Eva Lopes

Eva has Portuguese roots, although she grew up in Germany. She came to Gran Canaria looking for adventure at the ripe old age of 18, with just one big suitcase and two backpacks. She intended to work a winter season, but 14 years later she’s still living on this island which has become her home. Eva current manages two restaurants in the Yumbo shopping centre, the Gio and the Ritz, and she remains irrepressibly in love with our ‘sunrises on the beach’.

It was actually by chance. I was working in Mallorca, doing a summer season and I liked the Spanish mindset. They are very open-minded, very friendly people. I was drawn to their character, the friendliness, the honesty, their affection without really knowing you...that warm welcome. So, I decided that I wanted to go back to Spain for the winter and a friend told me that there is lovely weather in Gran Canaria all year round which meant that there were plenty of jobs for people working in tourism. So, I landed in Gran Canaria.

I helped my parents who also work in the hospitality sector and in cooking.

A lot. Firstly, because it was an adventure to get this far. I was 18 when I arrived, with just one big suitcase and two backpacks. I went to the tourist information point at the airport, and I said to the girls, “I need work and a place to stay, what should I do?” Their faces were a picture - they didn’t know what to do with me but they did recommend heading south, explaining that there was more hospitality work there.

So, I came to the south, I booked a flat for a week and I began to look for work, doing anything. Although I was a trained pharmacy technician’s assistant and I was offered work in that field, I wanted to work more directly with people and tourism and hospitality fitted the bill perfectly. You can help a lot of people in this sector, guide them; you meet people from many countries, many characters. It really gives you an open outlook! You end up working with people from all over, and that helps you grow and become more flexible when it comes to working out what you want and making your own decisions.

I was made very welcome; I found people who helped me. People here are open-minded, when someone comes from elsewhere, they respect you, they help you and they guide you… And that makes you feel really at home, and not so alone. I felt like I had people looking out for me practically from day one.

Happiness! Above all happiness and joy. I am more carefree; you do your job properly, but you also prioritise your social life, the people around you and being happy. It’s not all work, like in a big city, here everything is much more flexible.

Gran Canaria gives you the chance to take each day as it comes. The sun, the hours of light really energise you. We don’t have that northern European winter that traps you indoors and makes you sad. That doesn’t happen here, you always feel full of energy, because you’ve got the sun. Even in the winter, when it’s not as sunny, the people are still so happy.

Mainly for work, to avoid having to travel in. I also came for the sun, to make the most of it!

I think that young people come a bit more for the partying, particularly among the LGTB collective, because the Yumbo party scene is famous: Pride, Carnival, Freedom, Winter Parade...It’s an amazing atmosphere!

But above all, I think they choose the island for the freedom it gives them, and it doesn’t matter if they are party animals or more laid back and they prefer to visit villages, hike, drive around the island...no one minds.

Many people also come for the sun and the clement weather. The Canary Islands is the only place in Europe where you can really wear short sleeves in winter. That and also the people, their friendliness. If you ask any tourist, they are always surprised by how friendly people are in Gran Canaria.

Sport! I love running and yoga on the beach. Maspalomas Beach is beautiful; it’s amazing at sunrise, you won’t find anywhere like it, not in the winter. I also like hiking in the mountains. The great thing about this island is that you’ve got it all, a party lifestyle, you can go out and have a great time; you can have dinner in a Michelin star restaurant or a dive bar, or go to the Guayadeque caves; you can visit a cove or take a hike... You get home tired and happy and your body buzzes with life. What more can you ask for?

I like San Felipe - the area is beautiful and different. The Bandama Balcony is also lovely. There’s quite an easy walk around the cauldron and when you finish, there’s a little bar nearby serving gofio and local wine. It’s great!

I also like the hidden coves in the Pasito Blanco area. In fact, I prefer them to the beach; I don’t mind walking a little to get a secluded spot, it’s worth it in the end when you find a remote beauty spot.

I can recommend ours!! The Gio and the Ritz, the restaurants where I work. The Gio restaurant is more focussed on authentic Italian cuisine. The pizzas are homemade, and we really do have one of the best pizza bases in the south of the island.

At the Ritz restaurant, we are going to bring in a new menu with exotic meat, such as zebra steaks, bison burgers, something a bit different that you don’t usually find in the south. And you shouldn’t miss our ice cream, which is natural, and made for us by an Italian lady with a lot of love and affection. We’re one of the few places that sell a pistachio ice cream with a Protected Designation of Origin.

Very diverse. They are both LGTB places, although we have a lot of straight customers as well. Most customers come back again and again. They like the atmosphere, seeing something a bit different, hanging out here and above all, they like a good coffee. We have one of the best coffees in the Yumbo, so they really must come and have coffee with us [laughs].

At the Gio, I like the seafood spaghetti and the spaghetti with prawns and aioli, a little spice and garlic. At the Ritz, I really like the matured meat. A little while ago, we added a large ox steak, meat matured for more than 30 days. It’s so tasty when it’s cooked just right. We take great care with the vegetables that garnish our dishes. We make sure that they are never overcooked, so they are still crunchy when you bite into them, and you can actually taste the vegetable. I don’t like it when flavours are mixed or covered by other flavours, oils and too much sauce.

Of course. The vegetables are all from here, and most of the fish and seafood as well. We also decorate our ice cream with a lot of fruit and that’s all local. Of course, the bananas, the pineapple, oranges and strawberries...wow, those strawberries. They are so good. We buy them in Valsequillo. We take great care to ensure the quality of the fruit because our customers notice it; we notice it. There’s no point decorating amazing ice cream with poor quality fruit.

I really love the fish restaurants that you find in Arinaga. They are really good for fresh fish. When I was working as a receptionist in hotels and the tourists asked us, I used to give them little pre-tours; I guided them and recommended that they didn’t just stay in the south, that they should also go to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, discover Las Canteras, a real city beach. They should also explore the north, or the area around Arinaga, or Pozo Izquierdo, enjoy the fresh fish… We’ve got it all here!

Carnival of course, that’s always been famous! There’s also Pride in May that for me personally is very important because I’m also in that collective and because I work in the area. Never in my life have I seen so much freedom to express yourself and so much mutual acceptance in a festival as there is in Maspalomas Pride. There’s a lot to be thankful for there. There are crowds of people but there are never any issues and there’s so much mutual respect. What’s more, as I like house music, I love Pride. It’s an important event that everyone on the island can be proud of.

Spring-Summer because I like the heat, I really feel the cold. I like the spring because it doesn’t get too hot and if you head off to the mountains for a hike, it’s not as dry and everything is so beautiful! It’s all so green, the ravines are green and it’s a good temperature for walking in spring.

And I also like the summer because who doesn’t love a trip to the beach, for a chilled-out afternoon? Or being able to grab a beer, a cocktail, or anything you fancy with your friends? Or hanging out on the beach until 9 or 10 pm?

Freedom, activity - if you want to lead an active life, it’s all here - and finally, diversity.

Getting up early, going to the beach to see the sun rise, heading off for a little cove with a sandwich or a fresh salad for lunch. Spending a day at the beach and then stuffing myself with fresh fish, followed by a light walk and then a night out here with my friends.

Yes, I’ve always imagined that I’d retire in Gran Canaria. Although I might leave the island one day, I’m bound to come back because I think this is the perfect place to spend your twilight years: you’ve got the heat, peace and quiet, diversity...you’ve got it all! What’s more, here almost everyone can speak several languages and the medical services are very good. I think it’s a dream to live out your days in Gran Canaria.

Get your skates on!! Don’t think twice! It's easy to set yourself up in the Canary Islands. If you have a good idea of what you want to do, where your income will come from or you already have a base, then it’ll be easy-peasy. I am the best example of this: I had nothing, no idea at all and I got it together. I’m still here 14 years later, and I was only planning on staying for the winter...