From City Buzz to Beach Bliss

VICKY RICHARDS lives it up in Madrid before chilling in Maspolomas...

VICKY RICHARDS lives it up in Madrid before chilling in Maspolomas…

With numerous daily cheap flights from Dublin to Madrid, and Madrid to Gran Canaria, we were excited to do a 24 hour stopover in Madrid en route to our holiday in Maspolomas, Gran Canaria.

After a short two and a half hour flight to Madrid, we set off to discover the buzz of this beautiful city.

First up was the famous Gran Via Street, Madrid’s equivalent of Broadway or Piccadilly Circus. Followed by a short walk to Calle Fuencarral where we checked out the trendy designer shops. Just behind Gran Via is Mercado de San Miguel – an old fashioned market, now revamped into a stylish food hall selling tapas at various stands with an outdoor terrace showcasing great views of the city – just perfect for our late lunchtime stop with the obligatory glass of Cava and tapas.

Feeling refreshed, we ventured onto the must see Puerta de Sol, one of the main plazas in Madrid and is known as the most central location in Spain and where all the distances and roads are measured from.

With time short we opted for the evening of Tapas, Taverns and History tour – promising ‘the true Madrid tapas experience as well as a historic walking tour including the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, Plaza Santa Ana’ – on the pricy side at €99 each but well worth it to get the full flavour of Madrid!

Next morning, we took the speedy metro straight to the airport and after another two and a half hour flight, we arrived in sunny Gran Canaria.

We stayed at the Seaside Palm Beach hotel located at the southern tip of the island in Maspolomas, less than a three minute walk from its fantastic beach and famous Unesco protected sand dunes.

Seaside Palm Beach is a member of the Design Hotels of the World and has a modern sophisticated ’70’s Miami style to its rooms – full of bold colour and light reflecting the hotel’s location by the sea.

The hotel gardens and various pools are stunning and immaculately kept. Activities around the pools include daily complimentary Tai Chi and yoga classes in the garden; as well as tennis, shuffleboard, garden chess, bols and a shaded outdoor gym, – indeed there is no need to move away from the hotel.

However, with the beach less than a 100 metres away, we enjoyed its cooling breezes, relaxing on the beach beds, swimming in the warm Atlantic, and ‘watching the world go by’. If it tickles your fancy – there are nudist areas further along the 5 km beach!

The hotel has a Wellness Spa offering all the usual treatments in a secluded setting in the gardens, and there also seemed to be a very good Kids Club -well equipped and staffed. Food and service in the hotel was first class. We opted for half board – breakfast on the terrace each morning included a great variety of freshly squeezed juices, artisan breads and pastries as well as a full buffet, and in the evenings alternate BBQ themed evenings and fine dining.

Having fully chilled out after a few days in the sun – we took advantage of one of the seven golf courses around Gran Canaria all within easy reach. On a previous visit we played the two courses at Salobre and enjoyed its challenge – especially the New Course! This time we opted for Anfi Tauro along the coast near Mogan. It has an 18 hole course which sweeps down the valley with beautiful views towards the sea. Some tricky holes but fair and well maintained. The par three course is also worth playing – challenging your chipping and putting game! Very friendly and welcoming to visitors.

We very much enjoyed the mix of a city break and a beach holiday in Gran Canaria – easy to do and makes each part of the holiday special. Maybe Barcelona and Tenerife next time!

news