Arguineguín town (or South Oslo as it's known in the winter) is south Gran Canaria's only local coastal town. At heart, it's still a fishing town even though it hosts thousands of Nordic snowbirds each winter and has a hugely popular weekly market.

Gran Canaria's summer fiesta season is in full swing in June with over a dozen local romerías. You also have bonfires and local beach parties, a bikini fashion show, and Las Palmas' foundational celebrations.

Walk downhill in Arguineguín until you hit the sea and it's an easy place to explore; the seafront promenade runs the whole length of town. All you have to do to start is work out where you are. 

It's in a warehouse and you can't call it pretty but San Mateo market sells the widest range of local produce available anywhere in Gran Canaria.

Las Palmas is full of supermarkets, but which chain is best, and where do you go for the fresh stuff and the exotic stuff? Here's how to do your food shopping like a local in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The best Canarian seafood often comes in restaurants with Spanish menus so here's a handy guide to the most common types of fish, seafood and dishes in Gran Canaria. 

Guayedra beach is where nature-loving locals from all over the north of the island go for nudist sunbathing in the west coast sunshine.

El Pajar village is literally in the shadow of Gran Canaria's cement plant but once you're on the sand you can't see the factory and the little golden beach is calm and pretty.

While Puerto Rio and Playa del Inglés hardly existed before tourism, Arguineguín has always been a local town first and destination second. It's Las Marañuelas beach is the only easily-accessible one in south Gran Canaria with a real local feel.

Gran Canaria is an island that knows how to party. And it does so in its own way. Rather than the dance music parties of the Balearics or the bull fests of Spain, Gran Canaria goes local with its fiestas.