Little Venice: a day in Puerto de Mogán
Picturesque harbour village
This small harbour village was transformed in the 1980’s from a fishing village into a lovely town centred around its picturesque marina. Today, it is considered the most beautiful town in Gran Canaria. Puerto de Mogán has also come to be known as ‘Little Venice of the Canaries’ because of its canals that lead from the marina to the centre of the town. Very few of the houses are more than 2 stories high as building any higher is forbidden. The white facades with red, blue, or yellow decorative lines and green window frames are typical of the local architecture. Most of the residents of the romantic little streets along the marina have decorated their houses and round arches with flowers.
Friday: market day
The many pretty cafés, including on the seafront with views of the yachts and fishing boats, invite you to take a break. The Mediterranean restaurants serve everything you could wish for in Spanish cuisine, from tapas to fried sole. The town, meanwhile, has adapted to its international clientele and also offers Italian and Indian cuisine. If your schedule permits, it is worth visiting Puerto de Mogán on Fridays when the big weekly market takes place. The colourful offer includes: flowers, fruits and vegetables, but also local Canarian, Spanish, and also African handicraft products, clothes, and souvenirs.
A spicy enjoyment
Be sure not to miss the street food stalls serving small papas arrugadas (shrivelled potatoes), cooked in seawater and served with spicy mojo sauce made from garlic, oil, and herbs, or tomatoes and chilli. For a more exclusive shopping experience, visit the handicraft market where only licensed local artisans are allowed to offer their hand-crafted works. You can discover high-quality and original souvenirs here every Monday.
A beach with everything
‘Playa de Mogán’ is the town’s big, yellow-sandy beach that borders directly on the marina. This expansive beach is excellent for bathing and offers sunbeds and parasols. The water is very clear, shimmering turquoise through the light-coloured seabed, and in some places you can even see colourful fish. Both sides of town are busy, especially on market days. Families with children particularly appreciate this ‘carefree beach’ because the water remains very shallow for a long way in. The perfect tip for divers and snorkelers: treat yourself to one of the many daily sail boat trips that depart from Puerto de Mogán.
Explore the depths
These tours must be booked online in advance. Several providers can be found on the Internet. For those who’d like to spontaneously explore Gran Canaria’s volcanic underwater worlds, not a problem — and you don’t even need to get your feet wet! The ‘Yellow Submarine’ offers 40-minute tours and departs from the edge of the marina. This e-submarine with a glass floor dives down to 25 metres below the surface and is air-conditioned, which can be important since the area around Puerto de Mogán is one of the sunniest in Europe.
The perfect sunset
Those with more time to spare should take a short stroll to Cañada de los Gatos (cats’ gorge), an archaeological site on the western slope of the village. From here, you will not only have a fantastic view over the town, but you can also learn some interesting details about the history of Gran Canaria before it was conquered by the Spanish. The bar in the complex and the cafeteria at the lookout point provide cool drinks and snacks — and you have the perfect place from which to admire the sunset.
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