Gran Canaria – colonial style, wine & cheese, and two heavenly hotels

Isn’t Gran Canaria a bit retro? Sure, it’s a hotspot for ’80s trends. Back then, though, I’d rather have been in Ibiza; I didn’t want to spend the winter there, I wanted life and heat – right here, right now. I dreamed of an exciting lifestyle, of love, freedom and adventure, yet I stood in my own way like a colossus. Perhaps I would have found myself sooner in Gran Canaria – on holiday with my mother, as she suggested to me in the 80s. With a milder climate than the Balearic Islands, less longing and yearning, more reality and volcanic rock. Sorry, I didn’t give you a chance back then – but now, over 40 years later, here I am.

In fact, in 2026 – my first time in Gran Canaria – I find myself thinking about my mother and my youth more often. That’s down to me, my feelings, and also, to some extent, the people I meet here. Many are my age, easily over 60. I am here at the invitation of Seaside Collection, a group of boutique luxury hotels owned by the Gerlach family from Hamburg. The company was founded in the 1970s and the Seaside Palm Beach in Maspalomas is one of the group’s first hotspots.

Come a bit closer…

Straight from the airport into the limousine – that’s standard with Seaside Collection – and off we go across the island. In spring, it now glows a lush green thanks to the recent heavy rain – something rather rare on Gran Canaria. Past wind farms and into the afternoon sun, heading south to the Seaside Grand Residencia. Wow! Right at the reception in the spacious lobby, you’re greeted by a harmonious atmosphere in warm colours – cream, blue and lots of wood. The décor is in Spanish colonial style with Moorish touches. It somehow reminds me of a luxurious living room on a Southern US ranch. Okay, more like a spacious lounge on an extra-large scale: there are small seating areas everywhere, inviting you to linger. We move on to the terrace, which offers a stunning view of the pool. The heart of the complex, surrounded on all sides by two-storey villas, each with a small terrace or balcony at the front. The welcome drink is served on the terrace by the pool. My gaze wanders over the water and the palm grove towards the vast, deep-blue sky, and I feel as though I have escaped – from everyday life, from routines, from the daily grind. I realise I’m smiling – at my drink, at the sunbathers by the pool, at the tropical plants, and at ‘Eros’ – the executive assistant, now standing right in front of me and our guide through the palm trees and flowers, through the hotel garden, and into our junior suite.

Hotels at their best

There are 94 rooms at the Grand Residencia. We’re staying in a 51-square-metre room on the ground floor with a view of the pool and the restaurant terrace, and a heavenly bed where I sleep more soundly than I do at home. I love it, right from the moment I step inside!

Here at the Grand Residencia, life just falls into place. After unpacking, I stroll through the grounds, past the pool and the welcoming terrace below, up to the restaurant on the first floor with a view stretching to the sea and the golden horizon as the evening sun slowly fades. The atmosphere is friendly, impeccable, heavenly – and the food is simply exquisite. With the cuisine of Wolfgang Grobauer, the chef in charge of everything that reaches the guests’ palates – and here that means Mediterranean fare with Spanish influences: celeriac ravioli, “Ropa Vieja”, Iberian pork variations, rack of salt marsh lamb, sea bream from Arguineguin” … As for the main course, „St John’s fish from Galicia served with a light ratatouille“, I wonder whether Wolfgang Grobauer has ever given any thought to taking dietary supplements himself.

The chef places particular emphasis on quality and provenance, preferring fresh, regional ingredients of organic quality. We find out where the fruit and vegetables come from the very next day on a trip around the island – accompanied by Wolfgang Grobauer and General Manager Robert Heitzig. We set off together and meet Davina, who runs a local finca in Montaña la Data with her mother. Davina studied art; now she grows fruit and vegetables that look like works of art: Red bananas, purple cauliflower, kumquats, fennel, and courgettes with beautiful flowers in vibrant shades of yellow.

When I meet Davina, she points at my feet. I immediately feel ashamed of my pretty sandals, which are, admittedly, completely unsuitable for fields and furrows. I try to make up for my tourist faux pas by boldly trudging after her into the vegetable patch.

I’m amazed by her muscular physique – not the result of the gym, but ‘trained’ through hard fieldwork under the southern sun. Unlike her, I would never have had the nerve to do that – though then again, my mum only had one holiday deal 40 years ago, with no fields or farmland in Gran Canaria. But even if I had, I would have racked my brains over flawless sun protection – in creams and shirts – where ticks might be lurking everywhere, how to tell celery from fennel, who would be waiting for me in the farmhouse parlour in the evening, and who, for heaven’s sake, could help me with this endless daily toil. Apparently, Davina never gave it a second thought – she just went for it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so close to life, to the joy it brings, and to the very essence of existence as I have when following in Davina’s footsteps. Oh, and by the way, there aren’t any ticks here.

Five days of island bliss: I get to experience two completely different hotels and discover the country and its people on several picture-perfect excursions. Life writes the most beautiful stories; you just have to look closely and listen to your inner voice. With pen and paper in hand – or simply in your mind. And then trust those words and weave them into the story you’ve experienced with all your senses.

 

Luxury for the senses and on the table

With Ana and her cheese dairy, Los Quesitos de Anabel, there’s no gap between what I feel and what I’m sharing here. The friendliest goats ever: all the animals live together with their young, like one big family on Ana’s farm. They breathe warmly on my hands and nudge them, sniffing to see if I’ve got something to eat after all. Attentive eyes watching me as I stroke the little ones. Affection you can feel on your skin, making this lovely day even lovelier. But it gets even better.

Ana makes top-quality cheese, so exquisite that she supplies it to the ‘Seaside Grand Residencia’. At Ana’s, children and adults alike can get to know the animals in their enclosures, see her working outdoors with the goats, and sample her products.Anyone who fancies it can make their own handmade goat’s cheese in one of their workshops or learn about the production process – from milking the goats to maturing the cheese. Our little group of journalists ties on our aprons, stirs and scoops the goat’s milk – and my first homemade cheese is ready. I’m bursting with pride.

Or the Finca Escudero winery in Santa Brigida. With Juan, a scion of a Spanish noble family. In the 1950s, his family still owned half the island – including the part where Maspalomas now stands. We stroll across the finca; it is 11 o’clock, a balmy 24 degrees; we admire blue and yellow olives; there are lemon trees and plenty of red and white wine in the fields and in bottles; columns in front of the villa; stunning furnishings inside; and a fabulous view over the pool towards the mountains outside

It’s absolutely lovely. We’re drinking Canarian white wine and homemade lemonade from Dominique’s Soul Fruit Picnics Gran Canaria. As it’s currently drizzling in paradise, she’s served us a divine picnic in the finca’s conservatory.

What’s been delighting me ever since: oranges cut into thin slices, dusted with coconut. I know, it’s so simple, but it’s such a treat for the taste buds and the soul. Give it a go – it tastes heavenly at home too. Okay, the quality of the oranges isn’t quite the same.

City tip: Las Palmas

One more thing I must quickly mention: my first visit to Las Palmas, the capital in the north of the island. So much charm, living history, beauty. I wander through medieval streets dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, dance with chickens beneath huge rubber trees, visit Santa Ana Cathedral, admire the stone dogs – the city’s heraldic animals – and drink coffee at, wait for it, an insider’s tip: Restaurante Casa Montesdeoca. Peeking here and there, into a shop window, into that gallery, soaking up the atmosphere and watching life pass me by in the café. Simply lovely! Las Palmas – I’ll be back, with more time to marvel and explore.

After four days, we’re moving to the Seaside Palm Beach – from our junior suite to a superior double room. Just across the road in Maspalomas, and we’re stepping into a whole new world. From the tranquil oasis of the Grand Residencia to the seven-storey-high, bustling 1970s design landmark. Even in the lobby, you can feel the high vibes in the retro design: red Mies van der Rohe chairs and chaise lounges at the entrance. I stop beneath the light installation in front of reception and almost get a stiff neck from gazing in wonder at the mobile. I Google the hotel’s designer, but the speedy ChatGPT gives me the answer: the renowned French architect Alberto Pinto was responsible for the Palm Beach’s expressive design, featuring contemporary art by Miró and bold colours in the style of the 70s. Checking into the Palm Beach for the last two days of my stay was a very good decision – one made not by me, but by the Seaside Collection on my behalf.

I notice how the colours of this hotel really lift my spirits. But it’s not just me. In the lift on the way to our room, a lady in yellow strikes up a conversation with me: “These lovely colours here – my dress matches them quite nicely.” Me: “Yes, I’m just about to slip into my white and blue kaftan and go for a swim.” Her: “Well, perhaps you could add a bit more colour to your outfit for dinner.”

If the lift door hadn’t opened at that very moment, I would have told her about a few more of the vibrant colours in my suitcase, but as it was, I had to get out in a hurry. My favourite pool? The one right at the back, behind the bar and after all the classic games: chess, darts, boules… it’s just lovely to push, swing or throw a small or large ball with an aperitif in hand. And then it’s off to dinner, which is just as much of a spectacle as in all the hotels in the Seaside Collection. Good food, says founder Theo Gerlach (97), is something all guests in all his hotels must be able to enjoy. Theo, the food isn’t just good, it’s magnificent – everywhere. It’s a shame I get full too, but then I simply look forward to the next meal. All the sweet treats of life – and they’re served here every morning, noon and night.

I could tell you many more stories – especially colourful ones from Seaside Palm Beach.

But it’s best if you come and see for yourselves. My mother would probably have known long ago that I’d love this island. But some places simply wait patiently for us. Gran Canaria has been waiting for me for over 40 years. Or perhaps I’m just ready for this island now.

Photos: CharismaLook and Seaside Collection (6)

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