Anfi del Mar Beach

The water does it. Clear, turquoise and calm, it shelves in gently enough for people who cannot swim to wade in without worry. The sand is fine and white, pale against the volcanic rock of the coast around it, and palm trees line the promenade behind.

The beach itself is not big. Beside it, the heart-shaped island carries a jogging and walking path, sunbathing areas, a cocktail bar and a jetty where boats leave for other points along the coast. Scuba diving is on offer too, and an afternoon on the sand can end with an ice cream or a meal on the promenade without moving the car.

• Sunbeds and umbrellas are rented for the whole day; pedal boats are for hire as well.
• The toilets right by the beach charge a fee. Those in the shopping arcade and by the supermarket are free.
• There is no drinking fountain nearby: bring water or buy it at the large supermarket on the complex.
• Restaurants, bars and shops line the promenade, and more restaurants are in nearby Patalavaca.

Drivers leave the car on the main road, which has both free and paid spaces; the nearest parking lies about 115 m from the beach in a straight line. The road leading to the beach is pedestrianised, so the last stretch is on foot, past the shops and restaurants.

By bus, the Anfi stop is about 205 m away and the Aguamarina stop about 366 m. Boats from the jetty on the heart-shaped island connect the beach with other spots along the coast.

Best: the morning, while the sun is still low and the sand has not yet heated up.

Avoid: the middle of a summer day without a rented umbrella.

The palms stand along the promenade behind the beach, so on the sand the only shade is what you rent, and the south of Gran Canaria stays warm enough through winter for the beach to work all year.