I absolutely adore the Canary Islands. I've previously visited Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Tenerife and loved each and every trip, so it was on my bucket list to take a trip to Gran Canaria! I asked my best friend Megan to join me, to discover what spa, wellness and health the island has to offer, whilst celebrating her birthday too. With crystal clear seas, sandy coves of shara-style dunes and sunshine all year round, there really is something for everyone. Discover the four hotels we visited and be sure to watch the vlogs too!
Gloria Palace Amadores Thalasso & Hotels
Set on a cliff overlooking the ocean, this luxury hotel almost feels like you're staying on a cruise ship. Our view from our room was absolutely breathtaking, and as we were half board, we ate breakfast and dinner outside with the same view too. Located 500m from Playa de Amadores beach, and around 45 minutes from the airport in La Palma, this hotel honestly had everything we needed. With several pools, entertainment every night, a huge buffet, and wifi throughout, we couldn't complain. Plus, the fresh fruit smoothies by the pool in the day, and the mango mojitos by the bar at night were absolutely delicious! We didn't have a problem getting a sun lounger in the morning, it was clean and tidy everywhere, and the staff were exceptionally friendly.
During our stay, we had the opportunity to visit the Thalasso Gloria Palace Spa, with one of Europe's largest Thalassotherapy centres. Based on treatments with seawater between 33 and 37 degrees, its allows the body to absorb elements such as iodine, sulphur, calcium and magnesium. There are different jets around the pool to work on different parts of your body, include lie-down beds and jacuzzi's, all with an ocean view. We each enjoyed a treatment too, I had an aloe vera treatment, where I was wrapped up and left for it to soak into my skin. Gran Canaria has the purest aloe vera in the world, so I was very happy to have it on my sunburn! The spa was open in the evening too, so we could sit and watch the sunset.
Aphrodite Boat Trip
On day two, we hopped on board the Aphrodite sailboat. I'm a keen water baby and love being out at sea, so was excited to see what it had to offer. We left the dock at Puerto Rico at 10am, with around 20 other guests. There was plenty of space and choice of where to sunbathe. We were out five hours, sailing round the south west coast. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed a traditional Gran Canaria meal including chicken, potatoes and salad. We were kept topped up with drinks, including some amazing shots made with honey and cream! I was incredibly impressed with the lady organising the day, she spoke to every guest in between Dutch, Spanish, English, German and French. There was no language barrier for her! After lunch, we stopped in a small bay near some coves and had the chance to jump in and go swimming. I caught it all on camera so be sure to watch my vlog below. Great day, great service, would highly recommend.
Discover more: Gran Canaria Blue
Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort
Celebrating their 10th birthday in July, the Sheraton is an absolutely beautiful 5* resort in Maspalomas. Overlooking two golf courses and with several infinity pools, this is ideal for couples looking to retreat somewhere private and peaceful. Everything was extremely high class, modern and classy.
The Sheraton has many recreational facilities, one being the Aloe Wellness Spa, a high class wellness area, suited to please all five senses. It is the ideal place for body, mind and soul to relax and regain energy. There's a fabulous heated outdoor vitality pool with hydromassage and bubbly beds. Inside you can find a sauna, turkish bath, nine treatment rooms and a wide variety of massage and treatment packages. There's even a room that is 99.8% oxygen, great for the skin! We had a sneak peak at the Sunset Terrace too, I'd love to return one day and spend all day on their Balinese beds. Beautiful.
Marina Suites
This little haven of a hotel is suited in the docks at Puerto Rico. They offer half board dining but it would also suit a family looking for Self-Catering. Rooms come in various sizes however, they offer great options for separate bedroom and lounge areas if you're a family. There's a beautiful seafront infinity pool with lie-down beds. We ate in the pool bar restaurant called the Atlantic, I had a very generous portion of fish & chips and it was delicious. The whole hotel had a refurb last year, so it's got some gorgeous nautical touches through-out. I really loved this hotel, I can imagine my mum and I coming to stay for a short break.
Hotel Cordial Mogán Playa
I was completely blown away with this hotel. I hate to pick favourites because I genuinely liked all the hotels we visited however, this one really ticked a lot of boxes. Situated near Porta Mogán Harbour, also known as 'Little Venice' for it's pretty buildings and bridges, the location is ideal for walking into the town or beach. There's two large pools, one for peace and quiet and one for kids and entertainment. They did a great 'Splashmob' a few years ago which shows the pools really well.
The biggest part of the hotel I cannot afford to skip past is their commitment to the environment. Everywhere you go is a different plant species, it's like walking through a small rainforest. They have five full time gardeners to look after it all. From washing towels and sheets to growing their own fruit and vegetables, they continually consider their social and physical awareness to the planet, which I massively respect and was very impressed with everything they showed and talked us through.
The final location we visited was Spa Iguana in the hotel. From photos, it looked really small and I didn't have very high expectations however, my opinion was completely swayed. It is small yes however, there weren't many other people using the facilities so you basically have the place to yourself. We went straight into a double treatment room and had a full body Aromatherapy massage. It was absolutely incredible. My therapist was extremely professional, tidy and friendly. Her flow and pressure was perfect, and I drifted off into a floating cloud of zen and relaxation. 100% recommend.
Wow, this spa was beautiful. Like a japanese garden. You definitely required slippers because the black floor was pretty warm! However, there were three varieties of beds to choose from, a jacuzzi and the pools inside had jets too. The greenery was stunning. Absolutely loved it.
*Huge thank you to Gran Canaria Wellness & The Spa PR Company for hosting us on this trip.
Gloria Palace Amadores Thalasso & Hotels
Set on a cliff overlooking the ocean, this luxury hotel almost feels like you're staying on a cruise ship. Our view from our room was absolutely breathtaking, and as we were half board, we ate breakfast and dinner outside with the same view too. Located 500m from Playa de Amadores beach, and around 45 minutes from the airport in La Palma, this hotel honestly had everything we needed. With several pools, entertainment every night, a huge buffet, and wifi throughout, we couldn't complain. Plus, the fresh fruit smoothies by the pool in the day, and the mango mojitos by the bar at night were absolutely delicious! We didn't have a problem getting a sun lounger in the morning, it was clean and tidy everywhere, and the staff were exceptionally friendly.
During our stay, we had the opportunity to visit the Thalasso Gloria Palace Spa, with one of Europe's largest Thalassotherapy centres. Based on treatments with seawater between 33 and 37 degrees, its allows the body to absorb elements such as iodine, sulphur, calcium and magnesium. There are different jets around the pool to work on different parts of your body, include lie-down beds and jacuzzi's, all with an ocean view. We each enjoyed a treatment too, I had an aloe vera treatment, where I was wrapped up and left for it to soak into my skin. Gran Canaria has the purest aloe vera in the world, so I was very happy to have it on my sunburn! The spa was open in the evening too, so we could sit and watch the sunset.
Aphrodite Boat Trip
On day two, we hopped on board the Aphrodite sailboat. I'm a keen water baby and love being out at sea, so was excited to see what it had to offer. We left the dock at Puerto Rico at 10am, with around 20 other guests. There was plenty of space and choice of where to sunbathe. We were out five hours, sailing round the south west coast. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed a traditional Gran Canaria meal including chicken, potatoes and salad. We were kept topped up with drinks, including some amazing shots made with honey and cream! I was incredibly impressed with the lady organising the day, she spoke to every guest in between Dutch, Spanish, English, German and French. There was no language barrier for her! After lunch, we stopped in a small bay near some coves and had the chance to jump in and go swimming. I caught it all on camera so be sure to watch my vlog below. Great day, great service, would highly recommend.
Discover more: Gran Canaria Blue
Sheraton Salobre Golf Resort
Celebrating their 10th birthday in July, the Sheraton is an absolutely beautiful 5* resort in Maspalomas. Overlooking two golf courses and with several infinity pools, this is ideal for couples looking to retreat somewhere private and peaceful. Everything was extremely high class, modern and classy.
The Sheraton has many recreational facilities, one being the Aloe Wellness Spa, a high class wellness area, suited to please all five senses. It is the ideal place for body, mind and soul to relax and regain energy. There's a fabulous heated outdoor vitality pool with hydromassage and bubbly beds. Inside you can find a sauna, turkish bath, nine treatment rooms and a wide variety of massage and treatment packages. There's even a room that is 99.8% oxygen, great for the skin! We had a sneak peak at the Sunset Terrace too, I'd love to return one day and spend all day on their Balinese beds. Beautiful.
Marina Suites
This little haven of a hotel is suited in the docks at Puerto Rico. They offer half board dining but it would also suit a family looking for Self-Catering. Rooms come in various sizes however, they offer great options for separate bedroom and lounge areas if you're a family. There's a beautiful seafront infinity pool with lie-down beds. We ate in the pool bar restaurant called the Atlantic, I had a very generous portion of fish & chips and it was delicious. The whole hotel had a refurb last year, so it's got some gorgeous nautical touches through-out. I really loved this hotel, I can imagine my mum and I coming to stay for a short break.
Hotel Cordial Mogán Playa
I was completely blown away with this hotel. I hate to pick favourites because I genuinely liked all the hotels we visited however, this one really ticked a lot of boxes. Situated near Porta Mogán Harbour, also known as 'Little Venice' for it's pretty buildings and bridges, the location is ideal for walking into the town or beach. There's two large pools, one for peace and quiet and one for kids and entertainment. They did a great 'Splashmob' a few years ago which shows the pools really well.
The biggest part of the hotel I cannot afford to skip past is their commitment to the environment. Everywhere you go is a different plant species, it's like walking through a small rainforest. They have five full time gardeners to look after it all. From washing towels and sheets to growing their own fruit and vegetables, they continually consider their social and physical awareness to the planet, which I massively respect and was very impressed with everything they showed and talked us through.
The final location we visited was Spa Iguana in the hotel. From photos, it looked really small and I didn't have very high expectations however, my opinion was completely swayed. It is small yes however, there weren't many other people using the facilities so you basically have the place to yourself. We went straight into a double treatment room and had a full body Aromatherapy massage. It was absolutely incredible. My therapist was extremely professional, tidy and friendly. Her flow and pressure was perfect, and I drifted off into a floating cloud of zen and relaxation. 100% recommend.
Wow, this spa was beautiful. Like a japanese garden. You definitely required slippers because the black floor was pretty warm! However, there were three varieties of beds to choose from, a jacuzzi and the pools inside had jets too. The greenery was stunning. Absolutely loved it.
With approximately 236km of stunning coastline, winds ideal for sailing, spectacularly beautiful sea beds and stunning sand dunes, Gran Canaria is the ultimate wellness, nautical and spa destination. The Gran Canaria Spa, Wellness & Health Association can offer tailor-made packages to ensure that you have a wellness getaway of your dreams. Megan & I had an absolutely fabulous time, and I can't wait to return one day. Hopefully we've help you find the perfect place to visit next! Huge thank you to Gran Canaria Wellness for hosting us, we really enjoyed our stay on this beautiful island.
