Restaurant Picasso is between the Lara Apartment Complex and the Europa Centre in Puerto Rico. It calls itself an Italian pizzeria but there are many different dishes on the menu, including sole, mussels and various cuts of steak.

The atmosphere is quiet and pleasant and the staff are friendly. I had Snails Bourguignon to start and Mike had fresh asparagus with steamed salmon. Both were really nice. Next we had a beef and chicken fondue which was brilliant. You get 4 sauces with it, which were ketchup, gravy, lemon cream sauce and garlic mayonnaise.

I have a fondue set here. I ordered it from Ebay in mainland Spain before I realised you can actually get them here (would’ve saved me waiting 3 weeks for the snail-like postal service to deliver it but that’s another story!) Anyway, I’ve only had cheese fondue, never meat fondue, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The fondue was 42 euros between the 2 of us and we got plenty of raw fillet steak cubes and chicken cubes to cook ourselves in the fondue pot, and cream sauteed potatoes and fresh vegetables too.

It was one of very few restaurants here which serves fresh vegetables (I’m sure I ranted about that on another thread somewhere!) and the service was excellent. Even the little touches were there, such as soft butter rather than the rock hard stuff you normally get served around here! 

If you’re staying in Puerto Rico, Restaurant Picasso opposite the Europa Centre is highly recommended. It is open daily from 4pm and I heartily recommend the fondue! You can book a table on 928 560041 if it’s the height of summer or the Christmas period. Else you can just turn up.

Although I’ve never stayed there, I’ve seen the rooms and enjoyed their breakfast buffet several times! It’s about 5 minutes from Puerto Escala where I work and the breakfast is top notch. It is a huge buffet with everything from yogurt, cereal, toast and pastries to freshy cooked bacon, sausage, eggs and pancakes! There are different fruit juices, herbal teas and coffees and fruit smoothies. Try to get in the dining room before 9am because it gets packed!

I’ve used the Thalassotherapy Centre in the Gloria Palace Hotel, which is a big pool with hydro massage stations, jacuzzis and algae treatments. You can also get massages and other kinds of therapy.

There is also a Gloria Palace Hotel in San Agustín, which is on the south east coast. I’ve visited that one too and it’s very similar in what it offers. I had dinner in their Gorbea a la carte restaurant and it was very good. If you are looking for good accommodation in Gran Canaria, I highly recommend either of these 2 hotels!

 
Photo By Szeke

There are pros and cons to living anywhere and many people who come to Gran Canaria or any of the Canary Islands on holiday and fantasise about living here one day. You can break the group down into:

1. Young people in their teens and early twenties who dream about working in a bar (with free alcohol thrown in, of course) at night and laying on the beach all day.
2. Slightly older people who want to buy a bar or restaurant in the sun.
3. Older people who want to retire in the sun.

Photo By Saimens

Unfortunately it’s not quite that easy. People say to me all the time, “oh you’re so lucky living here” but luck has nothing to do with it! I decided to move over, sold my possessions and moved over. It had nothing to do with luck.

Holidays in Gran Canaria vs. Actually Living Here

If you want beach holidays Gran Canaria is a great resort. If you want to live here permanently, you won’t be laying on the beach all day. Well, maybe you will if you have enough money to buy a property and live without working. If not, you will have to work for up to nine hours a day for an average of thirty six euros. It’s like being back in Blighty but with nicer weather! I’m not being cynical - that’s just the way it is. You have to pay rent and bills and you have to work. The wages are lower than back home but rent is about the same. Expect to pay 450 euros upwards for a one bedroom apartment or 600 euros upwards for a two bedroom place.

This is a good job search website: http://www.canaryinfo.com/4/en/1/Search_a_job_Canary_Islands_Spain 

Photo By Vlokkie

Life for an Ex-Pat

For some people, living here is a dream come true. You get the sun every day (almost) and a relaxed pace of life.

For others, they make the decision to go home after a few months or a few years. The pace of life being “relaxed” isn’t always a good thing. I had to wait six months for a phoneline to be installed. The post office doesn’t deliver half my mail. Smaller shops open when they feel like it rather than when it says in their window. The place comes to a complete halt between four and seven o’clock, when it is “siesta” time. If you live here, you can adjust to all that, but it does take time!

Photo By ShanePapaDiesel

How to Find Work

The first thing to do is to look for cheap holidays to Gran Canaria. When you come over, remember that you need at least enough money to pay several month’s rent. Don’t assume you will find work immediately. If you can get a cheap package holiday or a last minute deal to Gran Canaria, you won’t have to get an apartment right away and you have your return ticket in case you decide not to stay after all.

If you have a trade (mechanic, builder etc) it will be very difficult to find work without speaking Spanish. The staff speak English in most of the restaurants, bars and shops in the resort areas but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least try to learn a few phrases.

If you have any questions about living in Gran Canaria, just reply to this post and I’ll get back to you!

You can either hire a car at the airport or from a car hire company in the resort. I’ve done both. Here is a quote form for airport car rentals: http://www.spanish-airport-guide.com/gran-canaria-car-hire.html

Photo By RGrant_97

It’s cheaper to hire a car in the resort because there are different companies competing with each other on prices (especially in the quiet months). However, the photos of what is available and what the vehicle is going to look like are completely different things! Car hire in the Canary Islands will set you back 20 euros a day for a small basic car. You will need to leave your credit card details or a deposit of a couple of hundred euros. You will also get a map so, if you can make head or tail of it, it’s time to start exploring! This is an irreverant look at the car hire process:

You find somewhere that rents cars. It is siesta time so you have to wait outside until 4pm. You are welcomed in by a nice, helpful, English-speaking man and shown what is available. You decide a 3 door Renault Clio is good value at 30 euros a day. The salesman recommends the Nissan Terrano since it is only 5 times the price but 6 times as comfortable. You go for the Renault Clio.

You are offered 10 day hire for the price of 9 but you politely explain you’re heading back to Blighty in a week. You hand over your euros and are the proud owner of a rent-a-wreck. Well, at least nobody will steal it. After a couple of miles it starts making a “funny noise”. You take it back. The “nice, helpful, English-speaking man” has been replaced by a “not-so-nice, surly, non-English-speaking man”. Oh. You do an impression of the funny noise and point to the car. The man shrugs and says “qué?” You do another impression of the funny noise, point to the car and shout loudly in English “CAR MAKING FUNNY NOISE, NO GOOD” because we all know that foreigners understand English if you talk s…l…o…w and LOUD, right? In the end, you decide that putting up with funny noise is preferable to standing around doing impressions of funny noises all afternoon. You stare at your Gran Canaria map and venture out into the unknown in your rent-a-wreck.

Photo By Stuart166Axe

Can I just make one little hint here? WE DRIVE ON THE RIGHT! I’ve lost count of the number of tourists I’ve seen hurtling down the road on the left, only to swerve at the last minute when they see a freight truck coming towards them.

Canarian Rules of the Road

I’m not a driver myself but these are the rules of the road I have picked up in my 8 years here.

1. Drive as quickly as possible, especially through the towns. If you can see other cars behind you, you are going too slow.
2. Sound your horn as much as possible. You need to keep checking it works, right?
3. If somebody takes more than 2 seconds to cross the road, sound the horn.
4. The faster you drive through a red light, the less chance you have of being caught.

The first time a friend of mine hired a jeep for us both to “explore the mountains” was one of the most hair-raising days of my life! It is worth driving into the mountains but be aware that there are sharp drops and the terrain varies from “not too bad” to “dreadful”, meaning that a 4 wheel drive is necessary for a lot of the mountain roads. Most tourists drive slowly and are amazed by the brave (or suicidal) Canarian drivers hurtling past them!

Car hire is recommended if you want to see more of the island. Don’t forget there are mountains, pine forests and banana plantations here as well as the beach!

Photo By Fotofill

The attractions such as fishing, dolphin trips, mini golf and evening entertainment are available all year but remember that if you come in December and the sea is rough, the ferries and other boat trips might be cancelled for a few days. You can find the ferry timetable here: http://www.canario.co.uk/worth_knowing/ferries.htm

Also, since this is the quiet period, several hotels are closed for refurbishment.

The reason it’s quiet is that it’s nearing the end of the Scandinavian and Finnish holiday period and the British/Irish one hasn’t quite kicked in yet.

Photo By CGT

For me, it was a very quiet week! I was working in the harbour on the Barakuda Dos fishing desk for 8 days in a row because the owner (who usually works mornings) had her parents over. Sometimes a whole hour went by without seeing one potential fisherman! Luckily I had a big stack of books with me and managed to get through about eight of them! We’ve also had some good fish - this is a tope from Saturday:

And this is what we did with it (OK, what my ex-chef husband did with it! I wouldn’t have a clue!!)

Tope’s actually really nice. My favorites have to be smoked marlin, fresh tuna and dorado though. If you catch fish, you can take them to a local restaurant or cook them on the hob in your apartment but a lot of people are here on all-inclusive holidays. 

So I suppose I can’t really complain about things because I did sell a few tickets and I did improve my suntan but why couldn’t my boss’s parents have come over mid-August?! Perhaps they wouldn’t have been too keen on the 40ºC August heat!

It’s certainly getting very hot here. Gran Canaria temperatures are reaching about 32ºC mid-afternoon. Fortunately I have a parasol at the fishing desk else I’d burn to a crisp! These days are lovely and long as well. It is sunny when I wake up and there is still daylight until 9pm, making al fresco Canarian cooking dinners a must!

Me, attempting some karaoke!

Nightlife in Puerto Rico 

If you are staying in Puerto Rico, there are two main commercial centres which are actually large complexes with shops, bars and restaurants. On the top of the hill you have the Europa Centre and at the bottom of the hill, there is the main “Centro Comerciál”. The Europa Centre is slightly smaller and there are no late night clubs there. The bars close at 2am. There are two nightclubs in the bottom commercial centre. One is called Fibber McGees and the other is Jokers. They are open until 6am.

Photo by Fotofill

A lot of the bars in the commercial centres have shows, such as singers, comedians or hypnotists. And there is plenty of karaoke if you want to embarrass yourself!

Nightlife in Playa del Inglés

Playa del Inglés has a good share of bars and clubs but they are much more spread out than in Puerto Rico. The Irish Centre has about 13 bars, there are more in the Kasbah and pretty much on any street. For clubbing, there are a few nightclubs around the Kasbah, Pacha and Cream being the main ones, and there is Disco Life and The Point near the Irish Centre. The entrance to most nightclubs on the island is free but expect to pay six or seven euros per drink.

Photo by Frederik Olofsson

The is also the Yumbo Centre, which is the largest gay centre in Europe. There are strictly gay bars, gay-friendly bars and family bars here. It’s a friendly place and you can see some funny drag shows there.

There are three casinos, one in San Agustín, one in Meloneras and one in Las Palmas, if you fancy a flutter. There are also a few shows, such as the Black and Red Casino show, where the price (about 45 euros) includes dinner and a variety show. You can read more here: http://www.vegaslegendsgc.com/

Of course, if you aren’t keen on bars and clubs, you might just want a quiet meal and drinks in a small, Canarian restaurant. For some great Canarian cooking and pure relaxation, try any of the small restaurants in the harbours of Puerto de Mogan or Puerto Rico or along the seafront in Maspalomas. There are also lots of bars along Amadores beach.

The nightlife here is whatever you make it and there is plenty to do, depending on whether you fancy a mad night out or a quiet one!

Photo By FotosDeLasIslasCanarias

Beach Walks in Gran Canaria

The beaches in the south stretch for miles but there is a good path from San Agustín to Maspalomas. This walk takes about an hour and you can get really good views of the beaches and right out to sea. You will cross a large area of sand dunes (look out for the nudist beach too!!) There are also lots of handy cafes and restaurants on the way so you can have a Canarian cooking stop  - or a beer stop!

Photo By Szeke

If you just want a gentle walk, you might want to walk around the Puerto de Mogan area or around the Amadores Beach area. There isn’t so much to see but not everyone wants an exhausting 10 mile hike - you are on holiday after all! And surely sunbathing is a sport. Isn’t it?

Mountain Walks in Gran Canaria

The weather is usually clear and dry in the mountains so you could rent a car and stop off to explore a bit but the weather can be changeable if you are high up and the odd shower is possible. Don’t forget a lightweight raincoat.

If you are enjoying some Canary Islands rural tourism you might want to stay out of the south altogether. There is a small “refugio” (inn) at Cruz de Tejeda which costs 55 euros a night for a room, situated well above sea level on one of Gran Canaria’s highest passes. From here you can enjoy the fresh mountain air and scenery. The mountain slopes are sheer in this area but you can walk along the donkey tracks. You can walk 12 miles down to Teror and get a taxi back (or walk back of you’re feeling energetic!) From there, you can see Tenerife, right across the Atlantic.

Photo By Pololia Canarias

If you are walking the beach route, don’t forget a high factor sun cream. I know I keep saying it but people keep burning and not just in June, July and August! If you are doing a mountain hike, take a rucksack with a map, raincoat, sun cream and plenty of water. You can buy water on the beach route.

Photos of Fireworks on Las Canteras Beach by Rol1000

The main festival is on 24 June and it commemorates the foundation of the city of Las Palmas. Las Palmas has 530 years of history and used to be a military camp. El Real de Las Palmas was the first ultramarine urbal settlement in Europe. El Real de Las Palmas was founded on 24 June 1478 by Juan Rejón, who was the head of the Castilian army, and became a flourishing town after a war with the Guanches, who were the native aboriginal Canarians.

Photo by EagleStein

The festivities take place all over Gran Canaria but the main event is on June 24. You can see the fireworks from just about anywhere. It’s best in Las Palmas because that’s where most of the celebrations happen and where you will get free admission to a variety of open air concerts and street parties but Puerto Rico, Puerto de Mogan, Playa del Inglés and other major towns have bonfires, fireworks and entertainment too.

Photo By Sergio Pixel

How to Get There

You’ll need to get the bus. Here is an up to date bus timetable for the island but the buses tend to come “within 20 minutes” or so of when they are meant to (this is Spain, after all!) There are 2 main bus terminals in Las Palmas, Santa Catalina and San Telmo. They’re both pretty central and once you’re there, you can walk or get a taxi to wherever you want to go. It’s fun to just stroll around too. The bus from the south takes between 30 minutes and an hour depending whether the driver thinks he’s Michael Schumacher or not.

If you are at the Plaza San Telmo station, there is a very good cafe right outside where you can have a coffee. There are often exhibitions at the weekend. From there, you can walk through the main shopping street (look in the side streets too for some old architecture) until you come to the library. There’s a nice tapas bar there. Keep walking in the same direction across the main road and you will be at the cathedral. If you happen to be in Gran Canaria at Christmas there are many festive displays to enjoy too.

Museums

The Canary Island Museum is interesting if you want to learn about the indiginous Canarians and how they lived. It’s open on weekdays from 10am until 5pm and weekends from 10am until 2pm. Ask for “Museo Canario” if you’re in a taxi.

The Nestor Museum is quite comprehensive too and you can see plenty of paintings and Canarian handcrafts. This one is “Museo Néstor” if you’re in a cab and it’s open Tuesday to Friday from 10am until 1pm and 4pm until 8pm, or from 11am until 2pm on Sundays.

The Columbus Museum (Casa Museo de Colón) is where Christopher Columbus once spent the night and is the current residence of the Mayor. You can see objects relating to Columbus’s passage through the Canaries. It’s open from 9am until 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am until 3pm at weekends.

Columbus Museum Photo By Frenz_69

Art Galleries and the Cathedral

The Atlantic Centre for Modern Art (Caam-Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno) is popular. It is open from Tuesday until Saturday from 10am until 9pm and between 10am and 2pm on Sundays.

Atlantic Centre for Modern Art Photo By Frenz_69

The Santa Ana Cathedral is worth a visit, whether you are interested in the architecture or the art inside. You can visit between 10am and 5pm from Monday to Friday or 9am until 2pm on Saturday.

Cathedral Photo By Ahisgett

Shopping

If you fancy some shopping, there are several big shopping centres, including El Muelle, Las Arenas, La Ballena and Siete Palmas. El Muelle and Las Arenas are probably the best for clothes and Siete Palmas is good for electrical gadgets.

Eating and Drinking

You can’t walk very far without coming across a bar (most of which serve tapas), cafe or Canarian cooking restaurant in Las Palmas, so don’t worry - you won’t go hungry! You’ll find the food and drink much cheaper than in the touristy South too.

You might want to spend the day in Las Palmas and do some shopping or see a couple of museums but, to be honest, you could spend several days up there because there is plenty to enjoy!

Photo By Elrudojulio

Insurance and E111 Cards 

If you have medical insurance or an E111 card, you will need to pay for your consultation and then claim it back when you get home. If you are over 65 or disabled, you will get free medical care here if you bring an E121 form. You can find more information on insurance here: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/help-and-advice/advice-banks/article.html?in_advicepage_id=117&in_article_id=395353&in_page_id=90

I pay for any doctor’s visits when I go (which is rarely, since I am a fairly healthy specimen!) and the same with dental treatment. I had a root canal last week which wasn’t exactly enjoyable but it was professional and cheaper than in the UK.

Photo By Mataparda

Doctors’ Surgeries in Gran Canaria

Looking at just the South of the island, I can recommend the British Medical Clinic in Puerto Rico. Dr Paul is the only English doctor on the island. If you are staying in Playa del Inglés, you can try the Clinica San Roque in Meloneras (you will need to get a taxi but it’s only 5 euros or so).

Dentists in Gran Canaria

If you are looking for an English-speaking dentist in Puerto Rico, you can try the surgery I used which is called San Martín. It’s right opposite the main shopping centre. Alternatively my other half recommends Orinoco surgery but there always seems to be a waiting list! If you are in Playa del Inglés, you can try Clinica Salus Las Palmeras Dental Clinic which is in Maspalomas.

Photo By Nmoira

Chemists in Gran Canaria

You don’t need a prescription for certain pharmaceutical items, including Ventolin (for asthma), antibiotics (all types) and birth control pills. The chemists in the tourist areas speak very good English and can recommend medication if you tell them where it hurts.

Photo By Gerald Yuvallos

If you tend to swell up a lot when the mozzies bite, you might want to bring some anti-histamine pills with you or buy them here. You can get mosquito repellent here too. For some reason they never seem to bite me (not that I’m complaining about that!) Apparently if you eat Marmite they will leave you alone too (bring your own because it’s hard to find here!)