While Brits usually flock to Tenerife or Lanzarote, Gran Canaria’s small fishing villages have become something of an island Venice. Puerto Mogan, nicknamed Little Venice, is one of Gran Canaria’s most picturesque resorts.
Located on the southwest coast, the village was built specifically as a tourist resort in the 1980s. Before that, Puerto Mogán was home to a hippie and bohemian community and local residents.
Tourism has transformed the little village, adding rooftop gardens, Venetian bridges and canals, and pedestrianising many of its cobbled streets and flowered lanes, but it has managed to preserve its small, traditional and picturesque whitewashed houses.
Visitors to this tourist destination will enjoy the boutiques, restaurants and bars that line the waterfront, and the old town is filled with quaint Mediterranean-style houses and cottages built into the hillside.
Few buildings in Puerto de Mogán are taller than two stories, and the local Gran Canaria government restricts the construction of new buildings any taller than this.
Sunbathers are in luck as Mogán has a wide, secluded sandy beach and very calm waters.
One of the resort village’s biggest attractions is the opportunity to spot pods of whales and dolphins, and many people choose to take a boat ride from the marina to view the incredible marine life.
Visitors can also shop for souvenirs for their holidays at the popular weekly Friday market, which sells traditional Canarian crafts such as leather goods, textiles and pottery. This popular market attracts visitors from all over the island.
For those already planning a summer trip, Puerto Mogán is fortunate to be a year-round destination, with average temperatures rarely dropping below 21°C and rarely rising above 30°C for those sensitive to heat.
Tourists can enjoy mild winters with an average temperature of 22°C in December and 21°C in January, while summer tourists can enjoy milder temperatures with an average temperature of 25°C in June and 27°C in July.
Mogan’s marina is a major port of call for yachts sailing from the Atlantic to the Caribbean.
Last year, the Canary Islands set a new tourism record, welcoming 16 million visitors.
Gran Canaria is home to a population of 4 million and its largest city, Las Palmas. Around 50% of the island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, thanks to the diversity of its landscapes and its precious wildlife.
