My summer season started early this year with a holiday in the sun-kissed Spanish island of Gran Canaria. I was there on a press trip hosted by Anfi, one of the top leading resorts of Gran Canaria. Today I am sharing my review of Anfi del Mar beach resort and my guide to spending five beautiful days there.
Gran Canaria Island
Gran Canaria, the third largest island in the Canary Islands and home to 700.000 people, is a fantastic holiday destination for anyone. The weather is warm and sunny all year around with average temperatures of 24°C (lows of 18°C in winter and highs of 27°C in summer). I absolutely love the fact it never gets extremely hot as in southern Europe.
The island offers stunning landscapes and dreamy beaches. There are rocky mountains and pine forests to hike, hills to climb on a mountain bike, sand dunes and black sand beaches to sunbathe, luxury resorts to relax, traditional restaurants to discover Canarian cuisine and picturesque towns to explore.
Affordable flights from London and other UK airports mean you can visit Gran Canaria even just a long weekend without breaking the bank. But when you have so much to see and do, why not stay longer?
Las Palmas
The island of Gran Canaria is steeped in culture and history. The first Spaniards came here in 1488 and in 1492 Christopher Columbus anchored here, before setting off for his first trip to the Americas. A must-see is of course Columbus House (Casa de Colón) in the capital, Las Palmas. Plan to spend at least a day here, as there are plenty of sightseeing opportunities, and also charming cafés and tapas bars to check out.
I also recommend a visit to the stunning 15th century cathedral, Catedral de Santa Ana.
The northern region of Gran Canaria will surprise you with a lush landscape of green hills and high mountains. Roque Nublo (Cloud Rock) is an iconic site at 1,813m of altitude, in the very centre of the island. Sometimes you’ll find snow up there in winter, and all the while down by the coast the temperature is a balmy 20 degrees!
Here in the northern part of the island, you will find fields used mostly for agriculture, whereas the southern region has been developed more as a tourist destination.
Anfi del Mar Holiday Resort
The Anfi Group comprises of five clubs on the island’s south-west coast of Mogán, originally founded in 1988 by Norwegian entrepreneur Bjorn Lyng. The resorts are integrated in the landscape, built with rocks carved out of the volcanic mountain rock. The ethos behind the Anfi Group is to provide guests with luxury combined with a home from home feel.
The Anfi del Mar and Anfi Tauro luxury apartments can only be booked through Timeshare, which is a way to own a vacation property that you can use once a year (for a week or longer).
I didn’t know about Timeshare, but after my holiday at Anfi del Mar I have started to consider it as an option for the future. I would love a holiday home, but realistically I cannot afford to buy a second home anytime soon. Timeshare is an affordable way to own a holiday home to use a few weeks every year. The prices for an apartment at Anfi range from €13,000 to €70,000 for 50 years (one week per year) which can be paid through a financing system. And if you decide to exit the scheme, you will find companies online to advise and guide you through the timeshare cancellation process.
Club Gran Anfi
I stayed in a family apartment at Club Gran Anfi, the crown jewel in the Anfi group of holiday resorts. I shared the place with another blogger, but we each had our own air conditioned bedroom and marble bathroom – mine featured a Jacuzzi bath and a separate cabin shower!
There was plenty of space for privacy in the spacious apartment, which comprised also of a large living room, a fully equipped kitchen and balcony with stunning garden and ocean views.
We certainly did make great use of our balcony! My favourite memory of Club Gran Anfi are relaxing on the sun loungers, eating Spanish tapas, drinking white wine and watching the sun go down over the Atlantic Ocean.
I don’t usually book holidays in resorts as I like to explore a destination more than relaxing by the pool all day. So on the first day, I was itching to get out of the club and explore the island. After two days though, I started to feel at home at Club Gran Anfi and wanted to spend more time there. Our apartment was so comfortable, and the sun loungers at Maroa Club right by the beach were so comfy…I would have loved to spend a week or two on holiday at Anfi del Mar! And unwind from the stress of my busy London life.
I went for runs along the marina and swims in the ocean. I also tried paddle boarding by the beach, which was fun (a range of watersports are available to book there). Gran Canaria is also a great destination for mountain bikers and golfers.
I still got to see a lot of Gran Canaria, thanks to a range of excursions that I booked through Anfi Experiences. The program was launched this year to encourage guests to see more of Gran Canaria during their holidays. A range of resorts activities for kids and adults are meant to enhance the guests’ stay at the resort.
No matter which part of Gran Canaria you decide to visit, I am sure you will have a wonderful time in this gorgeous, all year-round sun destination!
Have you been to the Canary Islands? Which island is your favourite?
Disclaimer: I visited Gran Canaria as part of a press trip hosted by Anfi Group. All opinions are my own.
