Picture-Perfect Puerto de Mogan: Things to Do in Gran Canaria’s Little Venice

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The fishing village of Puerto De Mogan sits on the south-west coast of Gran Canaria, close to Puerto Rico 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!

Things To Do In Puerto de Mogan

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Things to do in Puerto de Mogan in Gran Canaria! #grancanaria #grancanaria🇮🇨 #canaryislands #puertodemogan #puertomogan

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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 LIVVO 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), that is perfect to swim in the ocean! (More below)

I recommend eating in Billy’s which is fairly budget friendly and was always completely packed out during my stay. El Malecon also have cocktails served in tiki mugs!

El Paseo de Mis Padres is a unique alleyway with 3D art which is worth checking out too. It connects the fishing part of the marina to the boat area.

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 15€. (The ferry also services Anfi del Mar and Arguineguin). I took the bus to Puerto Rico (1.55€) and then got the ferry back for 7.50€ and it is a great way to get another perspective of the island!

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, sun loungers and Bali beds for hire (card payment). There’s also a peddle boat and kayak rental company. 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. This is where you’ll also find the colourful ‘Mogan’ sign which is a popular photo spot.

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. I visited Gran Canaria in November and at 10am I was sweating buckets by the time I reached the top! I have since been back during the summer and the evening time is the best time to do the walk, especially if you want photos, as you are then not looking directly into the sun!

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

Something different do to, is to visit the Archaeological Zone of Cañada de los Gatos. 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.

There’s a hillside walk which connects to Yacimiento arqueológico Las Crucecitas. This is an old cemetery which is also included within the entry fee.

The hillside walk was one of my highlights, it did take around 1hr 30 to do both parts, however, just be aware that once you reach the cemetery, it does say the gate out is for guests of the Cordial Mogan Playa only (you get free entry to the site if staying there). You can do with that information what you will, otherwise you’ll have to do the route in reverse.

The archaeological area costs 4€ for adults and 2€ for children. It is open from 10am (closed on Mondays). There’s a cafe and toilet (only open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and informational boards in both Spanish, English and German too.

Puerto De Mogan Market

A big draw to the area is the Puerto de Mogan market. The market takes place on a Friday between 9am until around 3pm. and sells all types of products, such as crafts 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.

The second part of the market stretches around the perimeter of the marina area and along the sea wall. If you are arriving by ferry, this is the end you will reach first. Personally, I think this area has the slightly better stalls.

For a full guide to the market, check out: Visiting the Friday Market in Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria

Nightlife in Mogan

The main marina/beach area is quite quiet in the evenings, most of the bars and restaurants close by 11pm. If you specially wanted nightlife, there are a few bars at the far end of the town (close to the Cordial Mogan Playa and the Radisson Blu), that are open until 2am. I personally did not go to these, so I can’t say what the atmosphere is like. (These include Safari Bar, Starlight Mogan and Nigel’s Pub)

Livvo Puerto de Mogan

As mentioned above, on my return trip I stayed at the Livvo Puerto de Mogan hotel*. I highly recommend staying here, it’s in the perfect location, right in the marina. As it’s in the pedestrian area it’s very quiet at night time, there’s no road noise and most of the surrounding bars and restaurants are shut by 11pm.

The main hotel operates only on a half board basis, so breakfast and dinner is included within the room rate. It’s served buffet style, with live cooking stations as well as hot plate food and themed nights. At breakfast, juices, smoothies, teas and coffee are available and during dinner service drinks other than tea or coffee are extra. Afternoon tea is served during the afternoons too.

I loved the rooftop terrace with 360 degree views of Mogan, as well as the pool area. The swimming pool was the perfect depth and temperature, and for those that like sea swimming, there’s a roped off area with steps directly into the sea.

Use of the wellness centre is included too (massages cost extra). This needs to be prebooked as it’s limited to 6 guests at a time, but you can use the indoor spa pool and saunas for a 1hr 30 session.

The rooms are a nice size and come with a range of toiletries, as well as a stocked mini bar with cans of soft drinks and water (water is replaced daily, but the soft drinks are a one time offering), tea and coffee making facilities, and a welcome gift of jars of gummy bears and nuts.

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).

These are really easy to ride. You can buy tickets direct from the driver with either cash or contactless card.

When I was staying in Taurito, 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.

Ferry

There’s also the Lineas Salmon ferry. 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 TO Mogan

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, companies such as Get Your Guide* have multiple different trips to and around Puerto de Mogan.

Day Trips FROM Puerto de Mogan

As Mogan is at the far end of the island, we found that it was quite hard to find day tours that were willing to pick up from Mogan, the majority had pick ups in Puerto Rico, Playa del Ingles etc.

We did:

• bus to the Poema del Mar aquarium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (takes around 90 minutes)
• bus to Puerto Rico and then the ferry back
• a GetYourGuide off roading island tour* with stops in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, aloe vera plantation and Mirador Astronómico de la Degollada de las Yeguas.

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