Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia, Maspalomas

5 Star Gran Luxe

Gran Canaria

Almost paradise...

Just 300 metres from the sandy beach at Maspalomas, Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia is the only hotel in Gran Canaria to be a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Set in an ancient palm grove and enjoying spectacular views, the architecture is typically Spanish colonial in style with large reception areas. Guest rooms are spacious with big wooden balconies or terraces and the luxurious villa style buildings nestle in tropical gardens boasting a large swimming pool surrounded by sunbathing terraces.

Lunch can be enjoyed at the pool bar, whilst dinner can be international or typically Canarian and alternates between a la carte menus and theme buffets.

The Beauty and Wellness Centre offers everything from hydro massage to rasul and the 18 hole golf course on the edge of the Maspalomas dunes is just 10 minutes drive away.

Due to the exclusive nature of this property, it is not recommended for children.

A member of the Seaside Hotels Collection and Travelife Sustainable Tourism Gold Award holder.

Not all facilities are complimentary and are subject to seasonal demand.

Hotel Facilities

Interconnecting rooms

Rooms suitable for people with disabilities

Fitness room

Spa/Wellness centre

Babysitting

Outdoor heated pool

Wifi in public areas

Internet computer stations

PROPERTY TYPE: Hotel

ROOMS: 94

LOCATION: Gran Canaria

NEAREST AIRPORT: Las Palmas Airport

TRANSFER TIME: Approx 30 minutes

Gran Canaria

The third largest but most developed of the seven islands in the Spanish-administered Canary archipelago, Gran Canaria has been billed as a 'miniature continent' because of the variety of climates and landscapes that it offers, from the big city bustle of the capital, Las Palmas, to the serenity of its lush woodlands.

The Canary Islands lie in the Atlantic Ocean, about 125 miles (200km) from the African coast and almost 800 miles (1,250km) from the closest European port of Cadiz. Gran Canaria is almost circular, with a diameter of about 32 miles (50km), and is characterised by deep ravines that radiate out from the centre down to the coast. The north of the island is humid and lush, boasting green valleys and volcanic craters, while the south is arid and desert-like, with vast stretches of sandy beach. The interior of Gran Canaria has steep highlands dotted with small villages, sporting white houses with red roofs, banana plantations and orchards bursting with tropical fruits. Tourists generally favour the southern coastline, flocking to the well-known beaches of Playa del Inglés or Maspalomas, where the sea washes soft sands and empty dunes stretch for miles. The capital, Las Palmas, lies on the northeast tip of the island, between two long beaches, Las Caletas and Alcaravaneras, and is a bustling, interesting city.

Gran Canaria Attractions

Gran Canaria has a plethora of fantastic attractions that will appeal to all kinds of travellers. Tourists travel to Gran Canaria mainly to enjoy the resorts and beautiful beaches, but there is a lot to enjoy besides sun, sand and sea. Animal lovers should head to Palmitos Park, Reptilandia and Parue de los Cocodrilo to engage with all sorts of creatures, while culture vultures should head to the Museo Canario in Las Palmas to admire the world's largest collection of Cro-Magnon skulls, or the Casa de Colon, a historic old house that is now a sort of maritime museum. For something completely different, head to Sioux City in San Agustín for a wild-west day out. The town of Arucas remains a popular tourist attraction as well.

Getting around Gran Canaria to explore the varied landscapes and various towns and resorts is easy. There are plenty of cheap, metered taxis available in the resorts and towns. Grand Canaria also has reliable and efficient bus services which operate around the resorts and to all the main towns on the island; there is nowhere on the island that takes much longer than an hour to get to by bus. Local car rental companies have offices in all the main resorts for those who prefer to explore independently.

Gran Canaria Kids Attractions

Gran Canaria definitely caters to children on holiday. With a plethora of fantastic family attractions, kids will have a great time exploring this island. There are a number of good beaches for kids, although families may prefer to seek out the sandy stretches instead of the dramatically beautiful black beaches, which can be a bit pebbly.

Take a day trip to Palmitos Park for an interesting day out with birds and orchids, or for thrills, Parque de los Cocodrilo is great for those with a love of predators, while the zoo on the other side is perfect for younger kids to explore. Playa del Ingles is brimming with kid's activities, with everything from amusement arcades and mini-golf to water parks and go-karting, children will find something to keep them entertained. Another fun day out in Gran Canaria is a visit to Sioux City, which was built originally as a stage set for an American western film in 1972, but developed into a Wild West theme park complete with cowboys, Indians, Mexicans and of course a sheriff. There are shows throughout the day featuring bank robberies, saloon fights, cattle stampedes, rodeos and gunfights at the OK Corral. Between shows visitors can enjoy a barbeque or taste the culinary delights of the Three Star Saloon.

Gran Canaria Nightlife

The nightlife in Gran Canaria is energetic and fun, with nightclubs, foam parties, karaoke, casinos and cabarets dominating the party scene. Most of the nightlife on the island is centred round Playa del Ingles' and the Kasbah centre here is brimming with pubs and clubs, such as the Hippodrome, Havana and the iconic Pascha nightclubs which pump until the early hours. If you're looking for a gay party scene, head to the Yumbo centre. Entrance to most nightclubs is free but drinks and cocktails can be expensive. The capital city also has a great nightlife: Las Palmas' Plaza de España, in the Mesa y Lopez district, has pulsating clubs and bars that are open until very late, as well as live bands, jazz bars, pubs, discos and even a casino. The Maspalomas Plaza is great if you're looking for a relaxing couple of pints in a bar, and Puerto Rico is one of Gran Canaria's hottest resorts after dark, with all-night clubbing and pubbing at places such as Disco Joker, Snoopy's Bar and Space. Playa del Cura is a fantastic location for a mellower evening out and although there is a disco in Puerto Morgan, most of the evening entertainment is distinctly low-key in comparison to its neighbouring resorts.

Gran Canaria Shopping

Gran Canaria has a wide range of shopping opportunities for visitors, and apart from the regular souvenir shops and tourist tat there is a fine choice of shops and boutiques in just about every town and resort. The Canary Islands enjoy duty-free shopping and Gran Canaria caters well to tourists. The Yumbo and Kasbah centres in Playa del Ingles and Centro Civicoin Puerto Rico are great for buying almost anything, while electrical shops, photographic equipment, and imitation designer wear stalls abound. The Faro 2 Complex in Maspolamas is the place to go for designer boutiques, jewellery, perfumes and designer wear, while the 13-storey El Corte Ingles in Las Palmas is Spain's largest national department store and the Las Arenas Mall in Las Canteras is a favourite with tourists. Puerto Morgan's souvenir shops are more arty-crafty and sell less junk than the usual stores dotted around the island's resorts, but everything from fresh fruits and produce to clothing and football shirts can be picked up at the Friday morning market in town. Reputedly the largest street market in Gran Canaria, and a must for shopaholics, is in the south coast town of Arguineguin, held every Tuesday. Popular souvenirs and gifts include banana-leaf baskets, pottery, embroidered goods and felt hats.

Gran Canaria Climate and Weather

While Gran Canaria has a wonderful climate throughout the year, the south of the island (where the major resorts are located) enjoys its own micro climate with generally better weather than other parts of the island, although the sea breeze can be quite bracing. The mountainous regions inland are a bit colder and can experience frost or even snow. The average temperature is comfortable all year round, rarely dropping below 63°F (17°C) and often reaching 82°F (28°C) during the day. The peak summer months are June to August, but May and September are almost as hot. The warmest month is August, when average temperatures range between 70°F and 80.8°F (21°C and 27°C). Winters are very mild along the coast, especially in the south. During the coldest month, January, average temperatures range between 58.5°F and 69.1°F (14.7°C and 20.6°C). Rainfall in the summer months is almost non-existent, but showers are possible between October and April. Rainfall is unevenly distributed throughout the island, but the south is generally the driest and most sunny. The best time to travel to Gran Canaria is between May and September, but the island is a wonderful destination year round.

Maspalomas

Maspalomas is a popular holiday resort on the southern tip of Gran Canaria, adjacent to this trendy Spanish island's largest and most hectic package-tour resort, Playa del Ingles. Maspalomas though, is the quieter and more upmarket option, sporting the best four-mile (6km) stretch of golden, sandy beach on the island. Maspalomas is separated from Playa del Ingles by a spectacular undulating sea of sand dunes, a protected area that provides a habitat for some rare species of flora and fauna, and a favourite haunt for nudists. Along the Maspalomas waterfront the promenade, stretching to Playa del Ingles, bristles with bars, shops, restaurants and entertainment venues between luxury hotels and villas. Maspalomas also boasts an exhilarating water park and nearby are numerous other attractions like amusement parks, nature parks, a golf course, an aquarium and theme parks. The resort has become a favourite holiday destination for the gay community, with a designated gay zone on the beach and in the sand dunes. The resort's week-long Gay Pride festivities each May have become world-renowned on the party calendar.

Holiday Shopping

The main shopping centre in Maspalomas is the Faro 2 complex, full of designer stores and boutiques. Varadero Shopping Centre is another popular place to shop in Maspalomas. The surrounding area is crammed with shopping complexes of similar ilk, about a dozen in all, the biggest and best known being the Yumbo Centre in neighbouring Playa del Ingles.

Restaurants

Maspalomas cuisine is best experienced at Pizzerria Piz Paz, Escalerita, El Palmeral or Velero Casa Antonio. Maspalomas has restaurants aplenty, most very reasonably priced, offering a variety of international cuisines. Many of the restaurants provide live entertainment in the evenings and double as bars. Visitors can enjoy live music or DJs while trying out a range of different foods from pizza and pasta to Chinese, seafood and Tex-Mex.

Nightlife

On holiday in Maspalomas, it is a good idea to make sure you join the locals in a traditional afternoon siesta in order to take advantage of the nightlife, which is lively but sophisticated. The holiday resort offers a plethora of entertaining bars with karaoke, jazz, salsa, and live bands to spice things up, or themed pubs with happy hours. A good selection of bars can be found in the Maspalomas Plaza. There are a variety of clubs and discos, two popular dance spots being found in the Holiday World amusement park. Most Maspalomas nightclubs only get going after midnight, and offer free entry, although drinks can be expensive. Those out for a real time on the town, however, will prefer to head for neighbouring Playa del Ingles where the hottest spots are, including the well-known Joy and Cream clubs.

Holiday Activities

Those who prefer to do more than just laze on the Maspalomas beach have plenty of options when it comes to water sports, either above or below the surface, from paragliding to scuba diving. Enjoy the thrilling Aquapark, the Holiday World amusement park, a theme park centred on the reconstruction of an ancient Canary village, an aquarium, zoo and many other diversions. It is also possible to take excursions to various sightseeing attractions, like museums and monuments or scenic spots inland, or a boat trip to view whales and dolphins. A must for a Maspalomas holiday is a camel ride through the famous dunes.

Any Negatives?

The Maspalomas Dunes are a haven for naturists, so be prepared to see plenty of naked bodies on the sand. The beach, particularly the sunbed area, becomes extremely crowded during the height of the summer holiday season.

Playa Del Ingles

'The Englishman's beach' is how Playa del Ingles translates; those naming the holiday resort had great foresight as today thousands of Brits flock here for sun, sea and San Miguels. Situated in the south of Gran Canaria, the resort is one of the largest and busiest in Europe and its main attraction is the wide sandy beach that stretches from the Maspalomas dunes to San Agustin in the north. The Playa del Ingles seafront is lined by a lovely pedestrian promenade, the Paseo Costa Canaria, planted with lush gardens. With its conglomeration of high-rise hotels, apartment blocks and shopping malls, Playa del Ingles will not win any awards for architecture or sophisticated ambience, but the ever-growing holiday resort, purpose-built for pleasure and leisure back in the 1960s, is hard to beat for good value summer fun. Although mainly geared towards the younger market, families and older visitors are also attracted to Playa del Ingles by the glorious year-round climate and endless beach. Those who want to avoid all the hubbub can find quieter spots on the long, spacious beach, and should be sure to get accommodation well away from the party centre.

Shopping

There is a fine choice of shops in Playa del Ingles where visitors on holiday can indulge in some duty-free delights, including cheap electrical shops and stalls selling imitation designer gear and African curios. The shopping is mainly confined to the dozen or so shopping centres and each centre has its own distinctive character. Visanta is best for duty-free electrical goods as they offer a European guarantee and refunds if you change your mind about something. Yumbo is the biggest and most popular shopping centre in Playa del Ingles 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 the same sort of stuff.

Restaurants

The best eateries in Playa del Ingles include Taberna La Cana for fantastic Spanish seafood, Tapas Bar Capaco for their great tapas selection, and Restaurante Hong Kong for something different. Fast food (including McDonalds), Chinese, Italian and local cuisine are all available, as well as rows of restaurants serving something with chips.

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. Still in the Kasbah, the Hippodrome, Havana and Sugar, a small cocktail bar, are good places 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.

Holiday Activities

For those in Playa del Ingles who have had enough of the beach, there is loads of entertainment and activities for all ages including amusement arcades, mini-golf, tennis, golf, sky diving, water parks, go-karting, horse riding and camel riding. Water sports in Playa del Ingles include scuba diving, jetskiing, windsurfing and banana boat rides.

Any 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 Playa del Ingles holiday resort can be very noisy late into the night. The resort is also full of salesmen and touts which can be an annoyance.

Puerto Mogan

Situated on the southwest coast, nine miles (14km) west of vibrant Puerto Rico, Puerto Mogan is one of the more up-market holiday resorts on Gran Canaria. The town is an old fishing village that has recently started to be developed into a modern resort town but retains an authentic Spanish charm. Tourism is centred around the marina which bustles with local boats, yachts and Atlantic cruisers. There are a selection of bars, shops and restaurants aimed at tourists, but the shops are less tacky than in some neighbouring resorts and the restaurants serve some of the best seafood on the island. Backed by the mountains, the picturesque old Puerto Mogan village is a maze of narrow roads and colonial style houses; the couple of canals running through the town has prompted tour operators to dub it 'Little Venice'. There is one small beach in the resort and another, Playa Taurito, three miles (5km) to the east; both have black volcanic sand and boulders. Although there is a disco or two in Puerto Mogan, those looking for a more energetic nightlife should head to Puerto Rico or Playa del Inglés.

Holiday Shopping

Puerto Mogan has all the shops that you would expect from a holiday resort in the Canary Islands, but they are generally a little more arty-crafty and sell less of the rubbish that you usually find in souvenir shops; there is less quantity and more quality in Puerto Mogan than at many other resorts. Every Friday morning there is a large market in town, which is aimed at locals as well as tourists and sells everything from fresh fish to football shirts.

Restaurants

While there is no shortage of fast food stalls and restaurants offering full English breakfasts in Puerto Mogan there are also a few restaurants offering good Canarian cuisine, wines and cheeses. Puerto Mogan is best known for its excellent seafood restaurants serving locally caught fish. Some top choices include Restaurante El Castillo for paella or tapas, La Bodeguilla Juanana for great Canarian cuisine, and Casito Mediterraneo for some of the freshest fish in town. Most restaurants are located around the harbour.

Nightlife

While there is a disco or two and many restaurants offer some sort of entertainment, most visitors come to Puerto Morgan on holiday for peace and relaxation. The nightlife is limited and sedate and those in search of a party will need to travel to a more energetic resort.

Holiday Activities

Sailing, jetskiing, boat tours, fishing trips and jeep safaris can be organised from Puerto Mogan. It is also one of the best scuba diving destinations on the island, with two wrecks just in front of the harbour and the Mogan Caves about a mile away where divers and snorkelers can expect to see large shoals of fish, moray eels, barracudas and yellow grunters. Non-divers on holiday can take a fascinating submarine trip to discover this underwater world. The actual village of Mogan is about six miles (10km) inland and is well worth a visit; it retains a strong rural Spanish ambience and is home to some good traditional Canarian restaurants.

Any Negatives?

Visitors should be aware that there is some building work going on in Puerto Mogan, but this is mostly towards the back of the resort; it is worth checking that there is no building site near your accommodation. Those looking for large nightclubs and dance music will need to make the short trip to Playa del Ingles.