The Spanish Canary Islands are a perennial favourite with visitors looking to soak up the relaxed ambience and fabulous beaches. With a reputation as a “continent in miniature”, Gran Canaria (the third largest island in the archipelago) has wide appeal, including to families looking for a fun-filled, sun-filled holiday encompassing food, nature, culture, and, yes indeed, plenty of beach activities!
Puerto Rico, located in the south of the island, is particularly popular with families, who are enticed by the year-round mild weather, great beachside accommodation, and outstanding range of family-friendly activities on offer.
If you choose this lovely beach town as a base for a week or even more, you’ll certainly find plenty to keep everyone in the family happy. But if you only have a couple of days, here are some suggestions to ensure it goes down as 48 hours to remember.
How to Fill 48 Hours in Puerto Rico
The great thing about Puerto Rico is that there’s something to please younger children and teenagers alike, and its compact nature means you can squeeze in quite a lot! We’re not suggesting you have to do everything on this list in two days, but if you’re up for a challenge… why not?
A Visit to Angry Birds Activity Park
This place is a treasure-trove of fun, and if you have younger children it should be high on your list of things to do. Set over 5,000m2, the park has something for everyone, and you could easily spend a full two days here alone. The host of attractions includes swings, slides, mini-golf, trampolines, climbing frames, a ‘splash zone’, cinema and much more. The concept of the park is designed to get children away from screens and to encourage learning through active outdoor play – and it certainly fulfils that aim. Entry is very reasonably priced, and the convenient location (right next to the town’s main bus stop) means it’s walking distance from much of the accommodation.
A Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour
Who doesn’t love dolphins? The opportunity to get up close and personal to dolphins and whales is irresistible to children, no matter what their age, so you’ll be very popular if you treat the family to a dolphin and whale watching cruise. The professional tour operators know the best places and times to maximise sightings in their natural habitat, and the sight of a pod of whales or dolphins playing in the ocean is a genuinely unforgettable experience. Tours leave at various times of the day and you can choose a longer one that also includes the chance to go snorkelling.
Watersports
The great thing about the beach here is that you can do as much or as little as you like, but if you and your family want to get active and try something new, there are water sports for all ages and experience levels available. Some of the activities on offer include:
- Jet-ski (including safaris)
- Jet boat
- Parasailing
- Banana ride
- Water skiing
- Speed boating
- Snorkelling
- Scuba diving for beginners
You can book online with numerous local companies, or simply head down to the beach and enquire in person.
A Dirt Buggy Tour
This is restricted to older children (over 130cm, to be precise), but it’s just about as much fun as a kid and their parents can have! These guided tours take you out into the incredibly diverse landscape of Gran Canaria to explore the off-road terrain. The perfect bonding activity, you’ll gain a whole new respect from your kids as you navigate your dirt buggy (one adult driver, one passenger per buggy) along the coastal trails and mountainous interior of the island. The buggies are safe and easy to drive, even for the first-timer, and over the space of around two hours, you’ll get to see this incredible island in a way not everyone does.
As you can see, there’s plenty to keep the family occupied here, but, on the other hand, there’s always the option of just spending the entire two days relaxing on the beach working on your tan while the kids build sandcastles. Your holiday, your choice…
Where to Stay
Bahai Blanca: Equipped with everything you need for the perfect family holiday, this fabulous beachfront hotel offers comfortable, spacious accommodation with spectacular ocean views. Along with superb appointments in the apartments, there’s an onsite fitness centre, a pool, and a programme of fun, family-friendly activities.
Apartamentos Rio Piedras: Situated just 100m from the gorgeous beach, these apartments include a kitchen, satellite TV, and a terrace or balcony to relax and gaze over the ocean. The complex facilities include a rooftop sun terrace and pool that the kids will love, and when you tire of those views it’s just a short walk to the beach!
Apartamento Tobago: An exceptional location, a great range of amenities, and spacious, modern accommodation with a fully-equipped kitchen – what more could you ask for on your family holiday? How about a year-round outdoor pool, a lovely garden, free WiFI, and onsite spa and wellness facilities? You’ve got all that and more here!
How to Get There
Getting to Gran Canaria from the UK takes around 4.5 hours, with a range of carriers servicing the route. You can choose from airlines, including British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair, who fly from various UK ports into Gran Canaria Airport (LPA).
When you land, the most convenient way to get the family to your accommodation is on a pre-booked Puerto Rico transfer with Shuttle Direct. Whether you choose a shared or private shuttle, a friendly driver will be ready to take you the rest of the way to Puerto Rico without delay.
Overview
UK to LPA Flight Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
LPA to Puerto Rico Distance: 51 kilometres
Shuttle Direct Transfer: 40 minutes approx.
Types of Transfer
No matter what your budget, Shuttle Direct can get you from Gran Canaria Airport to Puerto Rico without delay. Because we offer a range of options, we cover the needs of every traveller.
If you’re looking to keep within a budget, pre-booking one of our shared shuttle buses is the ideal way to get you from Gran Canaria Airport to Puerto Rico. You’ll travel with other passengers so the costs are kept lower, and it’s a safe, reliable and very convenient and affordable way to go.
A minibus service is a great idea if you’re holidaying with a group of family or friends. It means that everyone can travel in the same vehicle, and also that there’s plenty of room for all the associated luggage. Because it’s pre-booked, there’s none of the logistical headaches of trying to coordinate everything when you land.
For those looking to get from the airport at Gran Canaria to Puerto Rico accommodation, if you don’t like the idea of sharing with other passengers, you can opt for a pre-booked taxi to be waiting for you when you land. You won’t have to join the queue for local taxis, and your driver will whisk you wherever you need to go without delay – door-to-door.
If money isn’t a consideration and you want to start your holiday in style and luxury, you can book one of our private Gran Canaria transfers. Your driver will be there to meet you inside the terminal when you land, then you’ll be taken in a comfortable luxury vehicle to the door of your accommodation.
Choosing the Right Transfer
Only you can decide which kind of airport transfer suits you best, but, generally speaking, the two considerations you need to factor in are convenience and cost – and which of those is your priority.
Cost: If getting the best possible value for money is most important to you, one of our economical shared shuttles will give you what you’re looking for. As the cost is shared with other passengers, it’s much cheaper than a private door-to-door service.
Convenience: However, if getting from the airport at Gran Canaria to Puerto Rico in luxury is the most important thing for you, a private transfer service or a pre-booked taxi to deliver you right to the door of your accommodation will suit you to a tee.
About Shuttle Direct
Shuttle Direct has been a proud provider of affordable, safe and convenient airport transfers services for many years. With friendly, professional drivers, and a huge range of destinations all over the world, we’ve got a shared or private service to meet your needs. Get in touch and allow us to take the headache out of your onward ground transport so you can get on with your holiday!
