Sport in Gran Canaria is experiencing a period of transformation, and much of that energy is thriving in the south of the island. The Island Council, through the Department of Sports, took advantage of Expodeca to present its grassroots programs, its health plans linked to physical activity, and, above all, its major infrastructure modernization projects that strengthen the island's position as an international benchmark in event organization.
Aridany Romero, Councilor for Sports, emphasized that "Gran Canaria is leading the way in investing in programs for grassroots sports, in physical activity linked to health, and also in improving sports infrastructure, both its own and those of other municipalities." This statement connects directly with the reality of the southern part of the island, where municipalities such as San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán, and Agüimes have turned sport into a backbone of community life and a complementary tourist attraction. Joint work with federations, professional associations, and companies specializing in organizing events has allowed internationally prestigious competitions—such as TransGranCanaria, the Rally Islas Canarias, and the San Silvestre—to establish themselves as showcases for the island.
The Island Council's major commitment is focused on infrastructure. Ricardo Pereira Pérez de los Cobos, head of the Architecture Department at the Insular Institute of Sports, presented at Expodeca the renovation projects for the Gran Canaria Stadium—which will host the 2030 World Cup—and the Insular Sports Center, which will be transformed into a modern arena capable of hosting elite teams and multidisciplinary sporting events.
But Romero was clear: “We don't just allocate resources to major infrastructure. We also do so in the island's 21 municipalities.” In the south, this translates into the improvement of municipal sports fields, artificial turf soccer fields, sand sports spaces, trails, and circuits linked to active tourism, a commitment that strengthens both local practice and the arrival of international athletes who choose Gran Canaria as their training base.
The roundtable "Events Destination Gran Canaria," featuring Germán Morales (Todo Sport - Rally Islas Canarias), Fernando González (Arista - TransGranCanaria), and Pablo González (Top Time - San Silvestre), reinforced the idea that sport is not just about physical activity: it's about identity, promotion, and an economic driver. The south of the island, with its privileged climate and hotel capacity, is emerging as the natural epicenter of this strategy. From the beaches of Maspalomas, where beach volleyball and sand soccer tournaments multiply each year, to the ravines and trails that host trail running events, Gran Canaria is selling itself to the world as a destination where sports are part of the landscape.
Expodeca made it clear that sport is much more than a discipline: it is health, social cohesion, tourism, and international outreach. The Island Council, with its investments and capacity for public-private collaboration, aims to consolidate the island—and the south in particular—as a laboratory and showcase for a model in which grassroots, elite, and sports tourism coexist like few other regions in the world.
