The Cunning Canary

Well I like to call myself a sun worshipper but sometimes the heat here is overwhelming! Since Gran Canaria is situated off the north coast of Africa, we get a lot of their weather blowing over here and the location is also responsible for other strange weather conditions.

Photo By J.F.Marrero

Calimas and Siroccos

A calima is an oppressively hot, dusty wind which comes across from the Sahara desert. It happens sometimes in winter but usually in the summer. It makes the sky look hazy but it is really a fine layer of dust. Some calimas last a few hours, others days!

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Many illegal immigrants from Africa spend the meagre savings they have on a passage to Gran Canaria. Rather than arriving in the land of milk and honey where accommodation and work are easy to come by (as they have been told), most of them arrive dead, almost dead or don’t arrive at all. They come over in “pateras” which are small boats.

 
Photo By ConilsInFronteras

The crossing can take weeks (depending on the wind and whether they even stay on course) and food and water runs out long before then. There is also no shelter from the weather.

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I did a dolphin trip last week when my family was over and it was really good so I thought I’d share it with you! You can book dolphin trips in Puerto Escala (Puerto Rico) - just ask for Kevin or Nina. There is a tour guide on the boat called Ronnie. He speaks English, German, Spanish and Dutch and he will look after you.

How Much Does it Cost? 

This trip is 24 euros for adults and 12 euros for kids, which isn’t bad because if you don’t see dolphins or whales you can repeat the trip! You can buy drinks and snacks on board and don’t worry - there is a loo!

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Holidays in Gran Canaria aren’t complete without a visit to Puerto de Mogan. Nicknamed “Little Venice” it’s full of waterways and quaint houses. If you want to visit Puerto de Mogan market, go on a Friday. You can get the hourly ferry from Arguineguin or Puerto Rico (Puerto Base or Puerto Escala harbour). If you get the ferry, you will get views of Amadores beach on the way, which is another nice place to visit. The market in Mogan is on from 9am until 2pm. You can get the bus or a taxi if you’re worried about getting seasick!

Activities 

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Gran Canaria is a great place for a holiday for several reasons. First of all, you are pretty much guaranteed warm sunshine! If you visit in June, July, August or September the weather can be pretty hot - expect temperatures up to a sweltering 40ºC. The coolest months are December, January and February but the temperature rarely drops below 15ºC and the daytimes are usually sunny enough to chill out in a bikini or a pair or shorts.

Photo By PhotoPhob

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Gran Canaria has had strong links with space ever since a tracking station was constructed in 1960. This European Space Agency tracking station cemented Gran Canaria’s strong links with the United States and was used in various missions including some of the Apollo space missions.

Photo By PingNews

There are more than 20 powerful telescopes at this facility and the exceptional quality of the Canarian sky is legally protected.

There are new plans to construct a theme park in the area where the satellite is to let you experience being an astronaut for a day! Future plans for this area, near Maspalomas in the south, include space camps.

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