We recently went on a trip to Gran Canaria and had the opportunity to experience some of the activities the island has to offer.
One of the activities we did was the Jeep Safari tour with Safari Canary tours.
We booked the half-day tour for 55 Euros per person and were picked up in an open-top Land Rover with one seat at the front and three seats in the middle and four side-facing seats in the back.
If you’re visiting Gran Canaria and are thinking of booking some activities through your travel agent ( Ours was Jet2 ) If you book your flights and accommodation its no cheaper to book the Jeep ride.
You can book your flights and hotel first with Jet2.com and then purchase the Jeep Safari from the hotel or with one of the many street vendors.
The only good part about booking before you go is that you can get the day and time you want. These tours sell out on popular days like midweek.
Then this jeep safari review might offer some insight to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Key Takeaways
- The Jeep Safari tour is a popular activity in Gran Canaria, and it’s important to book in advance.
- The tour lasts for about five hours, and it’s more of a full-day experience than a half-day one.
- It’s important to bring your own bandana or neck chief to protect yourself from the dust and exhaust fumes.
- Bring plenty of water and sunblock
- Try to avoid the 4 seats in the back
Booking The Jeep Safari Tour
When we visited Gran Canaria, we decided to book the Jeep Safari tour to explore the beautiful mountains and scenery.
We booked the tour through jet2.com before leaving the UK and paid 55 Euros per person for a half-day tour.
However, the tour turned out to be a full-day tour, which lasted for over five hours.
So, if you’re planning to book this tour, keep in mind that it’s more of a full-day tour than a half-day tour.
The Jeep that picked us up was an open-top Land Rover, which had one seat at the front and three seats in the middle.
There were also four tiny side-facing seats in the rear, which were uncomfortable, especially in the hot Spanish sunshine.
So, if you’re booking this tour, try to avoid those seats!
After getting picked up, we went around all the other hotels to pick up other guests and then headed to the main base, where we got a briefing on what to expect from the tour.
The briefing lasted for around half an hour, and we were also told to buy bandanas or neck chiefs to protect ourselves from the dust and exhaust fumes from the Jeeps.
Once we got the briefing, we were assigned a driver who took us on a huge convoy with 12 Jeeps.
We stopped at multiple destinations where we could take photos and videos, and the scenery was incredible.
However, the journey was a bit uncomfortable due to the exhaust fumes from the other Jeeps, but the bandanas helped us to keep the smells out.
Something to consider if you cannot sit still for hours on end or have back issues as the roads are very bumpy.
Jeep Safari Tour Experience
Our tour package got off to a rocky start as we were left waiting for over an hour outside our hotel, Cay Beach Princess Hotel in Maspalomas.
The Jeep did not turn up, our hotel was amazing and they called the Jet2 rep who sorted the issue out and re-booked us for another day.
After rebooking, we were finally picked up two days later by a strong, silent Spanish gentleman in an open-top Land Rover.
There was no apology for not picking us up on the first day, but there were also no arguments about whose fault it was.
So, we were happy to simply enjoy the day.
Interaction With The Drivers
During our Jeep Safari tour with Safari Canary tour, we had the opportunity to interact with the drivers.
Our driver was a strong, silent type and his English wasn’t great, but he did his best to try and interact with us. While there were a lot of silences, we appreciated his efforts to communicate with us.
However, we did not have to rely solely on our driver for interaction as we also had the chance to mix and mingle with other drivers during the journey.
They were really fantastic and shared with us the history of the island, where they were personally brought up, the schools they attended, and more.
It was a great way to learn about the local culture and people.
Overall, we had a positive experience interacting with the drivers during the Jeep Safari tour. While some were quieter than others, we appreciated their efforts to engage with us and share their knowledge about the island.
Tourist Destinations
The trip starts off on local streets but soon heads off road onto bumpy, dusty mountain roads.
The first stop is only about 40 minutes into the journey and we stopped to take in the scenery high up in the mountains.
One top tip… Although the jeep is open top we were not told we could stand up and take photos and hold onto the roll cages for a more immersive experience.
Once we returned to the hotel we spoke to some holidaymakers who said their guide told them it was fine and they had much more fun and better views.
I wish our driver had told us that!
You stop off at about 6 destinations before finally stopping for food at a traditional cafe in a small local village.
Food and Beverage
During our Jeep Safari tour in Gran Canaria, we learned some important tips about food and beverage that we think could be helpful for anyone planning similar activities in hot weather.
- Firstly, it’s essential to stay hydrated when it’s hot, so make sure to bring plenty of water with you on your trip. We brought our own water bottles, but we also noticed that some of the other tour participants purchased water from the tour company.
- Secondly, it’s a good idea to bring some snacks with you as well. The tour was supposed to be a half-day trip, but it ended up being a full day, and we didn’t get back until the evening. We were glad we brought some snacks to keep us going throughout the day.
- Finally, we recommend being cautious about what you eat before and during the tour. We didn’t eat anything too heavy before the trip, and we tried to stick to light, refreshing foods throughout the day. Some of the other participants didn’t follow this advice and ended up feeling unwell during the tour.
We stopped after 3 hours for a one-hour lunch break.
We thought lunch was provided but it wasn’t and cost 14 Euros each. They accepted cash or cards which was good. But, we felt it was forced upon us a little and took us by surprise.
You didn’t need to eat with everyone else, you could take your own food and eat outside or wonder the small local village in search of food.
But, there weren’t many options, to be honest.
It’s really the buffet, or you take sandwiches.
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Aloe Vera Farm
After a one-hour lunch break, we drove for around 30 minutes and stopped at the final destination which was an Aloe Vera Farm.
The farm was a local family-run business and was very interesting to see and watch a 10-minute demonstration of how they extract Aloe Vera from the plants.
The owner was very funny and made us feel welcome.
Side point thought….. It did feel like it was a sales pitch and the prices of the products and not cheap.
After 20-30 at the Farm, you could see people starting to get tired.
My 16-year-old son was at this point asking when we were going back to the hotel.
As it happened, the owner and tour guide gathered us round the entrance to the farm thanked us for coming, and said our drivers would not take us back to the hotel.
My son fist pumped the air and was happy to be getting out of the 40-degree heat and back to Air Con in the Cay Beach Princess hotel. (I spent 12 days at Caybeach Princess, and here’s my experience.)
Please remember to check with your insurance company that tours and activities are covered by your policy. Ours included most watersports but not some extreme sports.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Jeep Safari tour with Safari Canary tour in Gran Canaria was an enjoyable experience, despite the initial delay in pick-up.
The tour lasted for a full day, rather than half a day, and consisted of a convoy of over 12 Jeeps.
There are two main Jeep Safari companies on the Island and some had better Jeeps than others.
During the tour, we stopped at multiple destinations where we could take photos and videos. The scenery was breathtaking, and we even got to see the volcanoes on Tenerife.
The drivers were friendly, and we learned a lot about the history of the island from some of them.
If you plan on booking a Jeep Safari tour in Gran Canaria, we recommend bringing your own bandana or neck chief to protect yourself from the dust and exhaust fumes.
Also, keep in mind that the tour lasts for a full day, and it can be overwhelming at times due to the convoy of Jeeps.
Overall, we had a great time and would recommend this tour to anyone looking for an adventurous way to explore the mountains of Gran Canaria.
