Gran Canaria is very child-friendly and has several attraction and theme parks.
Maybe you fancy a day at a water park, or would you prefer to visit an amusement park? Whatever you like, you just turn on the navigation and then we are sure that you will find something for a fun day out.
Aqualand Maspalomas is the perfect place for a day out with the whole family. With 130,000 m² this is the largest water park in Gran Canaria. It offers fun and water fun for the whole family. The swimming pools of this water park are open all year and cover an area of 5300 m². There are 33 water slides and 13 fun attractions, including Surf Beach, Congo River, Crazy Race, Kamikaze, Rapids, Aquamania, Twister, the exotic mini park Polynesia, minigolf … just to name a few. Mamut is top favorite, where you slide down a slide on a 4-person raft. Furthermore, there is the Adrenalina, a trip on a double rubber band. The latest attraction is not suitable for people with a weak heart … Boomerang is a ride where you sit on a floating tire and suddenly make a vertical fall.
Gran Canaria’s most popular amusement park for the whole family, Palmitos Park, is a subtropical oasis in a lush green valley with palm trees. It has more than 200 species of birds, including the tiny hummingbird, toucans, peacocks, hornbills, cranes, flamingos and macaws. There is also an aquarium, a butterfly house, a cactus garden, an orchid house … the list goes on and on. Palmitos Park has a number of attractions that you should have seen and you have to count on a few hours or perhaps half a day to walk around the whole park and to absorb all the impressions and sounds. Especially recommended are the breathtaking bird of prey shows, in which eagles, owls and peregrine falcons fly over the audience in free flight. Other not to be missed spectacular attractions are the parrot shows. These intelligent birds show you amazing tricks, from riding a bike to jigsaws, making paintings and up to ten seconds. Popular shows such as these fund important conservation programs that involve many endangered species living in the park. The Orchid House creates an ideal and unique habitat for hundreds of orchids in multiple colors and shapes. This is the largest orchid collection in the Canary Islands. Another highlight is the Cactus Garden. Here you can see an impressive collection of cacti and aloe, with a few remarkable species. One of those species carries the strange name Silla de la Suegra, which means “mothers-in-law”. ” The Butterfly House is the largest in Europe, with hundreds of exotic butterflies flying freely – an unforgettable experience.
Parque de los Cocodrilos is Gran Canaria’s only zoo. It was first opened to the public in 1988. Since then, more and more animals have been added to the park by buying them from private individuals and circuses. They are also bred in freedom in the park. The large Bengal tigers family you see there, for example, was raised by the family itself. About 300 crocodiles, various species of tropical fish, the parrot show on Treasure Island and a cactus garden are just a few of the attractions you can see in this unusual animal park.
Tourists come in hordes to Cactualdea, in the west of the island. A cactus park with thousands of cactuses that were imported from countries like Mexico, Madagascar, Guatemala and Bolivia, surrounded by palm trees, dragon blood trees and aloe. There is also a Guanche cave, a traditional restaurant serving typical Canarian dishes and an impressive wine cellar. Another interesting place is a large amphitheater that is used for lucha canaria competitions (Canarian wrestling).
One of the main attractions in Las Palmas is the Pueblo Canario, located in the Parque Doramas. In the 1930s, the brothers Néstor and Miguel Martín-Fernández de la Torre came up with the idea of building the Pueblo Canario as a way of generating more interest in local culture and traditions. Today visitors can walk along the cottages of a typical Canarian village and view the famous wooden carved balconies, gems of traditional architecture. Twice a week, the main square serves as a stage for folk dance groups that dance to the sounds of the local songs. Enjoy the show while tasting delicious Canarian delicacies in the Bodegón Canario. This of course lets you be accompanied by the richly flowing local wine! In Museo Néstor, the work of the artist Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre is exhibited and cultural activities take place regularly, such as concerts and conferences.