love island
IN SEARCH OF A ROMANTIC WEEKEND BREAK, DEPUTY EDITOR ADAM DUXBURY AND HIS FIANCÉ FOUND A SURPRISING “OTHER SIDE” TO MASPALOMAS IN GRAN CANARIA
ADAM DUXBURY
BUBBLY: Above, Maspalomas old town
When you think of Gran Canaria — and specifically Maspalomas — the words “romantic weekend break” might not immediately spring to mind. And with Maspalomas Pride just around the corner (in early May), there will certainly be plenty of love in the air, but it’s likely to be of the one-nightstand variety.
Adam enjoys a glass of champagne with fiancé Kristos
For years the Maspalomas area had a reputation as a hard partying, concrete-resort-filled, package holiday paradise — and while that’s still basically true, there has been a big effort to promote the gentler, more relaxing side of the island in recent years. Somewhere you can escape with your beau for a romantic weekend getaway in the sun.
So, for a dose of romance (and some of that much-needed sunshine) I did just that with my new fiancé. And we were ramping up the romance by travelling just after Valentine’s Day — ardour avoiders can turn the page now!
Our destination was the Seaside Palm Beach — one of the hotels aiming for tranquil treats rather than techno beats. Its location is faultless, set a few metres back from the Playa de Maspalomas, a massive swathe of golden sand at the very tip of the island, and a short taxi ride from the famous Yumbo Centre, where all the gay nightlife happens.