Gran Canaria's 'Little Venice' | 6 Things To Do In Puerto De Mogan

Last Updated on January 31, 2023

The fishing village of Puerto De Mogan sits on the south-west coast of Gran Canaria, close to Puerto Rica and the resort town of Taurito. This village is nicknamed ‘Little Venice’ because of the canals and the narrow streets around Mogan Marina. The brightly coloured flowers hanging from balconies make it a very photogenic little town. In this guide I share things to do in Puerto Mogan!

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Things To Do In Puerto Mogan

Mogan Marina

The marina in Puerto de Mogan is split into two areas: the marina with fancy sail boats and the fishing harbour. In between the two are white building outlined with bright colours and pretty flowers. A couple of the buildings have canals passing through the middle!

Here you’ll find lots of restaurants with harbour-side seating, serving all types of dishes, such as seafood and other Mediterranean cuisine. Along with the harbour, It’s worth spending some time walking up and down the streets in this area!

There are a couple of guest house type accommodation options in this area, or Hotel THe Puerto do Mogan is a larger hotel with sea views on all 4 sides, a swimming pool and direct access into the sea (via steps), for those that would perfect to swim in the ocean!

Boat Trips

Of course being a harbour, there are several different companies offering various boat trips. For something unique, how about taking a 40 minute tour on a submarine to a nearby shipwreck. Lineas Salmon run a regular glass bottom ferry water taxi between Puerto de Mogan to Puerto Rico. There are departures every hour and return tickets are 12 Euros. (The ferry also services Anfi del Mar and Arguineguin).

Puerto Mogan Beach

Playa Mogan has clear calm water, protected by the sea wall. Compared to the neighbouring Taurito Beach which is black sand, Puerto Mogan beach has yellow sand. This makes the sea look bluer here. A small section of the beach has umbrellas and sun loungers for hire. There’s also a peddle boat rental company. Be aware that the peddle boats do seem to share the same, quite small area, with the swimmers. The rest of the beach has space to lay down a towel and relax.

Restaurants line the beach with outdoor seating. Alternatively a couple of news agency type shops in the side streets serve cold drinks and ice creams. There’s also a selection of shops in this area, from gift shops to clothing stores.

On the far side of the bay, on the rocky area, a morning yoga class takes place Monday to Friday at 9am. You can find out more on the Yoga Puerto Mogan Facebook page.

Mirador De Puerto De Mogan

For a view from Puerto De Mogan from above, head up to the Mirador de Puerto de Mogan. This is a short 257 step hike up the side of the valley. 50m above sea level is an observation platform with some concrete benches and tables. The path up can be a little tricky to find. Head along ‘C. Explanada del Castillete’ and between the buildings there is a sign with a countdown with how many steps there are to the top. These signs continue all the way to the top.

It’s best to do the walk up during the cooler parts of the day. At 10am I was sweating buckets by the time I reached the top!

This is mainly a residential area with some guest home accommodations. So of course be respectful that these are people’s homes when walking up. This particular building is very pretty. I believe it is called the Volver House of Mosaics and was once upon a time a hostel (Volver Beach Hostel).

Archaeological Zone of Cañada de los Gatos

Unfortunately I was unable to visit the Archaeological Zone of Cañada de los Gatos, as it was temporarily closed during the pandemic. This is a historical archaeological landmark that dates back over 1300 years. It gives an insight into what life may have been like for Gran Canaria’s indigenous people. They inhibited the island before the Spanish ‘Conquest of the Canary Islands’ during the 1400’s. These people lived in stone houses and had burial pits and tombs close by. Parts of these have been uncovered and can be seen during a visit.

When open, the archaeological area costs 4 euros for adults and 2 euros for children. There’s a cafe and toilet and informational boards in both Spanish, English and from my research, German too.

Puerto De Mogan Markets

A big draw to the area are the Puerto de Mogan markets. The main market takes place on a Friday morning and sells all types of products. There’s a second smaller market on a Monday which is more of a craft market, with homemade gifts and clothes.

They are located on the pedestrian area, close to the main bus station. I also found free toilets at the bus station, which had a much shorter line that the one on Playa Mogan. This area also has outdoor gym, benches and a cycle path. At the far end is the Shopping Center Plaza Mogan and a SuperDino supermarket. The largest resort style hotels and apartments are also located in this area

Visiting Puerto De Mogan

Car/taxi

There are several ways to visit Puerto de Mogan. One way is via car. GC-1 ends just outside of Puerto de Mogan and there are several public car parks. Of course, a taxi is also an option.

bus

Another way is by bus. As mentioned, there is a large bus station in Puerto de Mogan and several of the island’s bus routes service the fishing village. For example: Route 1 (from Las Palmas), 33 (from Playa del Ingles) and 70 (from Palmitos Park).

I was staying in Taurito and my hotel had a free daily shuttle bus to Puerto de Mogan. Each of the Princess hotels had a pick up and drop off time. It drops off at the roundabout outside the Apartamentos Cordial Mogan Valle, close to the Shopping Center Plaza Mogan. From here it’s around a 10-15 minute walk to the marina.

water taxi

There’s also the Lineas Salmon water taxi. The main route is from Puerto Rico but it’s possible to reach from Anfi del Mar and Arguineguin. The ferry drops off in the heart of the marina.

excursions/day trips

A fourth way is as part of day trip excursion. If travelling as part of a TUI package holiday, they have a ‘Mogan by Boat’ excursion with hotel picks from Maspalomas. It includes a boat ride along the coast from Puerto Rico to Puerto de Mogan, and free time to explore the village.

Alternatively, if travelling more independently, global tour companies such as Viator have multiple different trips to and around Puerto de Mogan.