TRAVEL Gran Canaria

By Gavyn Andrews

This round Spanish island has been a mecca for gay travellers for a very long time way before I was born and well I was born in the early eighties. The Island is part of a cluster of Spanish islands just off the coast of Northern Africa with the main islands being Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Tenerife and Lanzarote. I have been very lucky to have been to them all so far and each of these small islands has its own unique character, landscape and speciality for tourism but it is Gran Canaria that stands out for the Gay Traveller because it holds one of Europes Biggest Annual Prides alongside Winter Prides and many many ay Fetish events for Bears and Leather. Also the little green Dinosaur at the entrance to the Yumbo Centre is the 3 tiered square dedicated to all things gay from, Cafes, Bars, Shopping, Drag Bars, Clubs, Gay Saunas and more aka Gays rules in this town. Gran Canaria is also one of the very few destination around the world which offers LGBTQ+ community its very own Gay Beach space.

Personally I had not been to the island for about 15 years or more and I was excited to return for my birthday celebration and to take in the annual Gay Pride Parade and some free events of the week long festivities . Compared to my previous multiple trips to the island as a single GAY man this time I was going as part of a couple and due to this we wanted to both upgrade the type of accommodation and the area we planned to stay in. So rather than being in the very heart of the resort I booked a package holiday with Jet2Holidays direct from Belfast to Gran Canaria staying at the 4 star Gran Princess on the outskirts of Playa Del Ingles actually not too far from the other famous Irish Centre..

Our package included Insurance ,Flights, Private return Airport transfers and the Hotel was on a Half Board basis for the week. As it was the 2nd week of the Gay Pride 2023 celebrations the Belfast flight was full of young gay singles, couples and friends all heading to the island to enjoy the Beach, Clubs, Sun and all things Yumbo.

Upon arrival at Belfast airport everything was great and we got into the holiday mood straight away with a good breakfast and a drink or two. To kick start the holiday The flight was just over 4 hours but didn’t seem that long and it wasn’t long until we where standing in the hotel reception ready to check in. The Gran Princess is an older hotel which has been renovated and offers a fresh funky Adult only , couples vibe, which seemed to have a very international feel that night.

Overall the hotel is adults only and I would say just below the 4 Stars given compared to some of its nearby competition like RUI and Servitour hotels. The bedroom was clean and comfortable but a little on the small side but with a nice balcony which over looked the hotels entertainment stage and pool which came in handy for pre dinner drinks and some fun before heading down to Yumbo. Centre most evenings.

It surprised me to see that not much has changed in Playa Del Ingles with the same cafes, Bars and restaurants still open and offering tourists pretty much the same thing they have always done. I was expecting a more upmarket Gay Vibe for 2023 like you get now with Mykonos and even Sitges but it appears this wasn’t the case.

Day time in Yumbo is very much quiet and pretty chilled affair with many of the cafes bars etc not opening to mid afternoon. Our daily routine was get up have breakfast at the hotel which offered self service buffet which I could not fault. We would often then take a long walk down to the centre of the resort stopping off having coffee and sometimes cake along the way.

About 3 times during the week we ventured to the Gay Beach at Maspalomas which was a surprise because I am not normally someone who enjoys the beach. However we enjoyed the Gay Only Beach and the nudist sections and felt comfortable mixing with all the other Gay singles and Groups each day discussing the day and night before events. The Beach areas offers comfortable sun-beds for hire and also has a few different cabins offering drinks and snacks as well as music helping you get into the spirit.

I would say it would be better to bring some proper food from a supermarket with you for lunch and 100% to come down as early as you can because sun-beds with umbrellas get snapped up quickly. I would also suggest if you love your gay apps like Grinder and Scruff then bring a battery pack fully charged as this place is mental for hooking up and well making out. Personally I loved the freedom of it all and admired all those people confident to simply be themselves and enjoy the space. If your wanting a chilled daily life then I would defiantly recommend hitting the beach even for a few hours as well as for taking in some of the beautiful scenery. We would often take the long walk from Maspalomas Gay Beach all the way down on the beach to Play Del Ingles Beach before walking uphill to our hotel at the rear of the resort.

Toms Cruising bar is on the top floor so a little away from the madness of the Lower levels but again offers similar vibe to Cruise Bar with food dark room action.

Yumbo is an entertainment centre with everything a Gay man could want or need from , food , shopping, entertainment in the way of drag shows, cheesy pop bars, dance cubs, cruising bars and gay saunas.

As it was Pride we the community offered tourists multiple events to book such as Pool Parties at the Axel Beach Hotel, Or maybe an All Gay Cruise and then night events such as White Parties etc. My partner and I are not really into pre planned events and we much preferred working our way nightly down to the Yumbo after having food at the hotel and checking out the multitude of bars available.

Eden was our favourite starting point each night to take in the nightly sights and sounds before then deciding which bars to hit next. I guess as the Yumbo is a sunken square you will always manage to see something no matter where you. Personally we enjoyed BearCave which is very small but spills into the square and is everything bear. The staff are very friendly and clientele was a real mix of ages and looks from bears to jocks and even those in rubber and puppy gear.

Cruise Bar does well pretty much what it says allowing men to cruise for pleasure in a safe and friendly environment. Again the venue isn’t huge but clientele is very mixed depending on the time of night.

My overall opinion on Gran Canaria is that it hasn’t really changed much in the past 15 years since my last visit and for some people this will be a good thing but for myself and my partner we need something more and feel that if we ever returned to the island then it would be to a different resort. We did say that maybe Summer Pride was just too busy and not for us and maybe winter Pride or one of the Bear or fetish events might suit us better so I guess never say never.

As a Gay Traveller I think you should try it all and find what suits you best, should you be a young solo traveller or an older couple each destination will have something for you but don’t expect just because its seen as a gay destination, service or product that it will be right for you.

Support the countries and destinations which offer LGBTQ+ travellers safe places to visit and experience but don’t shut the rest of the world out in fear of being a Gay Traveller because more and more countries are welcoming us everywhere around the world.

Stay safe keep travelling but most of all enjoy your life as its your adventure to be had.