I have to admit that we have never been drawn to the Canary Islands. We have always associated them with trips organized via a travel agency and all-inclusive hotels (which we always avoid) and a lot of pensioners from the UK and Scandinavia. When Gabriela was born, we initially thought that this is where we would go on vacation, because it seems to be popular among families with children. But we tried other destinations instead, fell in love with Asia and holidays in Europe ceased to be interesting to us. Especially because most people go to the Canary Islands during the winter, and for us, winter is snow and skiing, not the beach. So how did we end up going to Gran Canaria during winter holidays and, in addition, with a travel agency? The answer is very pragmatic. In the current situation, I don’t think it was possible to fly anywhere else. We considered this direction already during the fall, but due to masks being mandatory in Spain, we chose Rhodes instead. This time there was no choice. Either Gran Canaria or we stay home. And as you know, sitting at home is not our favorite activity. We must admit that we were also encouraged by our friends from Brussels, who spent the Christmas and New Year period in Gran Canaria, and now they have a silent dream of moving to the island.

So once again during the last few months we decided to go with a travel agency. This time we flew with TUI, but I think most agencies now have a similar offer. The advantage of traveling with a travel agent nowadays is additional insurance in the event of falling ill with corona (covering the costs of on-site tests if you have symptoms, hospital treatment, extended hotel stay and assistance in returning home). For us, the advantage was also the direct flight from Sweden, because it made us sure that it would be relatively easy to return “in case of emergency” (I have read about Poles who could not come back from Madeira, because they had a flight to Berlin, and the Germans only allowed their own citizens into the country). In addition, the agency covers the cost of PCR tests, which are mandatory to enter Spain. The catch is, however, that the test must be performed in the city from which you fly. And as all flights from Malmö had been canceled, we had to fly from Gothenburg. Going there 2 days earlier just to get tested, was not an option for us. So, as a result, we covered the costs of the tests ourselves, and in Sweden the tests currently cost at least 150 €. Yes, yes, we know, this is what we wanted, so we are not to complain. In any case, the test cannot be older than 72 hours. When asked whether these 72 hours are to pass from collection to boarding the plane or landing in Spain, no one will give you a clear answer (ie I received contradictory answers). Considering that the flight lasts several hours, the test result takes up to 48 hours, and the tests are performed in most places only until 3 pm, we had a big problem when to do the tests so as to be able to complete everything in time. As a result, we found a clinic where they promised that the test result will be the next day by 10 pm. So by doing the tests on Friday, the result was supposed to be Saturday night. And the flight on Sunday at 9.30 am. Due to the early departure time, we decided to come to Gothenburg the day before and sleep in a hotel. There was a walk in the park, a playground, a meeting with a friend, dinner, and then we nervously started to check our e-mails. Until 10 pm, nothing had happened. Starting to get nervous, we started writing to the clinic in the chat on their website. In response, the doctor called Tomasz and said that our tests gave illegible results and had to be analysed again. And that the answer will be available at 6 am at the latest… This was very effective in keeping us from sleep. In the end, we got the results at 2 am. Luckily, they were negative. And at 6 am we woke up and drove to the airport. Well, the most important thing is that we made it 🙂 The test results were checked three times: at the airport at check-in, at the airport upon arrival in GC and at the hotel.

A few hours later, we landed on an island in the middle of the ocean. The temperature didn’t knock us out. It was blowing and big rainy clouds were approaching. But we were in Spain, so who cares! We got to the hotel just after 6pm (we stopped for lunch on the way), when the reception was already closed 🙂 We stayed in Las Villas de Amadores in Playa de Amadores. We had to our disposal a large apartment with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a balcony. We chose the hotel for its good price, high ratings and a heated pool 🙂 During our 1 week stay we met 2 families at the pool and the parking lot was practically empty. Only the day before our departure, more guests showed up. Is Playa de Amadores a good location? Yes and no. The beach itself is very nice and relatively intimate. In addition, in the south of the island the weather is always nicer than in the north and it is less windy. There are not as many hotels (or restaurants) as in nearby Puerto Rico. However, it is a poor base if we want to travel a lot around the island, like we did. As a result, we had to drive for over an hour three times to see something on the north side of the island.

Well, Gran Canaria is associated with the beach and lazy holidays. And we only spent half a day on the beach. So what were we doing there? I will write about it in subsequent posts, but we can reveal that the nature and views of Gran Canaria certainly exceeded our expectations. Apparently we were lucky, because it rained a lot this winter and the whole island is green, and usually it’s just dry. So, as a result, we came back delighted with the island, but we still believe that it is not our fairy tale. Now that there are very few tourists, we could enjoy the tranquility of visiting the ravines, dunes, vineyards, etc, but as soon as we arrived in Puerto Rico for dinner, we knew it wasn’t for us. In summary, if you love nature and are curious about the Canary Islands, now is the time to visit them!