Playa del Inglés, Gran Canaria’s universal coastline
Playa del Inglés, in Gran Canaria, is the expression of a warming, natural environment where the common language is that of enjoyment.
Sometimes calmness can be measured. In this case, it extends for around three kilometres, the distance between the two extremes that mark out Playa del Inglés. This southerly enclave of Gran Canaria forms part of the map of dreams for millions of Europeans who annually come pouring into an area where the sun is virtually a perennial feature.
Some decades ago, when everything was so different around here except for the perennial sun, the lands that bordered on the fine golden sands of Playa del Inglés were used to grow barley, wheat, and later on, tomatoes. The time came when the world discovered that Playa del Inglés existed and the region became one of the most cosmopolitan resorts in Spain and in Europe. Although at the end of the day, everyone speaks the same language here, a language which blends breezes, silences, quiet words, the gentle lapping of the waves and even the barely audible sound of feet walking along the sandy beach.
At the beach edge are the crystal clear waters alongside a bright, sandy covering of dunes, in a setting that is covered in a veil of light. This purest expression of natural warmth allows visitors to feel the very real sensation of relaxation and the sense of letting-things-go, with the advantage on this occasion of knowing that there are only short distances required to go to quench your thirst, eat a fine meal on the edge of the Atlantic, and to get hold of a newspaper in the language of your choice. Playa del Inglés is a wholly modern mish-mash where everyone understands eachother.
The beach posseses different personalities, or perhaps we should say, subtle details. Over towards Punta de Maspalomas, by the sinuous silhouettes of the dunes at this protected natural area, the ocean is little livelier, allowing for visitors to go surfing, bodyboarding and kitesurfing. Indeed, there are a string of nautical sports schools in the area for anyone interested in learning how to get started in these different pursuits while having intense experiences on the sea.
Nobody bats an eyelid that so many different people from so many different places should have chosen Playa del Inglés and its surrounding areas as a holiday destination to come to time and again, or even a place to set their roots, as the wheat and rye once did years ago. The south of Gran Canaria gradually darkens the skin of these inhabitants to a point at which it acquires the golden tone of the sand, yet another step of the fusion of the locals with the landscape which both warms and relaxes their souls. Those coming to Playa del Inglés for the first time realise it won’t be their last, because this great universal coast is like a large magnet.
