Glossary: Spanish and Canarian words you will meet in Arguineguín

By Terje Moy, editor · Published 25 October 2026

An A–Z list of the Spanish and Canarian words you will actually meet in Arguineguín: on menus, at the bus stop, on beach signs and on official forms. Each entry says what the word means and where you will see it.

The word you will hear most in Arguineguín that you will not find in a school textbook is guagua: it is what Canarians call a bus. Many of the other words below are ordinary Spanish with a local twist, a few are pure Canarian, and a handful are the words on signs that you should understand before you ignore them. Every entry is marked with where you are likely to meet it: (menu), (bus and road), (beach and sea), (sign), (admin) or (island).

This list is for recognising words, not for conversation. If you want phrases to say out loud, see Spanish phrases for Arguineguín. For more on the dishes, Canarian food to try goes further than a one-line definition can.

How to read the list

Entries run in alphabetical order across the groups below. Spanish now files ch and ll under C and L like any dictionary, so «chiringuito» sits under C and «llegadas» under L. Accents are kept, because they change how a word is said (Arguineguín, Mogán).

Menu words come with a warning that applies to all of them: dishes vary from kitchen to kitchen, so read a definition as «what it normally is», not as a promise about the plate in front of you.

A and B: abierto to bus stop

• abierto (sign) – open. The opposite, cerrado, is on more doors than you would like on a Sunday afternoon.
• agua con gas / agua sin gas (menu) – sparkling / still water. If you just say «agua», expect still, and expect to pay for a bottle.
• alisios (island) – the trade winds. They blow on the northern and eastern side of the island and are the reason the north is greener and cloudier than the south coast.
• alquiler (admin) – rent or hire. «Alquiler de coches» is car hire; «se alquila» on an apartment balcony means it is to let.
• aparcamiento (bus and road) – car park. See parking in Arguineguín for where to leave the car.
• aseos (sign) – toilets. You will also see «servicios»; the doors are marked caballeros (men) and señoras (women).
• ayuntamiento (admin) – the town hall. Arguineguín belongs to the municipality of Mogán, so its ayuntamiento is Mogán council.
• bandera roja / amarilla / verde (beach and sea) – red, yellow and green flags. Green means normal bathing conditions, yellow means take care, red means do not swim. When in doubt, ask the lifeguard; beach safety on the south coast has the detail.
• bandera azul (beach and sea) – Blue Flag, the international beach and marina award. For 2026–27 no beach in Mogán holds one; the marina at Puerto de Mogán does.
• barranco (island) – a dry ravine cut by occasional floods. Arguineguín grew up around the mouth of one, the Barranco de Arguineguín, and you will meet the word on road signs and bus stops.
• barraquito (menu) – a layered coffee served in a glass, normally with condensed milk, a shot of liqueur, lemon peel and cinnamon. Ask whether the liqueur is included if you would rather not.
• billete (bus and road) – ticket. Ida y vuelta is return, solo ida is single. On Global buses you simply tell the driver where you are going; see buses in and from Arguineguín.
• bocadillo (menu) – a filled baguette, a standard cheap lunch. Tostada is toast, the usual breakfast.
• bono (bus and road) – a travel card or pass. The resident bonos are only for people registered in the Canaries; visitors use cash, a bank card or the TransGC card.

C and D: cabildo to documents

• Cabildo (island) – the island government. The Cabildo de Gran Canaria looks after island-wide matters such as the Roque Nublo access system. It is not the same as the ayuntamiento.
• caldo de pescado (menu) – fish soup, a good test of a fishing-harbour restaurant such as the Cofradía de los Pescadores.
• calima (island) – a haze of Saharan dust carried over the island by easterly winds, most frequent in winter.
• calle, avenida (Avda.), plaza, paseo (sign) – street, avenue, square, promenade. Paseo marítimo is the seafront walk.
• café solo / cortado / café con leche (menu) – black coffee / coffee with a dash of milk / half coffee, half milk. A carajillo is coffee with a spirit in it.
• cerrado (sign) – closed. Cerrado por vacaciones means closed for the owner's holiday, which can last weeks.
• cherne (menu) – wreckfish, a firm white fish usually grilled or baked.
• chacho (island) – a Canarian word for «mate» or «man», used between friends. You will hear it more than read it.
• chiringuito (beach and sea) – a beach bar or small seafront kiosk, often with a terrace.
• cita previa (admin) – an appointment you have to book in advance. Many offices and clinics will not see you without one.
• cofradía de pescadores (island) – a fishermen's association. Arguineguín's has its own harbour restaurant.
• completo (sign) – full. «Completo» outside a car park or a hotel means no room.
• cruce (bus and road) – a junction. «Cruce de Mogán», for instance, is a junction on the way up to Mogán village.
• cuenta (menu) – the bill. «La cuenta, por favor» is the line you need; nobody will bring it until you ask.
• desayuno (menu) – breakfast; almuerzo is lunch and cena is dinner. Lunch is usually the main meal.
• desvío (bus and road) – diversion. Obras means roadworks.
• DNI (admin) – the Spanish national identity card. As a visitor your passport does the same job.
• dorada (menu) – gilthead bream, often grilled whole.

E to H: empadronamiento to hamaca

• empadronamiento (admin) – registering your address with the town hall, giving you a place on the padrón. Long-stayers and residents deal with it; see NIE, residency and the padrón.
• empujar / tirar (sign) – push / pull, printed on glass doors.
• entrada / salida (sign) – entrance / exit, or ticket / departure depending on the context. Llegadas and salidas at the airport are arrivals and departures.
• estación de guaguas (bus and road) – bus station. A parada is a stop.
• factura (admin) – an invoice. Keep it for hire cars, apartments and repairs; a recibo is a receipt.
• farmacia (sign) – pharmacy, marked by a green cross. A farmacia de guardia is the one on night or weekend duty; the rota is posted in the window.
• faro (island) – lighthouse, as in the Faro de Maspalomas.
• fiesta (island) – a local festival or public holiday. The big ones here are the Fiesta del Carmen in July and Carnival in spring.
• gambas al ajillo (menu) – prawns sizzled in garlic and oil, served in a hot dish.
• gasolinera (bus and road) – petrol station. Gasolina is petrol and gasóleo or diésel is diesel.
• gofio (menu) – flour made from toasted grain, a staple of Canarian cooking. It turns up in soups and desserts and is stirred into milk or coffee at breakfast. Sources differ on which grains: wheat and maize are the usual ones.
• Guardia Civil (admin) – one of Spain's national police forces, with traffic and rural duties. The others are the Policía Nacional and, in each town, the Policía Local.
• guagua (bus and road) – bus. Not a Peninsular Spanish word: on the mainland you would ask for an «autobús». Global is the island's main bus company, so «guaguas Global» is what you will see on the sides.
• hamaca (beach and sea) – a sunbed; tumbona is the same thing, and sombrilla is the parasol. Hire is usually per item per day, with prices on a board.

I to L: IGIC to lucha canaria

• IGIC (admin) – the Canary Islands' general sales tax. It replaces mainland VAT (IVA) and its general rate is 7 %. The bill price in a shop is normally the tax-included price.
• ida y vuelta (bus and road) – return trip; a return boat ticket from the Salmón line uses the same words.
• isleño (island) – islander. Canarians call themselves canarios, and it is worth remembering that Canarian Spanish has more in common with Latin American speech than with Madrid's.
• jamón (menu) – ham. Cured ham is a Spanish institution, and the Canaries have their own taste for it; a bocadillo de jamón is the baseline snack.
• lapas (menu) – limpets, normally grilled and served in mojo verde. A harbour-side classic.
• llegadas (sign) – arrivals, the airport hall you walk into with your luggage.
• lonja (island) – the fish auction hall, where the day's catch is sold at a harbour. You may see the word on the quay.
• lucha canaria (island) – Canarian wrestling, a traditional island sport with its own sand-floored arenas called terreros.

M to O: mercadillo to obras

• mar de fondo (beach and sea) – swell from a distant storm. Mogán's own beach pages warn about it on exposed beaches such as Taurito; the sea can be dangerous on a sunny day.
• media ración (menu) – half a portion. A ración is a full plate meant for sharing, smaller than a main course but larger than a tapa.
• medusa (beach and sea) – jellyfish. The Portuguese man o' war is the carabela portuguesa; a sign with either word means stay out of the water.
• menú del día (menu) – the fixed-price lunch: usually a starter, a main course, a dessert and a drink. It is normally offered on weekdays and is often the cheapest way to eat a full meal. Ask for it by name.
• mercadillo (island) – a small open-air market. Arguineguín's is on Tuesdays; see the Tuesday market. The flea-market part is the rastro.
• millo (menu) – maize. «Millo» is a Canarian word; the Spanish for maize elsewhere is «maíz».
• mojo (menu) – the Canarian sauce. Mojo rojo (or picón) is a red pepper, garlic, cumin and vinegar sauce, hot to varying degrees; mojo verde is the green herb version. They come with potatoes, fish and meat.
• muelle (island) – quay or pier. In Arguineguín the harbour is the muelle de Arguineguín, and the fishing harbour is where the town's life centres.
• NIE (admin) – número de identidad de extranjero, the foreigner's identification number that anyone buying property, signing a long contract or becoming resident in Spain needs. Visitors on a holiday do not.
• obras (sign) – works. «Obras en la vía» is roadworks ahead.

P to R: papas arrugadas to romería

• papas arrugadas (menu) – small potatoes boiled in very salty water until the skin wrinkles, served with mojo. «Papas» is the Canarian word for potatoes; mainland Spain says «patatas».
• padrón (admin) – the municipal register of residents. See empadronamiento above.
• parada (bus and road) – a bus stop. The main one in town is Casa Memo, which is how Global's timetables name it.
• pescado del día (menu) – the fish of the day. If it is sold by weight, ask the price before you order.
• peligro (sign) – danger. «Peligro de desprendimientos» is a rockfall warning, common on coastal paths and cliff roads. Prohibido el paso means no entry.
• pimientos de Padrón (menu) – small fried green peppers, mostly mild with the odd hot one. A tapas staple that originates in Galicia, not here.
• playa (beach and sea) – beach. A cala or caleta is a small cove.
• potaje de berros (menu) – watercress stew, a traditional Canarian winter dish.
• prohibido (sign) – forbidden. «Prohibido bañarse» means no swimming, «prohibido aparcar» no parking, «prohibido fumar» no smoking.
• propina (menu) – a tip. Leaving one is a gesture, not an obligation; eating out in Arguineguín covers what is normal.
• puerto (island) – port or harbour. Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán are both named after theirs; in the council's own listings Puerto de Mogán's beach is «Playa de Mogán».
• pulpo (menu) – octopus, boiled and sliced or grilled, usually with a slick of oil and paprika.
• queso de flor (menu) – a soft cheese made with thistle-flower rennet around Guía, protected by an EU designation of origin.
• ración (menu) – see media ración.
• rastro (island) – a flea market.
• reservado (sign) – reserved, on a restaurant table or a parking bay.
• romería (island) – a pilgrimage-style village festival with a procession, music and a picnic, held for a saint's day.
• ron miel (menu) – honey rum, a sweet local liqueur and a typical after-dinner offering. Arehucas is a well-known Gran Canaria rum brand.
• ropa vieja (menu) – literally «old clothes»; in the Canaries a chickpea stew with shredded meat.
• rotonda (bus and road) – roundabout. Directions in Arguineguín often use the whale-tail roundabout as a landmark.

S to V: sancocho to vieja

• sancocho (menu) – salted fish with boiled potatoes and sweet potato, served with mojo.
• siesta (island) – the afternoon rest. Less of a rule than it used to be, but some small shops and offices still close in the afternoon, so check the posted hours.
• socorrista (beach and sea) – lifeguard. Mogán's beach pages show them at the main beaches but publish no hours, so look for the tower and the flag.
• sombrilla (beach and sea) – parasol.
• tapa (menu) – a small portion served with a drink or ordered in a series. See tapas in Arguineguín.
• tarjeta sanitaria (admin) – the health card of the Spanish system. Visitors from the UK or the EU show their GHIC or EHIC; travel insurance, GHIC and EHIC explains what that covers.
• taxi-guagua (bus and road) – a taxi-and-bus hybrid. Global's data marks line 6, the single daily trip to Cercados de Espino, with this label; check with Global before relying on it.
• timple (island) – the small, five-stringed Canarian guitar that gives island folk music its sound.
• tinto de verano (menu) – red wine mixed with lemon soda over ice, a summer drink.
• tortilla (menu) – Spanish omelette made with potato; not a flat bread, as in Mexico.
• tumbona (beach and sea) – a sunbed (see hamaca).
• urgencias (admin) – the emergency department of a health centre or hospital. In a real emergency call 112; see emergency numbers and what to do.
• vado permanente (sign) – a sign on a driveway or garage entrance: no parking at any time, and a car left there can be towed. The kerb often carries a painted number.
• vieja (menu) – parrotfish, the most Canarian of fish and a fixture of seafood menus. It is usually grilled or baked whole, with papas arrugadas and mojo.
• vino (menu) – wine. Gran Canaria has its own protected designation of origin; vino de la casa is the house wine.

W to Z: zona azul and a few last words

• zona azul (bus and road) – the blue zone: paid, time-limited street parking marked by blue lines and a ticket machine. Mogán runs one in Playa de Mogán; always read the machine for hours and the maximum stay. More in parking in Arguineguín.
• zumo (menu) – juice. «Zumo de naranja natural» is freshly squeezed orange juice.

Words that mean something different in the Canaries

A short list of the words where the island and the mainland part company. Guagua for bus, papas for potatoes and millo for maize are the three that visitors notice first. Chacho belongs to the local street. The island also uses mojo for its sauces, barranco for ravines and cumbre for the high ridges inland, and several turn up in place names: the Barranco de Arguineguín is a ravine, and a degollada, as in the Degollada de la Goleta near Roque Nublo, is a mountain pass.

The Canaries keep the same clock as the UK all year, so a booking for 8 pm is 8 pm on both sides. Canarian Spanish also tends to soften the final -s, so «¿qué tal?» can sound like «¿qué ta?»; if a local is hard to follow, that is usually why.

How far each place is, by car, bus and boat, is in distances and travel times from Arguineguín.