Among all the Gran Canaria Shopping Centres, la Estrella (which in Spanish means “the star”) is one of the most popular among local Gran Canarians. The main reason is that it is one of the places where you can get the best items at great prices, and there is a great variety of shops. All of the buildings are in walking distance, and you can literally spend the whole day here. Shops open at 9 o'clock and stay open till ten in the night.
The “engine” of this shopping area is the French hypermarket Alcampo. It works like a magnet, attracting big crowds of shoppers during the weekends. They have a massive variety of items such as food, clothing, electronics, pet supplies etc. If you want to check out the latest offers, click on this link, and then choose "Canarias" and "Telde" from the drop-down menus on the left side of their website. You will also see a list of holidays on which they are open, on the same left column.
Opposite the hypermarkets cashiers, in the same building, there are small shops, such as newspaper, eye glasses, sports shops.
|
In the summer of 2012 the Swedish furniture giant Ikea moved from a medium-sized store to a huge two floor building in this area, making it a must-visit of all the Gran Canaria shopping centres. We have recently visited this shop and were fairly impressed at the huge variety of household items we found there. At the entrance there are lots of packed Swedish food items such as biscuits, cakes, frozen meals, etc. |
On the top floor there is a nice self-service restaurant. The staff were friendly and helpful. After carefully examining their catalogue, we have noticed that the prices have gone up, and feel they want to quickly recover the money spent on building the new premises. The prices are high for Canarian standards, and normal for European ones. It is definitely worth visiting to have a look and find some bargains.
Click here to download the latest Ikea catalogue. (Opens in a new window)
A short walk from Alcampo is the French do-it-yourself Leroy Merlin store. Here you can find all kinds of building materials, tools, furniture, etc. This is one of the biggest shops of its kind of Gran Canaria.
Right opposite Alcampo there is a place called Punto Zero. In this building you will find a bingo, a bowling arcade (with slot machines and videogames), and a karaoke restaurant.
Other things you will find nearby are a McDonald’s, and a gym.
On the other side of the motorway, you will find the biggest sports shop on the island. This shop, called Decathlon, is always full of people. There are always great deals on different kinds of sport gear, branded or of their own brands.
Below is a picture of myself in Decathlon with one of the managers.
|
Next to Decathlon there is a wholesale store called Macro. Only qualified customers that have previously filled a form are allowed in. Usually there will be someone at the entrance that requests a special card issued to wholesale customers, but sometimes you can go in when they aren’t there. All the items are meant to be re-sold so they are really cheap. Many people who own small supermarkets, hairdressing salons, etc. buy their supplies here. |
Regarding public transportation, there are always plenty of taxis available at the door. If you use your own car, it is very easy to find as it is clearly marked on the motorway signs. Get on the GC-1 motorway and out at exit 7. It is about ten minutes away from the airport, if you are coming from the south of Gran Canaria.
We feel this is one of the best Gran Canaria Shopping Centres, and therefore recommend visiting it.
Return from Gran Canaria Shopping Centres to Gran Canaria Shopping
Return from Gran Canaria Shopping to Home Page
New! Comments, Questions?
Have your say about what you just read! Leave a comment in the box below.