Five Family-Friendly Days Out on Gran Canaria

With long hours of sunshine and even longer stretches of beach, the Canary Island of Gran Canaria is the perfect place for families to relax, have fun and spend some much-needed time together. What’s more, even if your family isn’t the type to spend hours laying in the sunshine you’ll find plenty to do, with waterparks, theme parks and historical attractions to be found on all corners of the island. To help you plan your perfect getaway in Gran Canaria, here are our top five days out that all the family will enjoy.

Sioux City, San Agustin
The Wild West comes to south Gran Canaria at Sioux City, where cowboys, Indians, can-can girls and sheriffs still rule the town, and always put on a show to remember for their visitors, young and old! At this Western-themed park you can watch authentic recreations of battles between the town’s residents, plus watch fabulous dancing and acrobatic displays, and of course eat plenty of tasty home-cooked food. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s even a small petting zoo too.

Barranco de Guayadeque, Ingenio
See some of Gran Canaria’s most stunning sights, and learn a little about its history too at Barranco de Guayadeque, a nature reserve on the site of an ancient Guanche settlement. Here you’ll find pre-historic burial grounds and caves that will fascinate budding young historians, plus over 80 species of plants including cacti, pine and almond trees provide a beautiful backdrop to an intriguing day out.

Palmitos Park, Maspalomas
With affordable hotels like the Maspalomas Oasis Club at the heart of the resort, Maspalomas has become a firm favourite among families visiting Gran Canaria, particularly with the fantastic Palmitos Park so close by. This sub-tropical oasis is not only home to over 200 species of birds, an aquarium and a cacti garden, but also boasts the largest butterfly house in Europe, which is sure to enchant visitors of all ages.

Cueva Pintada Museum, Audiencia
After years of careful excavation and restoration, the Cueva Pintada Museum has finally been opened to the public and offers visitors to Gran Canaria a real insight into the lives of aborigines that lived on the island many centuries ago. The unique museum is built around the site of an ancient settlement that was discovered inside a cave, and you’re able to explore the site via a walkway, making it one of the truest ‘interactive museums’ in Europe! Adult and child visitors alike will be gripped by the stories of how the original inhabitants lived, and by their intricate geometric cave paintings from which the museum takes its name.

Aqualand, Playa del Ingles
What better way to cool down in the Gran Canaria heat than by spending the day at a waterpark? At Aqualand, you’ll find water slides and rides of all shapes and sizes that will thrill both adults and kids alike. Daredevils will want to try out the Adrenalina and the Boomerang, whereas those that prefer a more gentle pace will love cruising along the Congo River. Don’t miss the Speed Boats too, where two or more people can slide together, or the opportunity to swim with the park’s sea lions!

Special guest post on Five Family-Friendly Days Out on Gran Canaria provided to Jen is on a Journey.