Gran Canaria, a healthy Island

The first tourists who came to Gran Canaria, in a reasonably organised way, around the second half of the 19th century came for what is known as health tourism. They were people suffering problems with their lungs, stomach or nervous system who travelled to the island, attracted by propaganda throughout Europe which talked of miracle cures and even recommended by their own doctors due to the climate and the mineral waters in Gran Canaria.

The heliotherapy centre located in Dunas de Maspalomas was constructed by the Italian, Eduardo Filiputti, in the 1960s. The purpose of this “spa” was to exploit the beneficial effects of the combination of sun and sand. This centre disappeared in 1990 as part of the plan to recover the ecosystem.  Filiputti was the first person to appreciate the therapeutic qualities of Maspalomas sand, applying its treatments to patients all over the world, obtaining very satisfactory results.

Today, a century and several decades later, Gran Canaria maintains its prestige in terms of health and rest, for which it has developed an extensive offer and infrastructure to treat different conditions or simply to look after your body and help you relax.