Gran Canaria's Puerto de Mogan has been nicknamed the Little Venice by tourists who have visited. It's resemblance to the Italian city of canals is no accident. The vision of the designers of the beachfront part of the city was to re-create the quaintness of Venice in a Spanish environment. Puerto de Mogan is located on the southwestern coast of Gran Canaria. The island is the second largest most populous in the Canary Island chain. Visitors from Europe, the UK and around the world visit Gran Canaria for its sunshine, beaches, charm and rich culture.

The island is home to over 800,000 residents. It sees well over twice that many annual visitors. Tourism, in fact, is one of the major staples of Gran Canaria's economy. A majority of tourist activity takes place along the eastern coast of the island. Much of it is centered around the capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The western side is less populated and concentrated. This is one reason that Puerto de Mogan's developers decided to adopt an Italian theme. Created by an Italian designer, it's one that is unique to the island. It has become one of its "must see" destinations, despite being somewhat off the beaten path. Visitors to the beachside downtown area will be hard-pressed to find a motor vehicle of any kind. Instead, Puerto de Mogan caters to the pedestrian.

The real nod to Venice is the town's canals. They run through the village and out into the marina area which opens into the Atlantic Ocean. While many of Gran Canaria's popular resort towns feature modern high-rise buildings, residences and hotels, few exist in Puerto de Mogan. This was another deliberate design choice by town visionaries.

No buildings exceed two stories tall except for a small handful of older ones. Any modern construction is limited by law to two stories or less. This feature adds to the unique charm of the beach town.

Locals survived for centuries on fishing. The city is still home to many native fishermen. However, most Puerto de Mogan's economic generation comes from the tourism industry today.

Day-trippers tend to stick to the waterfront area of the city. Tourists who want to stay for a spell and spend a little bit less money can venture further inland. Away from the pricey, tourist-driven restaurants and boutiques, visitors can find more authentic cuisine and homier accommodations.

The village is family friendly, with activities for people of all ages. Swimming and sunbathing is, of course, one of the favorites. La Play de Mogan is fairly sheltered, so the water is warm and currents are gentle, and the Gran Canaria weather is excellent in the winter.

Puerto de Mogan is widely well known for its Friday market. This open air style public market draws hundreds of locals as well as tourists every week. Shoppers can find just about anything, from hand-made clothing to native produce, fresh fish, and locally-made craft and gift items.

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