Puerto Rico, in the Mogán municipality of south-west Gran Canaria, is built for easy days: a 284m beach with still water and lifeguards, a 1km cliff-top promenade to Playa de Amadores, and a harbour where the boat trips, jet skis and the Líneas Salmón ferry to Puerto de Mogán leave from. The part most visitors don't expect comes after dark, when the bars in the Puerto Rico shopping centre run until the early hours.
Is Puerto Rico beach good for swimming?
Yes, and that is why the town exists as a family resort. Mogán's tourist office describes Playa de Puerto Rico as a 284m golden-sand beach with still water, easy access and an urban setting.
The facilities are complete: lifeguards, toilets, accessible facilities for people with reduced mobility, sunbed and parasol hire, and restaurants and bars right behind the sand, with water sports and yacht charters on the same stretch. What it is not is quiet. A small beach in a busy family resort fills up, so arrive early in school holidays or walk to Amadores instead.
Walk the cliff path to Playa de Amadores
The best free thing to do in Puerto Rico is walk out of it. The promenade from Puerto Rico beach to Playa de Amadores is about 1km, cut into the cliff above the sea, and takes around 15 to 20 minutes at a leisurely pace. It is mostly flat until a final slope down to Amadores.
Amadores is a sheltered bay of about 400 metres behind a breakwater, with pale imported sand and calm water. It is also a free snorkelling entry: our snorkelling in Gran Canaria guide explains where to get in and what you will see.
In summer, walk it early or late and carry water: the midday heat is the only hard part of the route.
Get out on the water from the harbour
Puerto Rico is the main hub for boat days on Gran Canaria's south-west coast. The trips split into three kinds:
- Leisure boats and catamarans: a few hours along the cliffs with food, drinks and snorkelling. Our Gran Canaria catamaran cruise guide compares the lunch-led trips with the Puerto Rico boat built around paddleboarding.
- Dolphin and whale watching: Puerto Rico is one of the south-west harbours these cruises use. The dolphin and whale watching guide covers the species you can see in any month.
- Jet skis and parasailing: both are sold as Puerto Rico-based sessions, measured in minutes rather than hours. Our jet ski guide and parasailing guide cover the price rules and who can book each one.
- A first scuba dive: Puerto Rico Diving runs beginner try-dives with pickup across the south. Our scuba diving for beginners guide covers what the session involves.
The harbour also has a sporting history. Puerto Rico's sailing school, the Escuela de Vela Joaquín Blanco Torrent, was founded on the beach in 1972, and the regional sailing federation calls it a breeding ground for Olympic champions. Luis Doreste and Roberto Molina won gold in the 470 class at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Take the ferry to Puerto de Mogán
The most enjoyable way to reach Puerto de Mogán is by sea. Líneas Salmón, a regular ferry line founded in 1969, runs more than 48 daily departures between Arguineguín, Anfi del Mar, Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán, all year round.
The boat follows the coast west past the cliffs and beaches, and it turns a bus transfer into a short trip in itself. Children aged 6 to 12 pay a child fare and under-6s travel free. Fares depend on the route, so check the current timetable and prices on the Líneas Salmón website before you go.
Friday is the day to plan it for. Puerto de Mogán's market runs every Friday from 09:00 to 14:00, and our things to do in Puerto de Mogán guide covers the market, the submarine and the harbour walk.
What is Puerto Rico's nightlife like?
Livelier and later than its family reputation suggests, and almost all of it is in one place. Puerto Rico's nightlife is concentrated in the Puerto Rico shopping centre on Avenida Tomás Roca Bosch, where bars, restaurants and clubs share one commercial complex.
Two venues show the range:
- Piccadilly Music Pub: an entertainment bar in the commercial centre, with resident entertainers, karaoke, quiz nights, music bingo, pool and darts
- Joker Night Club: a nightclub in the shopping centre that stays open until 06:00
It is a smaller scene than Playa del Inglés, where the Yumbo Centre is the island's biggest nightlife hub, but it means you can have a late night without a taxi home. If you are staying high up the valley, the walk back is the bit to plan.
How do you get around from Puerto Rico?
On foot within the town, with one caveat: Puerto Rico is built in a steep valley, so anything away from the beachfront and the valley floor means a climb. The best hotels in Puerto Rico guide shows which hotels sit on the cliffs above the town.
For longer trips, Global buses run along the coast between Puerto de Mogán, Puerto Rico and Playa del Inglés, and line 91 connects Puerto Rico with Gran Canaria Airport and Las Palmas. Playa del Inglés is about 20km away by road, roughly 20 minutes' drive.
For everything else on the island, from the Maspalomas dunes to Roque Nublo, see our things to do in Gran Canaria guide.
FAQ – things to do in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria
Featured image: Fanny S Forsdik / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
