Bahia Feliz (Gran Canaria)
- Overview
- Windsurfing
- Kitesurfing
- Getting There
- Where to Stay
- Food & Nightlife
- Activities
- Photos
- Reviews
Bahia Feliz Overview
The Bahia Feliz Bay area is located 25km south west of the Las Palmas airport and 7km north west of Maspalomas and its resorts.
This area provides the best location in Gran Canaria for combining a windsurfing holiday with a standard beach-holiday, because the windsurfing centres are attached to the resorts that have sandy beaches, swimming pools, shops, cafés, other amenities and nightlife, and hence ideal for families and non-windsurfers with so many other activities on offer.
The temperatures are also very pleasant during the winter months. In the south, the thermometer hardly drops below 22-24 ° C during the day. At night it can be a bit cooler (16-19 ° C), but still pleasant. The water temperatures are around 20-21 ° C in winter.
The coolest months are February and March. Thereafter, the water temperatures quickly climb back to over 21 ° C. In summer, the air temperature can rise to 30 ° C, and at night it cools down to 19-21 ° C, and the water temperatures are around 23-25 ° C.
A long leg short arm wetsuit in winter, and a shorty wetsuit in summer is adequate for most.
The Sailing around Bahia Feliz Bay
In the summer, flat water conditions and lighter winds prevail due to the wind shadow of the mountains, despite the high winds regularly occurring just 12km up the coast in Pozo and Arinaga. This is ideal for beginners and intermediates, However, in the winter strong thermal winds sweep across the south eastern edge of the island creating an acceleration zone, where Bahia Feliz is ideal for intermediate and advanced sailors.
The sailing conditions are generally very accessible with almost no waves, but with some good swell at times on the outside.
The windspeed statistics below show the percentage of days with wind above 15 knots (force 4 bft) at Bahia Feliz:
MONTH JAN FEB MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JUL AUGUST SEVEN OCT NOV DEC Month Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Wind 77 62 52 63 60 30 45 58 55 63 75 74 Air 24 23 25 26 29 28 30 31 29 28 26 24 Water 21 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 26 25 24 21 There are two sailing launch spots in the Bahia Feliz Bay area, separated by about 2kms. Each has a windsurfing hire and tuition centre. The Fanatic Boarders Centre is located at the Bahia del Feliz resort at Tarajalillo, and the Dunkerbeck Windsurf centre at Playa del Aguila further south west. Both locations share similar conditions.
Best Suited To
- Intermediates and advanced in winter
- Beginners and improvers in the summer months
- Intermediates and advanced freeride in summer at Arinaga.
- Advanced wave sailing in summer at Pozo
- Great holiday destination for families, couples, friends
and singles.
Hazards
- Some shorebreak if its windy and there is a swell
Pros
- Suitable for all windsurfing levels
- Blue water
- Easy launching and plenty of room
- Safety boats and observers
- Close to beach resorts where more sandy beaches can be found
- Reliable wind in winter
- Year round warm temperatures
- An abundance of accommodation from low budget to luxury
- Close to town with plenty of amenities and nightlife
- Easy gear hire
- Lessons
- Lots of alternative activities
Cons
- Winds are often light in summer and advanced sailors need to sail elsewhere
- The resorts may be too busy for some
- Although the beaches at the large resorts are sandy, they are more shingle at the windsurf areas.
For Non-Sailors
Activities in the Bahia Feliz Resorts and the nearby large tourist resorts:
- Restaurants and bars
- Partying and nightlife
- Cultural tours
- Visits to the mountainous centre of the island
- Beach life
- SUPping
- Surfing
- Boogie Boarding
- Wave kayaks
- Volleyball
- Mountain Biking
- Diving
- Tennis
- Golf
- Go Karting
- Paint Ball
- Sky Diving
Bahia Feliz (Tarajalillo) Windsurfing
Bahia Feliz is a relatively quiet self-contained resort that has excellent windsurfing conditions that are suited to different levels depending on the time of year.
It has a choice of hotel, self-catering apartments or villa accommodation which are set within attractive sub-tropical gardens. These are about 100 to 200m from the windsurfing launch centre at the beach, making this a great choice for windsurfers with families or groups of friends.
Within the garden of the hotel complex is a big pool area, several playgrounds, and a miniature golf course. Close by there is a square with about 6 restaurants, the usual tourist shops and a supermarket.. Also around the area there snack bars and a disco pub.
The beach at the windsurfing launch area is dark volcanic sand with some shingle, approximately 50m to 100m long, and shallow for about 50m depending on the tide level. To the right is Playa de Aquilegia where the beach is more sandy in colour and texture. There is also a boardwalk that follows the beach from Bahía Feliz all the way to San Augustin.
Windsurfing Spots
- Point Le Morne on the site of the RIU Hotel Resorts is a popular launching area for windsurfers and kiters and is where ION Club has its Kite & windsurfing centres located. Directly off the beach is the big lagoon, which is protected by the reef about 600m away from the beach. The beach shelves gently and is sandy. The Read more...
- One Eye is the end of the wave and is considered to be one of the best left hand point breaks in the world. The wave can be fast, and breaks onto a shallow reef. It ends in a narrow strong current pass that will suck out any passing object or persons. It should be reserved for the very best Read more...
- Little Reef (Small Reef) is the closest reef to the launch area at the Main Beach. Here can be found 2 to 6 foot waves where the wind tries to blow you back into the sheltered flat water of the lagoon. This is an excellent location for those inexperienced in the waves that want to advance their wavesailing skills. This Read more...
- Manawa is located at the most exposed point of Mauritius right on the south west tip of the land mass. It therefore receives the biggest swell, and because the wave breaks into a deep channel, the face of the wave is less steep, and the wave tends to crumble rather than throw you forward. It is an easy wave to Read more...
For Non-Sailors
Other activities for non-windsurfers at Bahia Feliz Resort (there are many further activities available a little further away at the larger resorts):
- Restaurants and bars
- Beachlife
- SUPping
- Surfing
- Boogie Boarding
- Wave kayaks
- Volleyball
- Tennis at the Hotel Orquidea
- Golf
- Go Karting
- Sky Diving
- Weekly activities organised by the centre including welcome cocktails and group dinners.
Playa del Aguila Windsurfing
Playa del Aquila is located about 1.5 km further south west from the Bahia Feliz Resort on Bahia Feliz Bay. This is where the Bjorn Dunkerbeck Windsurfing Centre is located. Play del Aguila is next door to the tourist resort of San Augustin. Further along are the busy beach resort areas of Playa de ingles and Maspalomas.
Playa del Aguila itself has a small resort of bungalows directly at the beach, with a pool, restaurant and bar, and the usual sunbeds and sun shades. Far more amenities are available a short walk away in San Augustin for those looking for more activities and entertainment.
The sailing conditions are very similar to those found at the Fanatic Boarders Centre in Bahia Feliz. The main difference is the absence of a headland at the left, and therefore the wind is cleaner close to the shore for the first 100m to 200m, because there is no wind shadow. When there is a good trade wind from the east, the location can provide some cross shore wave sailing close to the beach without any wind shadow.
The beach at Águila has small black pebbles, but the beach becomes black sand at the water's edge.
Best Suited To
- Beginners and improvers in the mornings
- Intermediate and advanced freeriders and bump and jump sailors in the afternoons
- Some wave sailing close to the beach
Hazards
- Shore-break when windy or wavy
Best gear to use
- Most popular board size: 90L-135L
- Most popular sail size: 5.3m -7.3m
For Non-Sailors
Other activities for non-windsurfers at Playa del Aguila:
- Restaurants and bars
- Beachlife
- SUPping
- Surfing
- Boogie Boarding
- Wave kayaks
- Volleyball
- Mountain Biking
- Tennis
Windsurfing Centres
- Centre Type: Windsurfing CentresThe Dunkerbeck centre offers windsurfing instruction and courses for all levels, including kids and school camps. It also provides rental and SUP courses. The centre also operates a separate surf school 4kms away in Playa del Ingles for those that want to try surfing. The centre has about 30 boards from Starboard and 50 rigs from Severne Sails. When the Read more...
Bahai Feliz Kitesurfing
There is no Kitesurfing in Bahai Feliz
Getting to Bahia Feliz and Playa del Aguila
Numerous airlines link Gran Canaria to the European cities.
Gran Canaria Airport is the only international airport on the island and is located in the eastern part of Gran Canaria on the Bay of Gando (Bahía de Gando),19 km (12 miles) to the south of the island capital Las Palmas.
Bahia Feliz Resort is a 30 minute 25 km (16 miles) drive south from the airport, and Playa del Aguila a further 1.5kms.
Car hire is very inexpensive on Gran Canaria and is the most efficient and effective way to get around the island. It is the best way to make the most of the wind and water conditions and visit the other attractions of the island away from the resorts.
Public Transport Services
Gran Canaria has a regular bus service operated by Guaguas.
https://www.guaguasglobal.com/en/
There are direct buses from the airport and Las Palmas to Maspalomas in the south that stop at Bahia Feliz.The distances for bus journeys to Bahía Feliz from the biggest tourist resorts are as follows:
- 3 km from San Agustin
- 6 km from Plaza del Ingles
- 12 km from Faro de Maspalomas
The Fanatic Boarders Centre in Bahia Feliz resort is a 2 minute walk from the bus stop.
Transport Services
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Bahia Feliz Accommodation
Bahia Feliz has plenty of accommodation located beside the windsurfing centre.
The nearby resorts of Playa dl Ingles and Maspalomas are huge resorts favoured by the European package holiday companies. They provide a great deal of further accommodation to choose from to suit all tastes and budgets.
Featured Accommodation
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Food & Nightlife in Bahia Feliz
Bahia Feliz is quite a small and compact resort, and it retains much of its old fashioned ambience. It is easy to get around on foot, between the hotels, beach, and the shops and restaurants. It is fairly quiet though, so those looking for a busy and vibrant nightlife are best recommended to take a short bus or taxi ride to the bustling resort of Play del Ingles or San Augustin.
Eating out
Bahia Feliz has a pretty town square decked out with a good selection of about six restaurants as well as pavement cafes. The restaurants are quiet in the day but come alive at night. There is also a small supermarket and a fish restaurant overlooking the beach.
Nightlife
The Bahia Feliz nightlife tends to be hotel based rather than at dedicated venues elsewhere in the resort. This creates a mellow ambience, where strolling, sipping and romancing tend to be the principle occupations. An exception to this is Garbo's, which has a very good reputation for a night out. It is essentially a large dining theatre, with a 1920's setting.
Featured Restaurants & Bars
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Bahia Feliz Activities & Culture
Gran Canaria not only provides an excellent location for windsurfing holidays, but also a great range of other activities and places to explore. This makes it ideal for those not only interested in windsurfing, but also for those with families who need to be entertained. Bahia Feliz itself is quite a small resort, and therefore limited in its range of activities that don't include the sea. However, due to its close proximity to Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas, this is no real disadvantage, because the regular buses make access to its far busier neighbours trouble free.
Also, the green and mountainous interior of the island can be accessed by hiring a car. There are canyons and mountain landscapes to explore with highlights such as San Bartolome, the mountain village Fataga, the beautiful inner mountain country and the extinct volcano Montanon Negro. There are also numerous historical villages, each with their own events and attractions.
Other Activities-water
- Swimming
- Diving
- Stand Up Paddle boarding
- Kayaking
- Surfing
- Boogie Boarding
- Kitesurfing
- Water Park
- Sailing yacht cruises
Other Activities – non water
- Mountain biking
- Road Cycling
- Electric E-bike cycling
- Nightlife
- Hiking
- Climbing
- Golf
- Tennis
- Spa, wellness and health centres
- Go Karting
- Paint Balling
- Sky Diving
Culture
- Annual carnivals in February/March
- Music and eating
- Folk festivals
- Crafts and markets
- Nightlife and partying
- Puerto de Morgan traditional fishing village
Environment and Exploring
- Maspalomas Dunes nature reserve
- Explore the beautiful Guiniguada Ravine
- Roque Nublo – Second highest point of the island with truly amazing views !
- Palmitos Park – Great place where you can see exotic animals and amazing shows from a really close distance.
- Barranco de Guayadeque – Canyon where natives were living in caves. Spectacular views and good restaurants located in the caves with typical local food.
- Terror – Canarian village hidden in the mountains with amazing atmosphere and typical architecture. We recommend visiting this location on Sundays, when the local market offers canary specialities
- The Doramas Jungle
- The Azuaje Ravine
- Montanon Negro mountain
Featured Activities
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- Easy Access
- Accommodation Nearby
- Non-Sailor Activities
- Solo Male Traveler
- Solo Female Traveler
- Couple
- Romantic Couple
- Family With Infant(s)
- Family With Young Children
- Family With Teenager(s)
- Male Group
- Female Group
- Mixed Group
- First-Timer
- Novice
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Expert
- Flat Water
- Warm Water
- Sandy Beach
- Foiling
- Sailing Centre(s)
- Surfing
- SUPping
- Kayaking
- Golf
Bahai Feliz
Gran Canaria
35107
Spain
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