Welcome to Get To Grips With Gran Canaria!
Too scared to venture out of your community? Learning Spanish but you are not sure where to go? Coming on holiday and you would like to find out more?
Be sure to find the history of the island, its towns and people, while you have an invaluable opportunity to pick up the lingo on the go. You will find posts filled with content and videos that will take you back to times prior to the Spanish conquest, and give you deep insight into the Canarian culture and customs.
Did you say videos? Absolutely, we have shot in Teror, Puerto de Mogán, Arucas, Puerto Rico and there are many more coming in the near future! You can also find them in our facebook page.
Get To Grips With Gran Canaria will help you not just to settle faster in the island, but also to make a much more informed decision as to what area you would like to visit. Without forgetting of course, that we also offer Guided Tours of the island.
Alternatively, you can also join The Canary Guide PRLC group to find out about the most amazing areas of the island, facts about its unique villages, history, photos, videos and the most breath taking sights in Gran Canaria.
The history of Moya begins only a few years after the island was conquered when a small chapel is said to have already been in existance in 1495, although it was not founded under the present name in honour of ‘Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria’ until 1515. It is a picturesque town off the north […]
Do you know about the origins of Carnival in Las Palmas? Have you ever been to the parade or the different galas? Have you seen how people get dressed up, enjoy the music, floats and atmosphere during Carnival? Do you know where it all comes from? Carnival as we know it today is a popular […]
Before entering 20th Century Arucas, a number of events determined its future commerce, economic growth and culture. Firstly, from the mid 19th Century there was a rise in the production of cochineal, due to its success in the foreign markets. The inhabitants of Arucas, therefore, enjoyed a period that lasted three decades of unthinkable prosperity […]
Arehucas – The Rum Distillery Destilerías Arehucas SA, the canarian rum distillery based in Arucas, Gran Canaria, was founded by Mr Alfonso Gurié Álvarez on the 9th August 1884, who reaped for the first time from his own cane sugar harvest in February 1885. The distillery focuses on the production of a wide range of […]
Arucas Between the 17th and 19th Centuries The rise of the cane sugar industry during the 16th Century in The Canary Islands as a whole was always going to be short lived. It however, proved to last almost the whole Century, until the conquest of the so-called “new world” resulted in the production of large […]
‘El Mayorazgo de Arucas’, translated into English as The Primogeniture of Arucas. It was an institution set up by Pedro Cerón, which ensured economic development at a time when the market was about to make a sudden shift. His full name was Pedro Cerón y Ponce de León, born in Seville in 1515. He was the son of […]
As you know there is a huge difference between por and para in Spanish even though both these words mean ‘for’. So which do you use and when? Let me tell you, last Saturday we organised a guided tour for a good number of people who wanted to practice their Spanish in real situations. So […]
So how do you say Patron Saint of Arucas in Spanish? The answer is not that different from the English. In fact if you apply a Spanish accent on the word ‘patron’, you will find that you have said it. Do not forget that the church in Arucas built in a neogothic style carries his […]
Arucas Series Part 2 – The Difference between Saber and Conocer Do you know what is the difference between saber and conocer when both words mean to know? The difference between saber and conocer is in the video below, so I will not ruin it for you. Besides, you will understand the difference through the […]
There are many reasons why locals can help you settle in Gran Canaria. Many newcomers arrive with the idea of just lying on the beach, enjoying the weather they never had at home, while earning some money in an area they are comfortable with. They, however miss most of the cultural festivities, where most of […]