Gran Canaria International airport annually provides over six million passengers as a transport destination. The vast majority of these are holiday makers flocking to the island for sunshine months and good value vacations. The main airport is located just 18 Kilometers south of Las Palmas. It has daily flights to many regional UK airports; and during the summer season this timetable is stepped up to meet the increased demand. Many voagers especially retired UK citizens like to spend their winters abroad in Gran Canaria. This is because the island benefits from having sunshine for 12 months of the year.

The airport has one terminal which is extremely well equipped with every thing you may need whilst travelling. The terminal building has three floors the ground floor caters for all of the arrivals whilst the first floor handles the departures.

The Airport is found along the middle East coast of the Island approximately 20 minutes up the motorway from the city of Las Palmas and 45 minutes down the motorway from Puerto Rico, The best way to get to the airport from Las Palmas is to use the Islands principal North South motorway the GC-1 all the way along this road the airport is well pointed out, and taxis are available along the strip out side of the terminal building. However by far the best way to see the entire Island is to hire a car; hiring a car will allow you miles more freedom and you can explore some of the more beautiful beaches at your own pace. Hire cars can be found at very reasonable rates; there are almost 2000 parking spaces at the airport so companies find it very easy to locate their companies directly inside the terminal and you won’t have far to walk.

Gran Canaria is larger than you might expect the land mass covers 538 square miles! For anyone who thought there isn’t a need to have a hire car, this figure might twist your arm. The Island has a rounded shape but towers out of the ocean to the peak of Pozo de la Nieves, which towers to 1949 meters, from this central point of the island there are deep ravines which radiate outwards towards the coast. This landscape is perfect for exploring and makes Gran Canaria the most interesting and prettiest of the Canary Islands.

When visiting the Island many people opt to hire a small jeep or four wheel drive vehicle.

This gives you more options when you are touring around as some roads are little more than dirt tracks. Gran Canaria’s landscapes are split in two, both are worth visiting, in the North and West there is the wetter type more luscious looking scenes, whilst in the south of the Island places look much more arid and desert like.

Starting here in the South works well, start a trip by visiting the amazing Maspalomas dunes also known locally as the Maspalomas Costa Canaria; here you will find an outstanding landscape, seventeen kilometers of huge dunes stretch out in front of you. The dunes are still growing and expand day by day, slowly swallowing trees and encroaching on hotels. The beaches stretch right along the coast line with sandy safe and shallow bathing areas. This is a great destination for anyone who is planning on spending most of their time on the beautiful beaches of Gran Canaria.

When you visit Gran Canaria be sure to visit the capital city Las Palmas. It was founded in 1478 by Juan Rejon and it is now the busiest city on the Island and the most important port. The city covers roughly 6 miles along the coast between Guiniguada Ravine and the Isleta Peninsular which forms a natural breakwater to the harbour.

Las Palmas has three distinct districts, the Old part of town, Puerto de la Luz and Ciudad Jardin. This town for centuries has been a stopping point from travelers, passengers and cargo ships on the route from Europe to Africa you can find some interesting historic monuments and buildings and do some good holiday shopping.

Another good stop is El Oasis not far from Maspalomas this area has ultra chic 5* hotels and benefits from a rare sea water lagoon called La Charca. Fringed by palm trees this place is frequented by millions of migrating birds either on their way to or back from Africa. Close to the Oasis is the Faro de Maspalomas, this lighthouse was built in 1886 and is a soaring 65 meters tall. For years it has stood guiding ships away from the shallow waters and dangerous sand bars.

Hiring a car in Gran Canaria will show you a side of the island that is easily missed out. If you are a frequent visitor to Gran Canaria car hire can also open your eyes to many new places and things to see. If you’re travelling with children I would recommend taking a day trip to the local water park, Aquasur. The biggest on the island it has flumes slides and a variety of pools, even the adults of your group will enjoy relaxing in the sun by one of the many bars and restaurants.

It is best to pre book you car hire to Gran Canaria, this way you will get the best car available and the best deal the company offers, the best way to search for car hire is on a comparison search engine. You can then pick from over 25 car hire companies after simply entering you details and requirements just once.