Lifephoto | Gran Canaria (the European summer in winter)

Gran Canaria enjoys year round warmth and sunshine with very little seasonal variation. Summers are hot and dry while winters are just slightly cooler with a few showers. The island is the third largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, often called ‘Islands of Eternal Spring’ due to their enviable climate. Till November, is hot and sunny; from December till April, is pleasantly warm with cool nights. For the optimum weather conditions year round, the coast is the best place to head. As well as plenty of sun and hot weather. Because of its fantastic weather from the second half of the 19th century, Gran Canaria started gaining popularity in European circles as an attractive base for recreational holidays; a place for people in need of a rest. In 1912 the Island Council Law was brought into force and the foundation stone for the development of the tourism industry and its related services was laid. This led to a number of infrastructure projects such as the construction of the airport but it was only in 1957 when an aircraft from the Swedish airline TSA landed on the island with all of its 54 seats completely booked that tourism really starting taking off. Eventually, building on the boom of the 1960s, tourism became the main source of income for the island, making Gran Canaria one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. Today tourism in Gran Canaria is mainly about beaches, nightlife and leisure parks especially when it comes to the south of the island. Tourism has grown from less than a hundred visitors a year at the end of the 19th century to 11 million visitors per year in the beginning of the new millennium.