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Where to stay and eat on the southern tip of Gran Canaria

My recent trip to Gran Canaria with Hyundai UK included two amazing experiences (if you haven’t already read about them, see my posts titled ‘Climbing a via ferrata in Gran Canaria‘ and ‘Taking a helicopter ride in Gran Canaria‘) but what I haven’t yet shared with you is where we stayed and where we dined during our short break there, so I’m taking the opportunity to do just that in this post. For many years, Gran Canaria has been well known for its beautiful beaches, incredible dunes, rugged landscapes, fertile ravines and wonderful weather, but it is comparatively recently that the island has gradually positioned itself as a destination that appeals to luxury travellers. Of course, there are many great places to stay and eat on this Canarian island, so here I’m just sharing a very small snapshot from the experiences of my own trip which focused on the southern tip of the island which I hope you find useful if you ever plan to visit the area yourself. Lopesan Baobab Resort We stayed at the African-inspired Lopesan Baobab Resort in Meloneras. The Lopesan Hotel Group is a family-owned business that has grown to be one of the leading tourism companies in the Canaries and now has 22 hotels across Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Germany, Austria and the Dominican Republic. This upscale hotel is quite unique in appearance, and quite different from other hotels in the group, drawing on its continental neighbour by bringing a taste of Africa to Gran Canaria, with Africa-themed decor and even safari lodge style staff uniforms. Rooms are spacious and with a few African touches here and there. Bathrobes were provided and the contemporary bathroom had a screened-off wet room area with a wonderful rain shower and separate bath. Corallium toiletries were supplied, from Lopesan’s own spa brand (there’s a Corallium Spa at another of the group’s Meloneras hotels). The room also had a balcony looking out over the hotel’s grounds with the mountains beyond and the sea to the right. Oh, and there were some goodies in the room, too – some fizz and a Hyundai rucksack in the distinctive signature colour of the Hyundai i30 Fastback N that we were driving that weekend. (You can read more about the car in my other posts.) I used room service on arrival and had a very pleasing club sandwich. The food at the hotel is good as you’ll discover from our restaurant experience which follows. Akara The Lopesan Baobab Resort has no less than nine different restaurants and bars. Among them is Akara, their African restaurant in the Canaries, giving you – as they claim on their website – “the unique opportunity to visit the continent without leaving Meloneras”. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have said the dinner was especially African-inspired but it was very good and the best of all the places we dined at during our stay. We began proceedings with a pumpkin and anise cream soup with quail. This was full of flavour and the small pieces of quail were very succulent. This was followed by a stand-out course of wreckfish with lemon, cilantro and roasted sweet potato mash. In all honesty, I didn’t know what wreckfish was but have since discovered it is a deep-water marine fish found in the Atlantic (and elsewhere). It was mild and slightly sweet in taste, allowing the other flavours to also come through. A main course of beef tenderloin in a mushroom sauce with baked potatoes and seasonal vegetables was also enjoyable. This was nicely rounded off with a lemon cream, with ground mint and crunchy cinnamon. La Punta Yacht Club Lunch was at La Punta Yacht Club at nearby Pasito Blanco. This is a very peaceful, relaxing resort with a beautiful marina. The restaurant is situated at the tip of the harbour wall with decked areas basking in the sunshine and looking out over the sea. We enjoyed some Canarian classics here such as pimientos de Padrón, named after the region in Galicia where are they grown, although they originate from South America. This is a simple dish of salted Spanish green peppers fried in olive oil but always a winner in my book. Peppers that ripen later in the harvest can be hotter so every now and then you can be in for a surprise! The setting for La Punta is certainly a major plus point. It has a very laid-back feel to it – a very charming location right by the water’s edge and with beautiful views. Of course, a taste of the Canaries wouldn’t be complete without trying the famous Canarian potatoes! Served with a spicy mojo rojo sauce (made with red chillis and garlic), they are boiled in very salty water with their skins still on, until all the water has evaporated and they go a little wrinkled and have a white film of salt left on them. Delicious! Potatoes are a firm favourite in the Canaries… did you know they grow twenty different varieties on the islands? La Punta is in such a nice, relaxing setting that, had we not got the challenge of a via ferrata ahead of us, we could have easily whiled away the rest of the afternoon there. For your reference, please also note that La Punta is a private location in the Summer months but open to the public in the off season. El Churrasco We also enjoyed a dinner at El Churrasco situated on Meloneras’ Boulevard El Faro, next to another of the Lopesan hotels: The Lopesan Costa Meloneras Hotel. There are three El Churrasco restaurants in total, with the other two being in Las Palmas and one in Tenerife. Our starter was perhaps a little underwhelming – a tomato stuffed with tuna and a marie rose sauce – but tasty nevertheless. This was followed by an asparagus dish with some sausage on the side which struck me as a slightly odd combination. But the highlight of any meal at El Churrasco comes from the meats prepared on the charcoal grill. The restaurant prides itself in offering the finest cuts of meat to ensure an excellent gastronomic experience that is full of flavour. My steak was beautifully cooked – nice and pink – and served with chips and grilled vegetables. I would definitely return for the steak alone! I passed on desert but a top tip if you do visit El Churrasco Meloneras is to book a table by the window as this is apparently a great place to watch the sun set. It was an enjoyable evening but for me – and based just on the experience of these two meals alone – not quite in the same league as the previous night’s dining experience at Akara, despite the two being ordered the other way around on Tripadvisor. The following map shows the locations of all the places mentioned in this article:
Disclosure: Our trip to Gran Canaria was sponsored by Hyundai UK.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.

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11 Comments

  1. Although politically the Canaries are part of Spain I’m always left with the impression that the islands have almost dropped off the edge of Western Europe. With sand blown in on the wind from North Africa you sometimes get the impression that the Canaria are more African than European. I can see why the Lopesan Baobab Resort in Meloneras has gone for an African look and from the pictures they seem to have done it all very tastefully.

  2. I think the rest of the world could learn a lot from the way that the Canaries elevate the humble spud into a gourmet dish – though to be fair to the rest of the world they do seem to grow very good quality potatoes to begin with in the Canaries. I know that different restaurants and families take a lot of pride in their slightly different recipes for their own mojo rojo sauce and that some of them really can get quite spicy.

  3. You obviously slotted into living the high life on Gran Canaria quite easily, rolling up in a very classy and gleaming Hyundai at La Punta Yacht Club and it was clearly a very stylish setting for an al fresco lunch. How the other half live!

  4. You can’t live your live entirely on Trip Advisor verdicts. If a hotel or restaurant is consistently getting low scores and adverse comments then it is probably best to keep away. The thing with restaurants is that they can change so quickly. A new chef, a new menu and maybe a new supplier can be a real shot in the arm. I tend to just use Tripadvisor as a ballpark guide. But helpful to know you that you disagreed with the Trip Advisor ranking – if I’m eating out in Gran Canari I’ll keep your verdict in mind.

    1. I sort of take your point but I generally feel that the world’s a better place with Trip Advisor. Restaurants know that every customer is a potential restaurant reviewer. I think that standards and quality of service have improved exponentially in the last couple of decades. Surely that’s got to be partly due to the advent of Trip Advisor?

  5. I’ve never really been convinced by mint and dessert. I get the idea that chefs put it there more for colour than flavour. To me it’s too strong a flavour especially when there’s other delicate stuff going on. Maybe ground mint might be a bit better.

  6. Plenty on Gran Canaria to keep the Michelin restaurant inspectors busy then? I’ve never fully agreed with restaurant critics’ ratings and standards. Sometimes I’ve had a fantastic meal in a restaurant that’s not even Michelin listed. Then a few days later I have what I would consider a very ordinary meal in a Michelin starred restaurant. Would be interested to see what they make of these great places on Gran Canaria.

  7. You have really proven enough that your Gran Canaria trip is nothing but luxury. I can almost taste the beef tenderloin melting in my mouth just by reading how you described it. Thanks for this post, I’m thrilled and excited to experience Gran Canaria soon!

  8. I loved reading this post, it’s great to know every day more secrets and places in Spain. I’ve visited the Canary Islands on several occasions and I’ve just discovered restaurants I’ve never heard of. Thank you.

  9. Oh wow, the architecture of the Lopesan Baobab is so fascinating! I like the smaller touches too, like with the toiletries, the fizz and rucksack in the room (though I’ve never come across anywhere that’s left a backpack as a welcome gift!). It sounds like the chain are doing very well for themselves and even having their own spa brand is pretty cool. It’s hard to imagine 9 restaurants inside one resort – that must be hard for those like me who are so indecisive! Great car choice – I have a Hyundai i10 and I’d like to upgrade to a newer version soon, or an i30 maybe. It’s been a brilliant little car over the 5 years I’ve had it.

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