Playground of the English? (Playa del Ingles)

Member Name: rogue-1

Product:	Playa del Ingles
Date:	20/06/01 (2309 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, few language barriers, centrally located

Disadvantages: noisy and crowded, very much a resort

It was my first visit to the Canary Islands and Gran Canaria seemed as good a choice as any.

The weather - The weather is stupendous! The island has about 10 days rain per year. The temperature according to the islanders does not fluctuate greatly and their lows are about 18C. While I was there the temperature through the day varied between the low to mid thirties but never really dipping below that. The heat between two and four can become somewhat overpowering, this is the time that the locals typically take their siesta. I would not argue this point, these two hours are usually the hottest of the day and its a good time to do as little as possible.

The resort of Play Del Ingles is itself a tourist trap. There is a high contingency of other nationalities. However English, Irish and German are those that seem to be targeted.

There are numerous Cita's which are local shopping centres and these again are geared towards the tourist market. Lets face it, the southern part of the Island as a whole is geared towards tourism and nothing else.
Visiting these Citas can be both an enjoyable and also a stressful experience as the shopkeepers are very insistent.

The good thing is that you can try out your haggling skills, there are some bargains to be had but when you have the pallid complexion of a new visitor, the chance that you may not be coherent with the currency can often be taken advantage of. Check your change!!

For me, Play Del Ingles was as close to an english resort as they could get. I did not know what to expect when i arrived and to be honest i doubt I would return. There are far more beautiful spots on the Island that I was fortunate to be able to visit and explore. The car rental prices are remarkably cheap and their is quite a variety of makes to choose from, spend a little time shopping around for the best deal, there can be quite a difference in prices though.

However, the citas offer a wide ra
nge of gifts and luxury items, at night they become a hub of activity hosting the local nightlife.

The beaches stretch for miles and there is adazzling array of watersports available for you to try. ie Jetski hire between 2-4,000 pt
which at the time I was there was approx £6-11

The cigarettes for smoker are ridiculously cheap, setting you back somewhere in the region of £6 for £200, and thats a name brand! Drinks are pricey in the bars but take out is reasonable. And food is also great value for money. There are a lot of English orientated pubs and restaurants, the Chapparal is the english quarter and here you can get fried breakfasts and sunday dinners, with everything in between.

Gran Canaria is great, Playa Del Ingles is, if you like a home from home. For me it took away the essence of getting away from it all.
To be fair it has everything you could want or need with the exception of a taste of the real island. if that is what you are looking for head further north or along the coast to Puerto Morgan or Puerto Rico.

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