The number and schedule of sex shops in town is usually a good barometer of the whorehouse that runs through its streets. And here is a lot. Only in the Yumbo center you will find five sex shops (!) Almost all are aimed at gay audiences and located on the ground floor. You can find all the basics: condoms, lube and toys.

SHOPPING - MASPALOMAS

There's two main center worth a wander around. Faro 2 is on the eastern side of the resort, not that far from Holiday World. The second is the Varadero Center (and a few nice shops surrounding it too) close to Faro de Maspalomas. Both have small, nice shops with plenty of local and international designer labels, lots of cafes, chemist and supermarket. Not far from the Varadero center and infront of the Costa Meloneras hotel there's a newly built comercial area with a nice choice of restaurants, a couple of trendy bars and several designer clothing shops.

SHOPPING - PLAYA DEL INGLES

The best of the dozen or so centers in Playa del Ingles is probably the Metro center not that far from the north end of Playa del Ingles' beach (and where all the nightlife is). Really good choice of shops but the owners are expecting tourists so you don't always get the best price or deal, even if you are spoilt for choice. There's a Visanta center there (and another in the Yumbo center) which are the better electrical shops as they give european guarantees and if you don't like something, you can take it back for a refund.

The very north of the resort, at the end of the main street that runs through Playa del Ingles (Avenida de Tirajana) you come to the residential area of San Fernando. That's the better place to head to. As well as the large, local supermarkets (Hyperdino in the Bellavista center boasts the cheapest prices on Gran Canaria) there's a huge choice of every other type of shop also. Avenida de Galdar is a good street to look along and just in front of it there are two commercial centers aimed for residents rather than tourists. A little further back is the Bellavista center with a nice choice of newly opened (summer 2003) shops. At the other side of San Fernando, near Holiday World, on a Wednesday & Saturday there's Maspalomas Market.

SHOPPING - LAS PALMAS

City shopping! Head for el Corte Inglés department store and the surrounding stores on Avenida Mesa y Lopez. Otherwise you have everything under one roof in the huge "Las Arenas", the city's hypermarket with famous brand named shops of all styles and in the other hypermarket "La Ballena". The "Triana" area of Las Palmas (near the bus station) is home to smaller, more traditional shops alongside international shops on both sides of a pedestrian street. Look for the bus (or catch a cab) to the "Siete Palmas" center in the north of the city; another center with loads of shops including "Meida Markt" which must be the best place on the island for buying electricals. Las Palmas is my recommendation if you want to spend the day just shopping. You'll find most tour operatours run a "Las Palmas Shopping" trip getting you there and back on board an air-conditioned coach for a price similar to the public bus service. The coach will drop you off at Triana, then the main department store in the city and later, at Las Arenas.