A Timely Getaway in Gran Canaria

At the beginning of this year, I moved back to the Netherlands and it took me quite a while to get settled down - what with resuming my studies and finding a new place to call home.

Everything eventually fell into place; and after the stress of looking for a new house had worn off, the excitement of starting a new chapter in a new home replaced it. It was closely followed by the excitement of travelling again - this time to  Gran Canaria!

Gran Canaria is the biggest of the Spanish islands that make up the Canary Islands.  The average temperature there at the time was about 21 degrees Celsius - 14 whole degrees more than the temperature here in the Netherlands - which is one of the main reasons why my sister, Sandra, and I chose to holiday there. Not only was I looking forward to getting some much-needed R&R on this trip, but I was also really looking forward to seeing her, my nieces, and my nephew again! 

I was meeting Sandra, my nieces, Faith and Rebecca, and my nephew, Sam there. And we made plans to stay at a hotel called Occidental Margaritas in an area called Playa des Inglés. I arrived at the hotel shortly after Sandy and the children did, and was having a bit of a problem checking in when I heard a familiar voice shout, "We made it!". It was my niece, Faith. Rebecca & Sam were following closely behind her and as soon as we saw each other, we ran into each other's arms - just like in the movies! Lol.

It's still one of my favourite memories of the whole trip to date.
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It didn't take us long to settle down after that. Soon we had changed into our swimming costumes and were lounging by the pool, catching up on the last few years (it had been quite a while since we'd seen each other). The next few days were filled with lots of fun which included swimming, a session of water aerobics, a game of 'Crazy Golf', a salsa lesson, and a boat cruise to Puerto de Mogán. 
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​We'd just gotten used to having each other around when it was time to say goodbye. As sad as that was, however, I'm glad that we got to see each other again after so long, and I'm already looking forward to the next time we do. 😊 Below are some pictures and a vlog that I took on my trip.

But before that, here are my *5 Tips for Planning a Trip to Gran Canaria:

1. Any time seems like a good time to holiday in Gran Canaria as the weather is nice and warm all year round. But if you're looking to dodge the crowds, February is a good time for you to visit the island. There were quite a number of people there when we were, but not too many that it felt crowded.
2. Consider staying at Occidental Margaritas Hotel, especially if you're travelling with children. They offer top-of-the-notch hospitality and have loads of fun activities and games to keep you and the kids busy throughout your stay.
3. If you do stay at Occidental Margaritas Hotel, you can make arrangements with them to be dropped at the hotel from the airport and vice versa. Be sure to take advantage of this if you don't have an alternative option of getting to the hotel.
4. A trip to Puerto de Mogán is definitely in order while you're here. It's only a boat ride away - and a fun one at that. Once we got there, we had the opportunity to swim in the deep waters and the children were treated to a ride on a banana boat as well as an exciting experience on a jet ski.
5. The nights can get quite chilly here, so carry a warm sweater or jacket. You'll need to wear it when you're going for dinner or watching the evening entertainment in the hotel.

- ✗O✗O.