Resort Guides - Playa del Ingles - Gran Canaria
Overview | And-maspalomas-overview Click images to enlargeShopping: There is a fine choice of shops in Playa del Ingles where visitors can indulge in some duty free delights, including cheap electrical shops and stalls selling imitation designer wear and African curios. The shopping is mainly confined to the dozen or so Commercial Centres rather than spread out along the roads and each centre has its own distinctive character. Yumbo is the biggest and most popular and also houses the Tourist Information Centre. Five minutes away are the Kasbah and Metro centres, but the widest selection of quality designer wear is in nearby Plaza Maspalomas. Be aware that some salesmen can be quite aggressive: haggle hard and remember that the shop next door probably sells the same thing. The San Fernando Market is held every Wednesday and Saturday morning offering all the same sort of stuff.
Restaurants: There is a wide choice of places to eat in Playa del Ingles, from fast food (including McDonalds), Chinese, Italian and local cuisine, and rows of restaurants serving something with chips. One of the favourites is an Irish bar/restaurant called 'Finnegans', near the Yumbo Centre, and offers good British home cooking and does great breakfasts and Sunday roasts. Koala Burger in the Kasbah has good hotdogs and chips and nearby Bei Leo, although German, offers good English food. There are a selection of restaurants on the Avenida de Tirajana and Avenida de Tenerife, including the Harley Rock Café - a lively American-style diner. Those looking for some authentic local cuisine should try Casa Vieja in Calle de Fataga.
Nightlife: Playa del Ingles is packed with bars, pubs and clubs, especially in the Kasbah centre, which is home to the famous Cream and Pascha nightclubs, both of which pump out the best in dance music until the early hours. Chinawhites is also immensely popular. Also in the Kasbah is the Hippodrome, Havana and, next door, Sugar a small cocktail bar that is a good place to start the evening. The English and Irish centres are also lively and entertaining. The Yumbo centre is orientated towards the gay scene at night and Rickys Cabaret Bar has regular drag shows; the centre is also popular with families looking for a less hectic evening. There are quieter bars along the promenade and a casino on the edge of town.
Activities: For those who have had enough of the beach there is
loads of entertainment and activities for all ages, including
amusement arcades, mini-golf, tennis, golf, scuba diving,
skydiving, water parks, go-carting, horse riding and camel riding.
Water sports in Playa del Ingles include jet-skiing, windsurfing
and banana boat rides.
Negatives: Visitors should be aware that there are lots of steps from some hotels and apartments to the beach, and that the centre of the resort can be very noisy until long into the night. Outside many bars and restaurants there are people with 'info' badges on their jackets - they are actually salesmen that work to promote bars and restaurants who get commission if you go with them; they can be very insistent but can be worth chatting up as they sometimes offer free drinks. Also watch out for the Moroccan women by the Kasbah wanting to shake your hand - they snap bracelets on your arms and then say you are cursed unless you pay them up to EUR15 to have them burnt off! Salesmen may even come into the restaurants, its best to be firm but polite and avoid getting into a conversation if you are not interested. The beach in Playa del Ingles is great, but visitors should be aware that there are lots of nudists among the Maspalomas dunes!
Negatives: Visitors should be aware that there are lots of steps from some hotels and apartments to the beach, and that the centre of the resort can be very noisy until long into the night. Outside many bars and restaurants there are people with 'info' badges on their jackets - they are actually salesmen that work to promote bars and restaurants who get commission if you go with them; they can be very insistent but can be worth chatting up as they sometimes offer free drinks. Also watch out for the Moroccan women by the Kasbah wanting to shake your hand - they snap bracelets on your arms and then say you are cursed unless you pay them up to EUR15 to have them burnt off! Salesmen may even come into the restaurants, its best to be firm but polite and avoid getting into a conversation if you are not interested. The beach in Playa del Ingles is great, but visitors should be aware that there are lots of nudists among the Maspalomas dunes!
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