Gran Canaria, aka the island of relaxation
Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere, and with it the cold, the snow, the blanket and movie afternoons and those leaden skies that seem to have signed a pact not to open for weeks. Nevertheless, This is not the case in all of Spain, and the island of Gran Canaria is a good proof of this.
Nails on pleasant temperatures, comfortably installed above 20 degrees, and a few skies of a constant blue, in which only a few solitary clouds appear pushed by the playful and warm trade winds, Gran Canaria is the perfect destination for those looking to escape the frigid European winter.
Bathrooms 365 days a year
In addition to having a varied landscape that goes far beyond the typical Canarian offer of sun and beach, the island of Gran Canaria, in recent years, has specialized in health and wellness tourism, offering first class facilities and treatments that have meant that not a few travelers come to the island exclusively for them.
Health, landscape, activities and gastronomy combine perfectly in Gran Canaria.
DUNES AND GOOD ENERGIES IN MASPALOMAS
Right at the southern end of Gran Canaria is one of the most important tourist attractions on the island. The Maspalomas dune system It is a special nature reserve protected by the Canarian government.
in their near 400 hectares of extension, between a forest of palm trees, a brackish lagoon and the moving dunes, find rest beautiful migratory birds - like flamingos and gray herons - and nest starlings and storks.
The dunes themselves are true survivors. A few decades ago they occupied a much larger area, but the massive construction of hotels and other tourist infrastructure has been limiting their domain until find them nestled between the beaches of El Inglés and Costa Meloneras.
An exceptional witness to this diminishing process has been the iconic Maspalomas lighthouse. Rising 55 meters from the ground, this lighthouse - built in 1889 and declared a Site of Cultural Interest by the Canarian government - is the most emblematic of the Canary Islands and today, while waiting for a future ethnographic museum to be installed, it houses an exhibition of ancient Canarian artisan trades.
Maspalomas Lighthouse
In this part of the island, there is only one thing that beats the natural relaxation offered by a walk among the dunes of Maspalomas at sunset, just when the sun sets the sand on fire with coppery tones and they stand out against the dark and deep blue of the Atlantic waters.
You will find that ecstasy of rest and well-being in the magnificent ** Corallium spa at the Lopesan Costa Meloneras hotel.** This 3,500-square-meter spa shows that water is the planet's vital liquid, being the main protagonist of a circuit that is usually done in four hours and includes, among other things, jet pools, rain tubes, an igloo made of real ice, and a sort of ancient Canarian cave in which there is a pool full of hot water with a high salt concentration, being able to float in it as you would in the waters of the Red Sea.
All this complements with different types of saunas and other rooms as original as the Himalayan salt cave, built with bricks of salt in reddish, orange and yellow tones, and in which the iodine releases its load of negative ions, being beneficial for people with asthma, migraines or allergic problems related to the respiratory system.
Finally, therapeutic massages are usually the prelude to the rite of choose the best lounger and enjoy a cocktail or, if you prefer to continue living a healthy life, a natural juice.
3,500 square meters dedicated to your relaxation
PUERTO DE MOGÁN, A SMALL VENICE AND THALASSOTHERAPY
The small fishermen's boats they sway to the calm sound that marks the waters that are channeled inside the Puerto de Mogán.
During the winter, the calm scene is transmitted to the dozens of bars and restaurants that crowd the ground floor of the houses that overlook the docks of the port. In many of these houses, perfectly whitewashed, live retired foreigners who have decided to enjoy the wonderful climate of Gran Canaria while taking care of their health.
A couple of bridges cross the water canals and lead to streets overlooked by these white walled houses, in which the colorful decorations of the door and window frames contrast powerfully, through which they climb showy bougainvillea.
If you direct your gaze to the steep rocky crags that protect Puerto de Mogán, you will see how they are stacked, on their slopes, the old fishermen's houses. These slopes are arid and, therefore, contrast even more with the great botanical variety that populates the garden of the nearby Cordial Mogán Playa hotel.
Here in your Inagua Spa , is also practiced thalassotherapy to improve the health of its customers. Thalassotherapy is a technique based on various treatments with seawater –heated to a temperature between 33 and 37 degrees centigrade- and marine accessories (fundamentally algae and mud), which enable the human body to absorb elements such as iodine, calcium, sulfur and magnesium, supplying mineral deficiencies caused by stress and fatigue. It is also very beneficial to relieve rheumatic, arthritis, bone and muscle problems, as well as respiratory disorders.
Here the treatments are done with sea water
THE CLOUD ROCK
In the center of that scallop-shaped island that is Gran Canaria, is the Roque Nublo, a strange rock with a Martian appearance that rises 80 meters above the ground on land that exceeds 1,800 meters above sea level.
This petrified echo of the symphony of fire that formed Gran Canaria millions of years ago is accompanied by others of its kind, such as the rock nicknamed La Rana, who serves as his most faithful disciple, always by his side.
The volcanic rocks formed by the rocks, and which are so common in the seven Canary Islands, also have a therapeutic power. Their soft, molded texture makes them perfect for massages capable of eliminating tensions. The therapy is based on apply hot stones to different energy points of the body to achieve physical and mental balance. To the above properties are added those of relax muscles, reduce or eliminate stress, help detoxify the body and soothe back pain.
And it is that Gran Canaria heals the body and spirit thanks to its landscapes, its volcanic nature and its clean air, but also for being a land of leading spas and treatments in the world of wellness.
Roque Nublo