Hotels in East Gran Canaria

East Gran Canaria

East Gran Canaria lies between the capital and the southern resorts and covers the municipalities of Telde, Ingenio, Agüimes and Santa Lucía de Tirajana. Gran Canaria Airport is located here, so most towns are only a short drive from arrivals along the GC-1 motorway. Telde, the island's second-largest municipality, has the historic quarters of San Juan and San Francisco and the beaches of Melenara, Salinetas and La Garita. Its Basílica de San Juan Bautista holds a 16th-century Flemish altarpiece and the Cristo de Telde, a figure made of maize paste by Tarascan craftsmen from Mexico. Inland, the Barranco de Guayadeque between Ingenio and Agüimes is a protected ravine with hundreds of aboriginal caves, cave houses and cave restaurants. Agüimes has a carefully restored historic centre with colourful houses and the neoclassical church of San Sebastián, while Ingenio is known for its traditional drawn-thread embroidery. On the coast, Arinaga offers dark-sand and pebble beaches, old salt pans and diving in the El Cabrón marine reserve. Pozo Izquierdo, in Santa Lucía de Tirajana, is a world-famous windsurfing spot with strong summer winds that hosts the PWA Windsurf World Cup. Vecindario, the main town of Santa Lucía de Tirajana, has shops and services, while the old village of Santa Lucía and the Fortaleza de Ansite archaeological site lie in the hills. The east suits travellers looking for lower prices, everyday local life and a central base halfway between Las Palmas, the southern beaches and the mountains.