Matthew’s article this week concentrates on moving to Arguineguín.
Moving to Arguineguín: Gran Canaria’s football factory
Ups
Moving to Gran Canaria with kids? If you choose Arguineguín as your new base, perhaps they’ll follow in the bootsteps of local heroes Juan Carlos Valerón and David Silva in embarking on a professional football career. The fact that they could hone their skills more or less all day every day under largely rain-free skies might have something to do with their development.
Downs
Arguineguín wouldn’t win any beauty contests. Indeed, visiting sailor Jill Dickin Schinas described it, in an admittedly-rather-more-severe-than-just way, as an “uninspiring little hole” where “most of the buildings look as if they were thrown up, piecemeal” and “the rest look as if they were thrown up in an afternoon, from whatever came to hand.” But then again this is a warts-and-all working town you’re moving to rather than a manufactured, prettified resort like nearby Puerto de Mogán.
Ins and outs
Follow the GC1 for around half an hour from the airport before turning off at the well-marked signpost to reach the south west of the island’s Arguineguín.
Education
Arguineguín has proved particularly popular with Scandinavians. To the extent that there’s a Norwegian school close to the Anfi resort founded by compatriot Bjørn Lyng. If you’re moving from the UK, the British School of Gran Canaria has an infants and primary department in Maspalomas, a 10-minute drive to the north.
Shop until you drop…
Arguineguín is home to not one but two shopping centres in CC Áncora and the newer CC La Marea. The former hosts a weekly market every Thursday whilst the latter houses island supermarket HiperDino and reasonably-priced fashion outlets such as Encuentro Modas and Springfield. The Plaza Negra is the place to head to on a Tuesday for Arguineguín’s main market.
Property in Arguineguín
Canarians, like those from mainland Spain, like to show off with new rather than old property. But a lot of these properties are functional by design and look. The more exclusive Loma Dos development however features some more eyecatching residences.
Market watch
One-bedroom apartments start around the 95,000€-mark in Arguineguín but the larger Loma Dos properties do go for over a million.
In Praise Of
“Moving to Arguineguín is the best thing I have ever done: the climate is amongst the finest on the island (and the world) with an almost constant temperature all year around. I appreciate being close to the sea and the mountains with the views on my daily hikes stunning. The Canarians are so friendly and Arguineguín has a fantastic atmosphere as it’s not just a town built for tourists. In the old part, you can find local bars with tapas for nothing! Also check out the market on Tuesdays where they sell absolutely everything!” – Boel Lindström (Taste Mesón).
- Are you an expat living in Arguineguín? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know below.
Matthew Hirtes, our resident broadsheet journalist, moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria back in 2004. He’s travelled extensively through Spain, covering it for such publications as Telegraph Travel, Metro, and The Independent. The author of Going Local in Gran Canaria: How To Turn a Holiday Destination into a Home, Matthew truly is a resident expert.
Matthew writes for two sections of Spain Buddy: Moving to Spain and Spanish Football as well as providing Reviews
September 25, 2016 @ 11:50 am
I think comparing Arguineguín to a hole is a little harsh, even if you do use quotes. The coastal paths are about to be refurbished and the marina is getting a 20 million euro investment.
From Arguineguín, you can walk to 5 different beaches. The black-sand beach slap-bang in the middle of Arguineguín is an excellent spot as it’s often empty and the water is calm and warm.
It is a local town, but it gets lots of foreign visitors and has a lovely mix of local and international restaurants. In winter, its nickname is ‘South Oslo’.
September 25, 2016 @ 5:25 pm
Clearly that’s not my view. That’s why the quote marks were used. The format for these guides hasn’t changed from the very first one. There is a Downs section. It needs to be filled. That sailor was handy. She was pretty scathing about the whole island in fact. A little like Karl Pilkington. It’s called having an opinion.