Gran Canaria is an island of stark contrasts, combining beautiful golden sands and emerald mountains, whitewashed villages and buzzing tourist resorts, traditional Canarian dishes and British pub grub, local festivities and pulsating nightclubs, and crystal-clear lakes and fun-packed water parks. Tourists choosing holidays in Gran Canaria often head to the popular resorts of Playa del Ingles, Puerto Rico or Maspalomas.

Playa del Ingles 'the Englishman's beach', is, as the name suggests, especially popular with British tourists. The large resort comprises a one-kilometre stretch of golden sandy beach lined with a promenade bursting with shops, bars, restaurants, discos and nightclubs. Puerto Rico is famous for its gently shelving sands, chic boutiques, fun-filled water park and animated nightlife. The spectacular pyramid-like sand dunes of Maspalomas are not to be missed. The resort also features a four-mile stretch of beach - popular with sunbathers, swimmers and water sports enthusiasts alike. Holidays in Gran Canaria include popular family excursions to Aqua Park, Ocean Park and Aquasur.

The favourite resort for partygoers is Playa del Ingles, with its cocktails bars on the beach, dazzling neon lights, karaoke bars, and relentless drinking and dancing till dawn in the abundance of discos and nightclubs. Holidays in Gran Canaria are not complete without a visit to the island's capital, Las Palmas, with its 15th-century architecture, House of Columbus, the Canarian Museum, and the picturesque gardens of Doramas Park. Alternatively, Las Palmas also offers excellent shopping facilities, from chic boutiques to extensive shopping malls.