Discover Mogán

The municipality of Mogán is primarily dedicated to tourism, which means that the usual places to visit are the beaches along the coast, which have been developed into six tourist areas: Arguineguín-Patalavaca, Anfi del Mar, Puerto Rico – Amadores, Tauro – Playa del Cura, Taurito and Puerto de Mogán. All of these feature restaurants and hotels facilities along the avenues and walkways that lead to each of the beaches.

Puerto de Mogán is an area with a marine tradition which because of its unique setting and natural beauty, has evolved into one of the most beautiful urban settlements of the Canary Islands. The marina, where many international sailing enthusiasts converge, has 225 moorings and is an excellent sailing spot, making the port of Mogán an unforgettable place.

For those interested in culture, a walk thorough the streets of the centre is recommended, to see the church of Saint Anthony (Iglesia de San Antonio), built in 1814. The church includes a beautiful wooden carving and statues of Saint Anthony of Padua and the Immaculate Conception.

The natural area of Mogán is another place well worth a visit. The massif of the southwest is an area of great geomorphological and botanical interest, and also has unique landscape and archaeological features. In this area it is possible to see large expanses of spurge plants, which are endemic to the island. The ravine El Barranco de Veneguera starts at the foot of the spectacular rock formation of Los Azulejos, a large wall of rocks which vary in colour from dark red to blue, with several shades of yellow.

In the high area, the Natural Park of Ojeda, Inagua y Pajonales is home to a major pine forest. This is an ideal area for walking, with walkways for this purpose. From Arguineguín, on a steep, winding road, it is possible to reach the dam Presa de Soria, the largest in the island, with a large green lake surrounded by palm trees. In the ravines of Toscas, Puerto Rico, Tauro and Taurito there are also some interesting walkways.

Beaches

La Playa de Puerto Rico is in the largest tourist area of Mogán, with a marina for both recreational craft and luxury yachts.

Its magnificent internationally renowned Sailing School, from where several learners have gone on to gain Olympic gold medals, offers official courses at all levels.

A seaside walk of around one kilometre separates Puerto Rico from la Playa de Amadores. This new, white sand beach also has a shopping centre that is surrounded by gardens. A short distance from Amadores is la Playa de Tauro, a natural beach with few people which is an ideal place to sunbathe away from the crowds. This land which was once taken up by agricultural crops and tropical fruit trees, is soon to become an ambitious project of luxurious urban areas with large artificial lakes and extensive green areas. Near Tauro, la Playa del Cura has a wide range of hotels and apartments for visitors, as well as a small shopping centre very near the sea. The black sand beach and the coves make perfect spots for rod fishing enthusiasts. La Playa de Los Frailes, la Playa de Medio Almud and la Playa de Tiritaña make up part of the untouched territory that the municipality retains.

These places can be reached along dirt tracks after leaving vehicles on the main road. There is also la Playa de Taurito, a beach of fine sand sheltered from the wind by the high rocky walls that crown the valley. Here is it possible to see a large artificial saltwater lake, surrounded by extensive green areas and sports zones. On the coast of Mogán, deep-sea fishing deserves a special mention, as this is where 87 world records have been achieved in the last twenty years since catches have been recorded with the International Game Fishing Association.

Shopping

There is also time to enjoy leisure, entertainment and shopping in Mogán. There is nothing better than to awake early and take one of the bus lines that leave from Puerto Rico every Tuesday and visit the market in Arguineguín, where you can get fruit and vegetables, cheap clothing, etc. On Fridays it is the turn of Puerto de Mogán to host the market. This place, with a normally peaceful nature, awakens before dawn with all the coming and going, and throughout the morning until two o’clock in the afternoon there are a great number of visitors who inspect each and every stall in search of a bargain.

Gastronomy

In Mogán it is very common to go to the port to try the fresh local fish, primarily grilled tuna or the popular fish soups, limpets with green mojo sauce and fish with eggplant. These typical dishes can be found alongside the traditional cuisine of the island, in which the main features are wrinkled potatoes with mojo sauce, sancocho (boiled salted fish), goat meat and ropa vieja (a dish of meat and chick peas). For dessert, there is nothing better for the digestion than papaya with orange, mangoes or custard apples, all grown in the area.

+ Great tourist information on the Canary Islands in www.grancanaria.com

City council of Mogán - Great Canary - Spain  www.mogan.es