GCsurfmap was born on a beach in Gran Canaria, in front of a surf spot, between beers and perfect waves. That’s where Sara and I met. She’s a true Canarian. I’m Simone, an Italian who has been living on the island for 11 years and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

After several trips around the world, we saw it clearly. Everywhere we went, we had everything in a single guide: spots, real-time forecasts, webcams, and alternative plans. Here in Gran Canaria, one of the best surf destinations in Europe, that didn’t exist. We had to check five different websites, with scattered information that was often unreliable. So we decided to create it ourselves.

Sara came from the education field, working as a secondary school physical education teacher. I came from the tourism sector. Both of us are surfers. Both of us were tired of seeing how the lack of proper information led people to the wrong spots, created unnecessary conflicts, and left the best parts of the island untold.

GCsurfmap is the guide we needed as surfers. A single place where you can find everything: detailed descriptions of each spot, real-time conditions, webcams, the best local businesses, and plans for when there are no waves. But above all, it’s a way of understanding surfing on the island.

One of the hardest things at the beginning was making the skeptics understand that we weren’t here to overcrowd the lineups or bring more tourists. Quite the opposite. We want quality sports tourism that respects the local culture. Through GCsurfmap, visitors can be guided to spots that match their level and learn the unwritten rules that make surfing such a unique sport.

We want every visitor to know where to surf according to their level, what conditions to look for, how to behave in the water, and why respect is not optional — it’s the foundation.

We believe in responsible tourism. In educating rather than overcrowding. In connecting visitors with the essence of the island, not just its waves. That’s why we also work on projects related to adaptive surfing, beach cleanups, and programs that bring surfing and the ocean closer to young people in schools across Gran Canaria.

When someone uses GCsurfmap for the first time, we want them to feel the satisfaction of having everything in one place. To feel free to choose the best spot according to their level and the conditions of that day. To discover where to eat, where to stay, and what to do when they’re not surfing. To understand that Gran Canaria is not just another destination — it’s an island with surf culture, with community, and with history in the water.

Sara and I built this because we believe tourism can be done differently. With respect, with knowledge, and with the certainty that when you educate instead of simply selling, everyone wins: the visitor, the Canarian people, the ocean, and the island we love so much.