Welcome to Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria’s suntrap

Tucked into a horseshoe-shaped valley on the southwest coast, this resort was designed with one thing in mind, soaking up the rays. In fact, Puerto Rico claims to have more sunshine hours than anywhere else on the island, which is probably why it attracts everyone from pale-skinned Brits on their first winter escape to retirees who know a good climate when they feel one.

Puerto Rico is built around a man-made beach, a broad crescent of imported sand that looks tailor-made for holiday postcards. Protected by breakwaters, the bay is calm, shallow making it a safe playground for kids and for adults who’ve had one too many sangrias at lunch. Sunbeds line up in neat rows like soldiers awaiting orders, though the only instructions here are, “catch some rays,” “siesta” and “swim”.

Behind the beach, the resort climbs steeply up the valley sides, hotels and apartments stacked like Lego blocks. Yes, it’s concrete, but it comes with knockout views of the Atlantic and the sort of sunset that make you forgive the architecture.

Puerto Rico is best known for its twin marinas, brimming with boats offering every watery pursuit under the Canarian sun. You can take a dolphin-watching cruise, try deep-sea fishing, or board a glass-bottom boat that shuttles along the coast like a floating aquarium. Adrenaline seekers go for parasailing, jet skiing, or the inevitable banana boat ride that ends with everyone in the drink.

If you prefer your thrills drier, there’s Angry Birds Activity Park, a playground of zip lines, trampolines and climbing walls that’ll wear out even the most energetic kids. Golfers head inland to Anfi Tauro, a championship course carved into volcanic rock and dotted with palm trees. And if shopping counts as a sport in your book, the resort has three main commercial centres, each with enough restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops to keep you busy between beach sessions.

When you’re not flat on a lounger, one of Puerto Rico’s highlights is the coastal walkway. Head west and you’ll reach Amadores Beach, a picture-perfect crescent of imported Caribbean-white sand with calm turquoise water. The stroll takes around 20 minutes, with the sea glittering to your left and cliffside apartments clinging to the rock on your right. Stop halfway for a drink at a beach bar, and you’ll wonder why anyone rushes on holiday.

Time to eat? Puerto Rico is an international buffet. You’ll find British pubs serving pints and pies, Italian trattorias, Chinese buffets, and plenty of steakhouses. But look closer and you’ll uncover Canarian gems, little family restaurants dishing up grilled fish and garlicky prawns with mojo sauce. Pair it with a glass of local wine or honey rum and you’ll feel like you’ve actually left home, rather than found it recreated in the sun.

Night owls will find Puerto Rico’s nightlife more relaxed than Playa del Inglés but far from sleepy. The commercial centres come alive with karaoke bars, sports pubs, and clubs where the dancing spills out onto the terraces. For a quieter evening, settle at a seafront restaurant, watch the marina twinkle, and listen to the Atlantic lapping against the breakwater.

Ultimately, Puerto Rico is unapologetically a holiday resort, built for sunseekers, by sunseekers. It doesn’t hide behind colonial charm or big-city buzz. What it offers instead is reliable sunshine, a safe beach, and more boat trips than you could fit into a fortnight.

Come for the climate, stay for the sunsets, and leave with a suntan you’ll be boasting about until Christmas.