Welcome to the next destination in my Traveling to ... series 😊 This time I'm taking you to Gran Canary. It's probably the most popular Canary island and I've been there multiple times since we used to spend our family holidays there when I was still a child. However, this time I've stayed the longest I've ever been and, finally, got to explore some hidden spots on the island I absolutely adored. So I decided to share some of my favourite places on Gran Canary with you - some of which are still untouched by the tourist industry. 

In case you haven't heard of Gran Canary yet, it is the second most populated island of the Canary islands located in the Atlantic Ocean about 150 kilometers (93 miles) off the northwestern coast of Africa and about 1350 kilometers (840 miles) from Europe. Gran Canary has been conquered by the Spanish in 1483 and has ever since been part of Spain. The heart of the island is occupied by a heavy mountain range and the northern and western parts are mainly inhabited by natives, whereas the southern coast including the nature reserve Las Dunas de Maspalomas is sadly overpopulated by the tourists' industry. However, if you prepare yourself to stay in a town that mainly consists of hotels, you can very well stay in the south and explore the island from there by car. You need a car - otherwise, you'll be spending your entire holiday with people from your own country 😒 but having Maspalomas in reach is certainly a plus 😍

Even though I've stayed several times in Maspalomas, I've never been to Playa de Meloneras or Boulevard El Faro. This time, I have 😊 and I have to say it's so much nicer than Playa del Ingles. It's quieter, it's cleaner, it's prettier and there are plenty of nice boutiques and shopping centers I'd certainly recommend - including chains like Mango, Esprit, Douglas and high fashion designer stores. Morevoer, there is an ice-cream parlour 🍨 on Boulevard El Faro you need to check out! It's called Pinguino Soul, located right next to the ocean (also hard to miss since the sign on the top is massive). The ice cream is hand-made and ridiculously delicious 😋 As you can see in the photo above, sunsets at Boulevard El Faro are also a must-see if you stay around the area 🌅

Fátaga was the first tiny mountain village we stopped by. There are beautiful houses and a traditional bakery. Unfortunately, it was closed 😩 However, I'd certainly recommend Fátaga for a walk through the streets that are solely inhabited by Canarians 😉 There are also little gift shops and restaurants and the people were very friendly 💖

The next mountain village we stopped by was Santa Lucía where I found this traditional supermarket  💗 Inside, there were two lovely elderly ladies who sold all kinds of products. Among other things, there were some self-made jam, fresh fruits, Canarian pastries, knitwear, wine bottles and tons of potted olives (😂) If you'd like to buy typically Canarian products I'd definitely recommend going there 💞

On our way back to Playa del Inglés we also stopped in Aguimes that is a charming town where you can see all kinds of colourful houses 😲 However, later we found out that most towns inhabited by Canarians on Gran Canary feature this kind of architecture 😉

One place I'd certainly recommend is Pico de Bandama. If you're ever on Gran Canary you NEED to go there! As you can see above, you have the most spectacular view and you get a first glimpse of the northern landscape that is completely different from that in the south! It's so beautiful 😍😍😍

Firgas is a small town in the north of Gran Canary. It's located west of Las Palmas and - up to this day - it's mostly known for its mineral water that is available all over the island. Besides that, it's a lovely town where you can stop for a walk or to have lunch (like we did 😋).

If you are interested in history and you'd like to know more about the people who inhabited Gran Canary before the Spanish invasion, you should stop at one of many archaeological sites across the island. Those caves were once used for storage by Native Canarians, but I know there are other caves that were even inhabited 👍

This lovely fishermen's village is situated in the most north-western part of Gran Canary and it caught my attention, because it was recommended by Anja on her travel blog neverseenbefore.de 😊 I absolutely fell in love with Puerto de Sardina 💖 It is so quite, there are NO tourists and the people were so lovely. If you ever go there, you should have lunch or dinner in the restaurant next to the ocean you can see in the picture beneath. Good food and very nice staff 👌

Finally, I'd like to share some more Canarian sunsets with you ...

That was it 😇 I hope you liked my little excursion to this beautiful island that is so much more than what the tourist industry makes you believe. Especially the northern and north-western parts are more than worth paying a visit and even though there are a LOT of tourists, you should certainly see the Dunes of Maspalomas at some point in your life ❤ If you have any further questions or in case you'd like to share further recommendations on where to go on Gran Canary, please feel free to do so in the comments down below 😊💖 Until next time and I wish you all a wonderful start for next week.