Whether you are thinking about moving to Gran Canaria or leaving for elsewhere, you might wonder what the procedure is with your fluffy friends. I had this issue myself a while ago when I wanted to take Cleo (my cat) to Spain and some friends of mine wanted to move to the UK with their dog, who they got in the Canaries.
Cleo Sunbathing
Compared to the rest of Europe the UK is very fussy. You can NOT take a cat or dog into the UK from the Canary Islands (or Spain for that matter) without a pet passport or without a rabies vaccination. That might sound easy but you have to wait for 6 months after the rabies vaccination to bring your pet into the UK. This is because it can take 6 months for rabies to show up on the blood test. The UK is rabies free and this is perhaps why!
The other option is to keep your pet in quarantine if you can’t wait 6 months. This can be hard on the pet (and on your wallet!) but for some people it’s the only option. If you want to move your pet around in Europe you only need an up to date rabies shot (this lasts for a year) and a pet passport but ask your vet before you travel.
Flying from the Canaries to Spain with Pets
I’ve flown from Gran Canaria to Spain with Cleo before and it’s 30 euros flat fee with Spanair with a soft pet tote bag (fits underneath the seat in front) or 60 euros flat fee with a hard crate (no point in paying double so I didn’t do that!) If we ever move to the UK (it’s doubtful we will) she will need to wait 6 months. But Cleo is a Canarian cat through and through. I might be a sun worshipper but she lies about an inch from the heater in the winter (when the weather in Gran Canaria dares to drop below 20ºC) and she would freeze! I couldn’t inflict that on her so it looks like we’re staying put!! 
Talking of weather, by the way, the rain has finally stopped and the days are in the mid 20ºs which is good new if you are wondering about the weather in Gran Canaria in February and planning a trip! 
Any more questions about bringing cats or dogs from the (or Europe) UK to Gran Canaria or from Gran Canaria to the UK, just ask.
Tags: General
From my experience the best way to find cheap property to rent in Gran Canaria is to speak Spanish and look in La Provincia or a similar local newspaper. Tips & Info and Round Town News are free papers too and you can find these in bars, shops and restaurants.
Another option is to use one of the property agencies in Gran Canaria but then you will have to pay the equivalent of half a month or a whole month’s rent in fees. Of course if you find the perfect house or apartment in Gran Canaria it can be worth doing that if you are planning to stay a long time (or if your Spanish isn’t up to par!)
The best way to find somewhere to live is to come over with a package holiday then at least you have somewhere for a couple of weeks while you look. In Gran Canaria property to rent tends to be widely available and you can find a very small 1 bedroom apartment for 400 euros (absolute cheapest) or something a bit bigger. You normally have to pay 1 month’s rent and 1 month’s deposit to move in, although this does vary.
Tags: Accommodation · General
January 28th, 2010 · 2 Comments
Nothing beats a holiday to the sun but some people pay a fortune for tickets and others seem to get really cheap flights to Gran Canaria – why is that?!
Well it can be a matter of chance. I had to fly home suddenly one Monday morning because my dad was in hospital. I went to Gran Canaria airport and explained that I needed to get a flight (there was only one flight a week to Exeter at the time, where I’m from and fortunately it was on Mondays!) and they gave me a flight for less than 100 euros and the seat at the front with loads of legroom Result!
I remember another woman got on the plane and said, “you must have booked your flight ages ago because they told me these seats weren’t available!” I didn’t tell her I’d only booked my flight about half an hour before but it lucky anyway! Then at other times I’ve struggled to find anything for even twice that price – how come?
One thing’s for sure – relying on chance all the time isn’t going to work 
Flights to Gran Canaria can be expensive, firstly because it isn’t one of the main places the budget airlines fly to (at least not at the moment) and also because the airlines have to pay comparatively high tax to land at Gando (Gran Canaria) airport, so what is the solution?
Photo by Wicho
Little Known Secrets of Cheap Flights
I decided to write this post after being asked about cheap flights by Clare, a good friend of mine who wants to come out and visit. She came to see me a few years ago when I lived in Maspalomas and now she wants to experience the joys of Puerto Rico where I am now. Unfortunately she could only find flights for around 200 euros which was way too much. This led me to do a little research and guess what – I found the most amazing ebook packed with secrets about how to save money. I was really impressed (and so is Clare who arrives next Tuesday!) 
There are too many secrets of how to get cheap flights to list here but suffice it to say there are ways of saving hundreds of pounds (or euros) if you know how to do it. People who know how to find cheap flights to Gran Canaria and other places tend to stay quiet about it because it wouldn’t do for everyone to know!
So if you want to join the ranks of those in the know and be able to afford a holiday in Gran Canaria this year (or even two) click here to discover all the secrets about cheap and discounted flights. This is one of the most informative ebooks I’ve ever read and I’m so glad I found it.
Photo by Alex Castellá
What Else Do You Get?
Not only can you find out about the cheapest flights and how to get them but you will also find out everything you wanted to know about cheap car rentals (renting a car in Gran Canaria is a great idea to explore the island – and finding the cheapest car rental is a bonus!), an insider guide to airport security including all the new laws and some great tips, as well a guide to travelling in a party or group.
Do you want to know how to find the cheapest hotels as well as the cheapest flights? You can also get an ebook about that, as well as one about the best golf resorts to stay at if you want to practise your game while enjoying some sunshine.
Make sure your photos of your holiday in Gran Canaria are as good as your memory with the digital photos tips guide as well. You can get all these ebooks for free when you get the one about how to get cheap flights. You can also get added to a mailing list for life, updating you whenever there is a new cheap flights secret that you could use to save some of your hard-earned cash.
Review of “Insider Secrets to Cheap Flights”
When I read this ebook I was pleasantly surprised by how long and in detail it is. There are more than thirty secrets about how to get cheap flights and loads more interesting information as well. There are basic tips, scams to avoid, insider secrets and what to do in specific situations.
This guide is great if you want to know which days of the week or times of the year are the cheapest to fly, whether travel agents, airlines or online flight shops are the cheapest and how to get discounts in almost every situation and scenario. This ebook even tells you how to get refunds on “non-refundable” tickets and how to get the very cheapest fares using perfectly legal loopholes and secret know-how.
The Perils of “Budget” Airlines
Something that always gets my hackles up (and you’ve probably experienced this as well) is when you find a cheap flight (think Ryanair which is starting to fly to Gran Canaria or Easyjet which isn’t) and it ends up costing the earth. Last year I flew to Holland with my boyfriend to visit his parents. We have to fly via Madrid and then on to Amsterdam, so it had to be Air Europa and then EasyJet.
Anyway the EasyJet ticket was priced at 20 euros which you can’t really complain about. However, on top of that you have to pay tax, you have to pay if you have a suitcase, you have to pay various surcharges, you have to pay by using a debit card or credit card to book online and more – and the flight ended up costing nearly 200 quid! The “Insider Secrets to Cheap Flights” book tells you how to avoid this happening and why using an airline or route you might expect to be more expensive can actually save you a lot of money.
Photo by Matti Mattila
Save Money on Flights
The money you can save off your flights is more than the few euros the book costs, making it a worthwhile investment, and you can use this knowledge every single time you fly.
Everybody likes to save money and if you can save money on your flights and hotels, you will have more to spend on things to do in Gran Canaria while you are actually there, like boat trips, souvenirs, shopping in Gran Canaria markets, sampling Canarian cooking at some of the nicer restaurants and more.
Getting cheap flights is something that not a lot of people know how to do but armed with the secrets from “Insider Secrets to Cheap Flights” you can find bargain fares from the UK or Ireland to Gran Canaria and be able to afford a great holiday to remember.
Click here to have a look at the cheap flights ebook and discover all the tips, tricks and loopholes you can use to save lots of money off your flights to Gran Canaria this year!
Tags: General
If you are wondering about holidays 2010 Gran Canaria might just be the ideal place to visit. You might want to think about visiting off season though or investigating some bargain last minute Canaries holidays. Of course, Gran Canaria is known for “year round sunshine” but that isn’t strictly the case! I remember times when it’s rained for 4 days in a row!
Photo by Jcorrius
It’s unlikely that you will be that unfortunate with the weather of course but there are a few reasons why off season holidays might be a good idea:
- July and August can be packed in Gran Canaria. This means long queues in the shops, long waiting times in bars and restaurants and lots of noise. If you prefer to come on a holiday to Gran Canaria when it’s quite think about May or June, or September or October instead.
- Temperatures can reach 40ºC in the summer and it can even be over 30ºC at night. That might sound good right now if you are reading this while shivering at home in the UK but think about it. Not many of the cheaper accommodation options offer fans or air conditioning. I can’t sleep sometimes in a 30ºC heat and I’ve been here for 11 years!
You might prefer a cooler month. It can be over 25ºC in December and January so you won’t pick a “cold” month. Plus you can enjoy summer temperatures at home and a week or two of winter sun when you’re over.
- Nearly everything is open off season and you might even get special discounts because it is quieter – that means special offers in bars and restaurants as well as sales in the shops. You can also get more than a couple of square feet of sand to yourself on the beaches! You might even find a private beach all to yourselves.
Off season holidays are popular for these reasons and more. If you are thinking about off season holidays 2010 Gran Canaria is a great location to consider
Tags: General
Despite the freezing temperatures all over Europe and the UK right now, it was a blissful 25ºC in the Canaries today If you are thinking about a winter sun holiday to Gran Canaria to get away from the cold weather at home, now’s a great time to come over. The weather is forecast to stay good. January can be a bit chilly in Gran Canaria actually but this year it seems to have been really good so far!
Tags: January
The Altair Hotel Puerto Rico is quite near the Europa Centre where I live. It’s quite basic but friendly and clean. This hotel has a one key rating and is self catering only. These are little apartments which are fine for up to four people – there are two bedrooms, a living room, bathroom and basic kitchenette. There’s also a balcony so you can sit outside while enjoying your takeaway Canarian cooking or Canarian wine in the evening!
There is also a swimming pool at the Altair Hotel Puerto Rico with sun loungers and parasols. If you like activities, you can watch the shows in the evening or play darts or water polo. There is also children’s entertainment at the Altair Hotel Gran Canaria. There is a pool bar if you fancy a snack or a beer, as well as a mini market. There is pay-as-you-go internet too.
The Altair Hotel used to be called Nevada Apartments and if you’re looking for somewhere economical, cheap and cheerful you could do much worse than this one.
Tags: 1 Star
If you’re not interested in putting on your hiking boots and doing a lot of walking Gran Canaria is ideal for driving around. The island is relatively small and there are a variety of car hire companies in Gran Canaria, especially in Maspalomas.
Photo by Samuel Agudiño
I’m not a driver (I’ve had three driving instructors and they all thought I was too dangerous to be allowed on the road… but that’s another story!) but my other half is, and we used to hire a car from Autos Victoria in Maspalomas. You can find Autos Victoria around the corner from the Irish Centre, near Hotel Caserio. We paid 200 euros a month for the car, as far as I remember (this was a while back!)
You can usually haggle with car prices although they are quite cheap to begin with. If you want something tiny without air conditioning or a sunroof (not recommended for July or August when it’s about 35ºC in the shade) you can get something for 120 euros a week or thereabouts. These are the mini and compact cars, of course. For a jeep or 4×4 (good for the mountain roads) you might pay two or three times as much.
A friend of mine stayed with me when I first moved to the Canaries and she rented a Suzuki jeep – it was August and the jeep was completely open – no roof, sides or anything. It was great fun but she was a bit terrified of the hairpin bends as we drove higher up in the mountains! You’ll need nerves of steel if you want to do that route – sometimes cars come very fast in the other direction. You can also drive the coast roads around the outside of the island – that is a bit less scary
If you want to book your hire car at the airport you can choose from Hertz, Avis, Europcar and other big name car rental companies. If you have an airport transfer in Gran Canaria you won’t need this.
Car hire is not expensive in Gran Canaria and if you are thinking about car hire Maspalomas, Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico all offer various types of cars and you can compare prices and get a good deal while you’re over. Have a look at our Car Hire in the Canary Islands? post for more information about renting a car in Gran Canaria… and things to watch out for once you’ve rented it!
Tags: General
Bahia Feliz is between the airport and San Agustín Gran Canaria. It’s on the east coast of the island and is a nice, quiet resort if you don’t fancy the noise and bright lights of Playa del Ingles or central Puerto Rico! “Bahia Feliz” is Spanish for “happy bay”.
Photo by Hermenpaca
The east coast of Gran Canaria is quite windy (in fact there are windsurfing championships there every year) which is nice and cooling in the summer but it can be a bit nippy on the beach in the wintertime. The sea isn’t suitable there for young children – it can be a bit rough.
Things to Do
One of the most popular things to do in Bahia Feliz Gran Canaria is visit Garbo’s. This restaurant theatre show is very popular and you get a 3 course Canarian cooking meal and a show with singing and dancing. You can also see the show without the dinner. The theatre is decked out in 1920s style.
There are some shops in Bahia Feliz but just the essentials really. If you want shopping you will need to get the bus or a taxi. You can get a taxi into Playa del Ingles for around 4 euros.
Walking Gran Canaria
Bahia Feliz Gran Canaria is a good place to stay if you want some peace and quiet. From there you can get the bus into Las Palmas or Vecindario to do some shopping, sightseeing or visit some museums or you can stroll along the beach path.
I used to live next door to Bahia Feliz, in San Agustin, when I was a DJ and I used to walk all the way along to the Irish Centre where I worked. Actually the beach path runs all the way to Maspalomas. It talkes a few hours to walk the whole length but if you like beaches and Gran Canaria walking is a great activity and the beach path is a very nice walk (there are also plenty of bars en route!!)
Tags: Bahia Feliz
The carnival in Las Palmas in 2010 lasts from January 26th until February 20th and there are all kinds of events from processions, parades, music, dancing, food and drink shows, drag queen competitions and, of course, the Carnival Queen Gala. Carnival, or Carnaval, is a magical time and there is a lot to see and do.
You can either stay in Las Palmas and enjoy the busy and exciting time or stay in one of the resorts in the south, maybe Puerto Rico, San Agustin or Playa del Ingles, and travel to Las Palmas on a couple of days to watch the fun.
We’ll have more information for you about Las Palmas Carnival 2010 as details and plans for this year’s festivities are released.
Tags: Events
The Carnival Queen Gala takes place on February 12th in Las Palmas and this is part of the Las Palmas Carnival 2010. Expect to see some truly wild costumes including glitter, sparkles, feathers and skyscraper heels… and that’s just the drag queens!
Photo by Nisa Arce
The Las Palmas Carnival, also spelled Las Palmas Carnaval, is going to be a huge event and if you are planning to be in Gran Canaria around carnival time, it is well worth visiting Las Palmas and seeing the parades, processions and amazing displays.
Tags: Events · Las Palmas
