Arinaga town has two beaches along its seafront promenade. Both are a mix of pebbles and sand and are best visited at low tide.
Los Carpinteros isn't a beach you choose on looks but it does have easy access for campers and has low-key charm and crystal clear water.
The Radisson Blu hotel at Patalavaca in south Gran Canaria is one of the island's smartest and has a pool to match.
As if Agaete doesn't have enough fun at the La Rama fiesta, it also puts on Gran Canaria's coolest music eco-festival.
This hilarious gallery of British summer images from the Guardian sums up how most people feel about the Staycation; It was a good idea back in 2010, but now it's time to get serious and get a suntan rather soggy feet.
You know the drill; You wake up at a civilised time, head down to breakfast, then wander out to the pool only to find that every sun lounger is reserved with towels. Check out the hotel video below for a classic 08.00 lounger dash in Gran Canaria.
The wrecked Russian fishing boat is no longer leaking a single drop of oil, according to Spanish minister of development Ana Pastor.
The wine grape harvest, the earliest in the Northern Hemisphere, is due to start any day. Vineyards expect a bumper harvest.
When developers announced plans to build a vast resort in the Veneguera valley in south-west Gran Canaria all hell broke loose. To general surprise, protests won the day.