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Avenida Gran Canaria 40, 35100. Playa del Inglés
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Canary Isld. - Gran Canaria
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Spain
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www.barcelomargaritas.com
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| The country of Spain is located in southwestern Europe. |
| Mainland Spain has a surface area of 493,486 square kilometers, while the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands cover 4,992 and 7,447 square kilometers, respectively. The Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the African continent account for an additional 32 square kilometers. |
| The World Tourism Organization rates Spain as the second most popular tourist destination worldwide, with 49.5 million visitors annually. | |
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| Lying to the southwest of Spain, off the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary Islands archipelago is made up of 7 islands. |
| Canary Islands , in the center of the Canarian archipelago, is known as the "small continent". Few places have such a diversity of contrasts as this island, where you can find patches of desert alongside mountains of lush tropical vegetation, steep cliffs rising up from sweeping stretches of sand and plunging ravines next to gentle valleys full of banana trees. |
| Sandy beaches are mainly located on the south-east coast, including the beautiful Playa del Inglés, where the Barceló Margaritas is situated. | |
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 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The capital of the province and, indeed, the whole archipelago, the city is a unique blend of European and American influences, with houses painted in an array of colors and bustling streets teeming with visitors. |
| The Cathedral. Located in the beautiful Plaza de Santa Ana, this cathedral, built in 1497, combines Gothic and Neoclassical architectural styles. |
| The La Vegueta Neighborhood. With its numerous stately Canarian mansions adorned with beautiful balconies, this neighborhood recalls the colonial cities of South America. |
| The Canarian Museum. The museum boasts the finest Guanche collection in existence. The Guanches were the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the island |
| El Jardin Canario. Just 8 kilometers from Las Palmas, the "Canarian Garden" is a veritable botanical museum designed to protect the indigenous flora of the Canary Islands. |
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| Fish stews are one of the island's specialities. One of the most popular of these dishes is "sancocho", salt-pressed wreckfish cooked with potatoes and yams, fried moray eel, marinated tuna and fish consommé. |
| Also characteristic of the region are its soups made with celeriac ("colinos"), radish, fennel, watercress and poppy seeds; the thick vegetable stew known as "Puchero Canario" and "papas arrugadas" (literally, wrinkled potatoes), always served with the traditional spicy "mojo picón" sauce. |
| Two traditional desserts worthy of mention are "bienmesabe" made from honey and almonds and "turrones" (nougats). |
| To sample these and other gastronomic specialties, the island boasts an extensive range of restaurants offering not only traditional Canarian dishes but also a wide variety of international cuisine. |
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| The Canary Islands, and, in particular, Gran Canaria, have managed to preserve much of their traditions and craftsmanship, which have returned to vogue in recent years. Canarian craftwork is unique to the whole of Spain, including basket-weaving with banana leaves, hand-embroidered silks, knives with lavishly inlaid handles of bone and horn, ceramics and musical instruments such as drums and guitars called "timples canarios". |
| In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the main shopping areas can be found on Calle Mayor in the Triana neighborhood and around Santa Catalina Park. |
| In addition, traditional local flea markets are held in the towns of Teror (on Sundays) and Vega de San Mateo (on Sundays) where the most unusual objects can be found. |
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| Time Zone: UTC + 1 in Summer. UTC in Winter |
| Official Currency: The Euro. |
| Languages: Spanish. |
| Population: Approximately 40 million inhabitants in Spain. |
| Health Information: No vaccine or medical certificate is needed to travel to Spain. |
| Electricity:220 Volts. Plugs are rounded and double-pronged. |
| Types of payment: Most shops accept cash and all major international credit cards, such as VISA, MasterCard and American Express. |
| Banking hours: Normal banking hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. . |
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