Tourists heading for Gran Canaria early in 2010 will be interested to know about some of the important dates on the events calendar for the island.

Firstly, Christmas is a long, drawn-out affair on Gran Canaria (no point in rushing a period of rest and relaxation) so visitors in January may still be able to experience some of the celebrations which come to a head on King's Day (or Dia de los Reyes) when the Spanish give out their presents to friends and family. On the previous evening many locals will take to the streets of the town and villages to start the celebrations.

Many tourists who come to Gran Canaria for a summer holiday, a late autumn visit or a pre-Christmas break will miss some of the biggest local events. The traditional Gran Canaria carnivals are the high point of the social calendar for locals and take place between January and March.

The largest carnival is the one held in the capital Las Palmas, which, in 2010, starts on 26th January and lasts for almost 3 weeks. This is not a definitive statement, but the organisers say it "might" be the second largest carnival in the world behind Rio de Janeiro. The biggest day of the carnival is likely to be 5th February when the Drag Queen is selected and all-night parties are the norm. The following day a big procession parades its way through the town on an 8 hour journey before yet more all-night parties kick off.

A second large carnival takes place in the resort area of Maspalomas in the south and runs between the 11th and 21st of March in 2010. Oddly the theme for next year is the Eurovision Song Contest, which should elicit some unusual interpretations. Maspalomas is a popular gay area and celebrations reflect that with thousands of party goers expected. The gay community hosts it's own Gay Pride event starting next year on the 2nd of May.

In between all of this overt partying sits the more relaxed Festival of the Almond Blossom or Fiesta del Almendro en Flor. Centered on the pretty villages of Valsequillo and Tejeda, the locals celebrate the blossoming of the almonds trees with singing, dancing and plenty of eating of almond-based delicacies.

Flights to Gran Canaria are operated by flythomascook.com all year round.