McDonalds and Burger King outlets), there's also Chinese, Italian, Greek and local cuisine with over 200 restaurants being found in Playa del Ingles there's something to satisfy everyone! We found the best one's to be…
"Finnegans" which is located near the Yumbo centre and run by Irish people - it offers a great range of British foods including a Sunday roast!
"Merlin" which again is found about 2 minutes from the Yumbo centre and offers traditional Spanish food and the best seafood we've ever tasted!
** Accommodation **
There's a wide range of selection in Playa del Ingles, with approx. 250 hotels/apartments to choose from. There's something to suit every budget and everyone's needs - from all inclusive luxury to the budget self catering! There's a variety of sites you can use to view the accommodation, here's some of the ones we checked out...
Thomsons, Thomas Cook, First Choice and Lunn Poly all fly to Gran Canaria too.
** Transport **
As with every holiday resort there's the option to hire mopeds, bikes and cars for a daily rental price, we didn't actually look into this but at a glance the local prices seemed quite similar to those in Spain and Greece. The majority of hotels buy into a free courtesy bus that runs every half hour around Playa del Ingles, stopping at each of the centres and the beach too. There are also bus routes that run through Playa del Ingles and link up with the other resorts nearby, these run hourly and timetables are available from the Tourist Information Centre.
Apart from that there's the typical taxi mode of transport - in Playa del Ingles taxi's are red and white with a green light on top when they're available. If you stay within the resort then you can expect to pay about £2.50 for your journey but once you leave the resort the cost goes up quite rapidly, it's about £40 to the airport, which is 30 minutes away.
** Prices **
Gran Canaria is still a "duty free" island so the goods you buy are at cost price with no taxes added back on, however there are limits on how much you can bring back into the UK. Perfumes and electrical items I found to be quite a bit cheaper than the UK with most large perfumes being sold at 40 Euros compared to £55 in the UK.
Alcohol is poured "free handed" with no real measures - if you order a vodka and coke you can expect it to be half vodka and half coke! The prices vary and you'll find that most bars/clubs offer incentives such as 2 for 1 or 2 free shots, typically you can expect to pay between 3 and 8 Euros for a drink but you'll almost always find you get another drink free and usually a shot or 2 as well!
Supermarkets in Playa del Ingles aren't that cheap at all really, if you're looking to buy English brands then you'll pay well above the odds as they have to fly in these products especially. You can get basic groceries such as bread and milk fairly cheaply though. It's usually easier to eat out as we found you could get a descent meal for about 5 Euros going up to about 15 Euros for a 3-course meal.
** Negatives **
Playa del Ingles isn't for you…
If you're looking for a peaceful and tranquil getaway, it's the exact opposite really with nightlife buzzing on until at least 6 am in the morning and a heavy concentration of 18-30's partygoers frequenting the streets in an evening.
If you're looking for a natural and unspoilt location, once again it's the exact opposite and does resemble a concrete jungle almost with the majority of land having a hotel or commercial centre planted on it.
If you're looking for somewhere full of culture and history, to be honest it's purpose built for tourism with the majority of shops being catered to tourist's needs and the landscape being full of hotels with very little culture (apart from Spanish cuisine) in sight.
** Excursions **
If you do decide to hire a car then you can travel from one side of the island to the other in just over an hour so it's easy to get around. There's also a bus running around the island which can easily transport you to the majority of attractions, here's just a few...
The Aqualand water park is located just a short drive away in Maspalomas and is part of the Aqualand chain that's found in the rest of Spain but it's an ideal way to spend a day splashing around in the water or relaxing in the quieter areas. It's 21.50 Euros for adults and 15.25 Euros for children so not the cheapest day out really but well worth it! We visited on a Wednesday and found it to be fairly quiet, only ever having to queue a few minutes for any of the slides - be warned food and drink is pretty expensive here though so it's worth taking your own things, there's plenty of lockers available to store them in too. It gets a 4/5 from me!
The Corralillos Park is another place worth a visit, it's home to more than 300 crocodiles and alligators from all over the world, feeding time is a must and it's under 10 Euros for adults and under 7 Euros for children to enter. The last place we visited was Sioux City which was the set for an American western film in 1972 and still retains this feel but has now been altered into a theme park. There's also live acts during the day including bank robberies and rodeos - it left us all feeling rather exhausted! It gets 5/5 from me as there's something for all the family!
** My Experience **
We visited Playa del Ingles at the end of June for 10 days - 5 girls going out looking for some fun in the sun! And that's exactly what we found! The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny blue skies everyday with not a cloud in sight, temperatures fluctuated between about 24 and 32 degrees with them falling to around 16 degrees at night.
In my opinion the resort was ideal for us but I should point out that it is very much geared towards the young and the 18-30 crowd so possibly not the best location for a family holiday or a romantic getaway really! There's not much in the way of culture as previously stated, it is very much of a tourist built resort so if you were looking to see ruins or Spanish heritage then there's not really a lot about.
** Conclusion **
I loved my time in Playa del Ingles, it was an ideal setting for the type of holiday we wanted. If you're looking for a lively holiday then it's certainly a place you should look at, or for a more family orientated holiday there are some lovely hotels out there so as long as you're not next door to one of the lively centres it shouldn't be a problem! And so there you have it, my wonderful holiday all wrapped up into one review... just need to start planning the next one now!
Advantages: Lovely people, hot weather, plenty to see and do Disadvantages: None.
...am writing this review on Playa del Ingles, I hope this review will be helpful to you all.
The very last hoilday me and my boyfriend had before he died in a car crash was a hoilday I would never forget, it was out of this world.
I think that a hoilday is what you make it but a nice place, lovely weather, lovely food and plenty of things to do help in making a wonderful hoilday.
As most of you all ready know there are a lot of myths and legends ... ...half an hour to reach Playa del Ingles which isn't bad.
The Beach ----------------
The beach in Playa del Ingles is huge, well the biggest beach I have ever been to. The wide golden beach runs from Maspalomas right to San Augustin,through Playa del Ingles.
The one thing you will notcie straight away is the hundreds of umbrellas and beds in lines.
Watersports in Gran Canaria
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With Gran Canaria having ...
Kerrie-123 08.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Playa Del Ingles
Advantages: Everything is close, within a couple of euros in a cab, and it's a very friendly resort Disadvantages: can be crowded in high season
...been on several holidays to Playa del Ingles, with my boyfriend and we both love it. I'll start with the beach, although the beach is nice i prefer to jump in a cab (about 3 euros) and pop over the maspalomas beach. PDI tends to get very very busy, high season can be a nightmare and by the end of the day, you may find yourself being smacked in the side of the head by a mac donalds wrapper. The dunes though are beautiful, and worth the wander down ... ...although watch where your going because you may end up in the nudist beach. which gave me the shock of my life as i wasn't expecting to see a couple of hundred brown bums looking at me (but that's what you get for not paying attention). the sand is black but they have put white sand over the top so you only see a little of it, and mostly if the weather has roughed the sea up a bit. but it's safe to swim and normally quite warm off season.
I love ...
EmmaLOU_lloyd 16.07.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Playa Del Ingles
Advantages: great british pubs,good shopping,good food,very friendly Disadvantages: shop owners try to push into buying
Went to Playa del Ingles last year,we were there for gay pride and it was absolutely amazing.The Yumbo center has a lot to offer,in the day time it has tons and tons of shops from tobacco shops to electrical,fragrances and tons of fashion shops.In the night the yumbo center is filled street performers and cabaret bars my favourite rickys bar a must see show.there is a water park just a short bus ride away make sure you wear sun lotion as i got burnt ... ...people aware when you go into the town center be careful there are loads of people promoting there pubs offering you free bottles of champagne and buy one get one free drinks once inside they charge you full price for everything we were only in the pub for about 20 minutes and only had two drinks they tried to charge us nearly 200 euros. ...
dannat1810 16.05.2008 (04.07.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Playa Del Ingles
Advantages: Hot, sun sea sand. Nightlife, shopping, cheap Disadvantages: Having to come home and the hangover
My girls holiday in Play del Ingles june/july 2005 was amazing!!
We stayed in Corona Blanca Apartments on a package deal organized by Direct Holidays. It was great from first arrivng, the hotel was much better than it looked on the pictures and 500m from the beach, 200m from the clubs and 100m from Spar shop. The first morning waking up was all about exploring the resort, it was about 34 degrees and slightly breezy to take the edge off the sun. ... ...plenty of restaurants along the beach front and even a MacDonalds.Great!! Nightime came and us girls put on our dancing shoes and went to grab a meal from a nearby steak house then hit the Kasbah comercial centre, we were soon booked in to 2pub crawls and a booze cruise all for a very reasonable price. Got very drunk at cheap rates. When you order your drink for approx 6 euros, you receive your drink times 2 and a free shot or house cocktail which ...
lydt5880 22.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Playa Del Ingles
Advantages: its central to all nightlife, and the shopping centers Disadvantages: which ever way you decide to take, you will end up going up a hill
this is a great place for families, single people and even better if your gay.
My family holiday'd in july 06, there was 4 adults and 4 kids on our trip. We stayed at the walhalla apartments, wich although are stated as a family apartments when I stayed there were more young couples and groups staying there.
Any ways, up the top of the road is a nice chinese resturant, fantastic food, and the best sweet and sour chicken I have ever tasted highly ... ...little further you have the irish bar omalley's, the kids loved there nights in this small bar as they do a kareoke and quizz.
the food was ok, good english pub grub, but nothing to write home about.
Over the road at the yumbo you have so much to choose from, cafe la bell what a night out.... the kids and the parents will love this place, they totally entertain you, even before you walk in there doors, as they are outside to invite you in, onnly ...
ch_moonbeam 02.01.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Playa Del Ingles
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
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Advantages: Centrally located, great staff, great apartments. Disadvantages: None
PlayaDelIngles in Gran Canaria.....what a place! i love it there, even though i've only ever been twice in my whole life if i could afford to go every year this is the place i'd go, well here and Salou ;)
I recently went to PDI (short for PlayaDelIngles) in July 2007 for 2 weeks, with my young daughter who's 6 and my mum (don't ask lol), we were booked into the Jardin Del Sol appartments, obviously i did abit of research beforehand as i like to know what to expect when traveling with my daughter and the reviews i read were ok, like with most reviews you'll get some great ones and some not so great, where ever you stay it all depends on the person and what you yourself make of the place, but here's my 2 pence worth anyway.
It was roughly a 15 minute coach ride, possibly abit faster if your in a taxi from the airport in Las ...
Advantages: nice rooms and pool, good location Disadvantages: food leaves a lot to be desired
Last month me and my mum set off to PlayadelIngles in Gran Canaria and our destination once we got there was the Partner PlayadelIngles. I was really looking forward to this holiday as I've had a bit of a bad time of late and was looking forward to escaping - I'd been to PlayadelIngles before so knew what to expect, and was dying to get some sunshine.
*****LOCATION*****
The Partner Playa is situated fairly centrally in PlayadelIngles, as opposed to the hotel we stayed at on our last trip (the IFA Continental) - our room was directly opposite the Plaza, Metro and Kasbah shopping centres, which meant it was just a quick trip around the corner if we felt like going shopping. It was also only a short walk from the beach, less than five minutes away in fact. (Of course, that's not taking into account the tons of steps you have ...
Advantages: caters for all ages, good waterpark Disadvantages: none that I can think of
I went to PlayadelIngles in July of this year. I am 19 and went with my boyfiend. We chose this resort because it promised to be lively-and it was! We travelled with Just holidays and stayed self catering in the Liberty Apartments. The cost of the holiday was reasonable and the apartments were centrally located though quite a walk from the beach, and although quite basic was very pleasant and quite a 'young' hotel with a poolside bar and small convenience shop. I would recommend the nightlife to any age. It is typical of a large resort such as this which claims to be the second biggest in Europe. The English centre seems more catered towards families with numerous pubs and restaurants, as opposed to the Plaza and Kasbah Centres which cater for people like us with even more clubs and bars. Look out for bars with offers such as two ...
