Playa Del Ingles set to become top gay holiday destination

A new gay resort has opened in Gran Canaria. Club Mancha is situated opposite the Yumbo Centre in Playa del Ingles and is a totally self-contained men-only resort.

Graham Jordain checks out what the new resort has to offer...

March in England. Cold, wet and feeling as if Spring would never arrive. Time for a week in the sun with some fun. But where? Not long-haul for a week and not warm enough in the Med. Well, reliable Gran Canaria, of course. Only a four hour flight and year-round good weather. The largest resort on the island is Playa Del Ingles, which has been one of the top gay holiday destinations for Europeans for many years.

Just a short taxi or bus ride from the enormous Maspalomas beaches, dunes and gay beach, it's a large resort with life centering around the famous Yumbo centre, a large shopping centre by day which turns into a mecca for gays at night, with every sort of bar or club you could wish for.

Accommodation

Next, where to stay. There are several gay resorts and gay-friendly places in Gran Canaria but very few in the centre of Playa Del Ingles - something to think about if you do not want to be searching for a cab at 5am. We settled on Club Mancha, a new men-only resort opposite the Yumbo centre. It's the latest gay resort to open in Playa for some time, and has been getting consistently impressive reviews.

We booked a transfer from the airport through the resort (a £48 round trip) and were met by a man with a Mercedes who took us straight to the door. Highly recommended, this - no waiting for taxis or buses.

On arrival at the resort we were welcomed by a very friendly, helpful young English manager who showed us to a newly refurbished bungalow overlooking the pool and boasting its own sun terrace. We were amazed to find that the bungalow had its own microwave oven, toaster, kettle (no more boiling water in a saucepan), satellite TV, DVD player, and room safe (available at a small charge).
Club Mancha has 11 bungalows grouped around a good-sized swimming pool and is totally secluded, as it's 'clothing optional'. Most like to sunbathe au naturel. At one end of the pool is the bar, which becomes the hub of the resort and serves simple food, with a free barbeque every Tuesday evening. It also has internet access, rents adult DVDs and plays great music.

Friendly

Because the resort is not large you quickly make friends and the young English gay staff could not be more helpful; nothing is too much trouble. We even made friends with the gardener, who gave us tips on growing Hibiscus in Spanish, but we got the basics! We thought we would be off to the beach every day but found that we preferred to stay in the resort. However, if you do want to get out and about, the staff are happy to arrange for a hire car to be delivered to the door or to advise you on organised tours or local buses and taxis.

Most of the bars don't get busy until at least 10 or 11pm, so it's great to have a comfortable, friendly resort, next to the action, in which to relax before you go out.

Remember...

Staying in the middle of Playa Del Ingles has many advantages - plenty of buses and taxis, lots of facilities and restaurants. However, do try to find a resort away from the main roads, as traffic noise can be bothersome. Club Mancha is on a side road and very quiet.

The week passed far too quickly and it was sad when the Mercedes arrived to take us back to the airport. One thing's for certain, though - we will definitely be back...

For further information visit Clubmancha.com.