Wednesday, 20 July 2016 16:09

Gran Canaria Tips: Go Old School At The Reina Isabel Terrace

Terrace at the Reina Isabel hotel in Las Palmas Terrace at the Reina Isabel hotel in Las Palmas www.photosgrancanaria.com

The Reina Isabel is Las Canteras beach's poshest hotel and the only one with a rooftop swimming pool overloloking the sand. It's the Port District's Grand Dame. 

In fact the Reina isn't all that expensive as it's a good quality 4-star hotel (Bull Hotels). For less than a hundred euros per night, if you're lucky, you get to walk out right onto the beachfront (and many guests do, still wearing their dressing gowns).

While the pool area is for guests only, there's a smart public restaurant on the top floor. Called the Summum (here on TripAdvisor) it specialises in a fusion of Mediterranean, Peruvian and South American flavours and has a great reputation.

However, you can still get that posh hotel feel even if you don't want to splash out on a meal or a room. 

Just head to the beachfront terrace, find a table under a palm frond, and order a beer or three. Then watch the world walk by on the beachfront promenade. Around you, you'll see a mix of guests from all over Northern Europe, the odd businessman with his 'daughter', and a selection of the city's smart, older crowd (think architects and lawyers with jumpers over their shoulders). 

Alex Says: The Reina recently refurbished its terrace and the regulars were worried that it would go all minimalist on them. It didn't. As far as I can tell, it just put everything back exactly where it was before the refurb.

 

Published in Tip of the day

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Tip of the day

  • The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!
    The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!

    If there is one thing we hate it is visitors being tricked in Gran Canaria. In the past we've warned about overcharging at Gran Canaria chemists, and rip off electronics shops in resorts. 

    In this Tip Of The Day we return to the island's chemists or rather, to the island's fake chemists.

    A chemist in Gran Canaria is called a Farmacia and always has a green cross sign. Farmacias are the only place tobuy medicine in Spain, even basics like paracetamol.

    However, there is another kind of shop in Gran Canaria that looks and sounds like a chemist but doesn't sell medicine. This is the Parafarmacia and it also uses a green cross sign.

    A parafarmacia is a herbal medicine shop that is not allowed to sell any normal medicine such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antibiotics. 

    Instead, parafarmacias sell herbal alternatives to medicine but don't have to prove that they work and they can charge whatever they want.

    We recently heard from a visitor to Gran Canaria who went into a parafarmacia and was charged 40 euros for a herbal alternative to Ibuprofen. It was only when they read the label that they realised what had happened. 

    To locate a genuine farmacia, see this website and search within your municipio (Puerto Rico is in Mogán, Playa del Inglés is in San Bartolomé de Tirajana). At weekends and on fiesta days many farmacias close but there is always one open, known as the farmacia de guardia, in each municipio.

    Search for the nearest one to you with this tool

    Lex Says: To keep costs down, see this article for the way to ask for generic medicine rather than expensive branded alternatives. 

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