El Greco Apartments

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Puerto Rico is generally 4 degrees Celsius hotter than anywhere else on the island of Gran Canaria - and in the second week of May, temperatures ranged from 26C to 31C in the day and only as low as 20C at night.
Puerto Rico is not the best resort for the elderly or those with mobility difficulties. Set in beautiful hillside, it is a fair walk down many steps to reach the beach if you are at the top of the hill. However, for this reason, the El Greco is perfectly situated.
The El Greco is right at the bottom of the hill directly opposite the beach. From the reception to the sandy beach is just a 30 second walk crossing a quiet road. The Hotel has a 24hr reception providing various services and its own restaurant.
The apartments are kept very clean and they are bright and airy spaces, neutrally decorated. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The hotel pool is located on the first floor at the front of the hotel, and its elevated location gives it the advantage of a better view of the beach and also means it is not directly on the road.
The resort centre is just a 10 minute walk away and includes all the usual kind of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops you would find in any tourist resort and a small selection of shops and restaurants can be found right next to the El Greco. Again, like many tourist resorts, you’d be hard pressed to find any actual Spanish cuisine on offer, although many restaurants do serve the traditional Canarian potatoes with Mojo sauce and a shot of the island’s honey rum is generally provided at the end of each meal.
However, if you are near the El Greco, then Oscar’s Restaurant is worth a visit - it can get quite busy so you may have to book (T: 0034 928 56 06 31).
Oscar’s provides great Italian food in HUGE portions. It may be a little pricier than the plethora of other eateries available, (main course is approx 15 Euros in comparison with around 8 Euros elsewhere) but the food and great service is definitely worth it.
To really get a feel for the island you need to get out of Puerto Rico and see as much of the island as possible. The roads here are very windy so if you’re not a confident driver then forget hiring a car and take the bus or an organised excursion.
The bus timetables can be a little erratic - some buses come every 20 minutes, others every hour depending on your destination. However, if you plan the day well this is not a problem and with fares as little as 1.5 Euros, it is an economical way to get around.
Maspalomas hosts the famous sand dunes on the island and really is a spectacular view. You can catch a bus there from Puerto Rico or most holiday providers will do an excursion, which includes a camel ride. For the young looking to party then head for Playa del Ingles although if you can, use an organised trip or go in a group big enough to fill a taxi as fares from Puerto Rico to Playa can be as high as 20 Euros. Playa hosts all sorts of bars - Beckhams (Ministry of Sound), Pascha and Chic (Cream) are all good.
There is a quaint little fishing village called Puerto Mogan that hosts a market every Friday, but if you can take an Island Tour Excursion, then it is certainly worth doing.
First Choice has one that costs 48 Euros. This may sound a lot, but it does take all day (from about 8 am until 5 pm) covers a large section of the island and includes a three-course lunch with wine.
The tour covered the more verdant central and northern parts of the island, taking in the volcanic crater with its sole inhabitants - a man in his 70s and his donkey who actually live at the bottom of the crater - as well as traditional churches, a museum in a cave at 6000 ft up a mountain and many spectacular views across the island and beyond.
On a clear day you can see right across to Tenerife and the scenic views from the coach whilst travelling between towns are also great - especially when punctuated by our excellent and humorous tour guide Octavio.
All in all, Gran Canaria is a beautiful island with lots to see and in a week, unfortunately, I did not manage to see it all.
It really is worth a visit and as it only rains about three or four times a year, you can expect plenty of sunshine
!!