Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: City, Beach and History

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a Spanish city and municipality in the northeast of the island of Gran Canaria. As the island’s capital, it combines urban culture with a wide variety of experiences: Vegueta focuses on history, art and gastronomy; at Playa de Las Canteras, the beach, promenade and an ancient limestone reef shape the landscape. This means you can already distinguish between the different sides of the city when planning your trip, depending on what interests you most.

Getting to Gran Canaria and finding your way around

Gran Canaria International Airport is 18 kilometres from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The drive along the motorway takes 20 minutes. For getting around by public transport, it is also helpful to look at Gran Canaria as a wider travel area: Global connects the entire island with 122 bus routes.

Vegueta: the origins and culture of the city

Vegueta is the origin of present-day Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. On 24 June 1478, an army sent by the Crown of Castile established a military camp near the mouth of the Barranco de Guiniguada. Vegueta developed around the settlement that grew up there. If you are interested in the city’s history, the district gives you a specific starting point: you can stroll around and discover the city’s past.

Vegueta is about more than historical development. Experiences there include gastronomy, art, music and the performing arts. The Mercado de Vegueta adds local produce and culinary offerings to this cultural mix. A visit can therefore bring together different interests without focusing on just one building or activity.

Catedral de Santa Ana and Plaza de Santa Ana

The Catedral de Santa Ana is a National Historic-Artistic Monument and the seat of the Diocese of the Canary Islands. It has shaped Plaza de Santa Ana for five centuries. Its construction also took place over several stages: the first phase lasted from 1497 to 1570; a second began in 1781 and continues to this day. This timespan shows that the cathedral was built over more than one historical period.

A visit to this part of the city therefore brings together a specific square, the cathedral’s long construction history and its importance as the seat of the diocese. For travellers interested in cultural history, it adds a striking religious and institutional building to the story of Vegueta.

Market and culinary experiences in Vegueta

The stalls at Mercado de Vegueta offer local produce. There are also food establishments serving, among other things, churros, as well as wines and cheeses from the islands. The market and its eateries add a culinary dimension to your stay that you can combine with a stroll and Vegueta’s cultural attractions. The specific offerings at individual stalls may change.

Las Canteras: promenade, natural setting and reef

Playa de Las Canteras is a natural setting in the heart of the city. A three-kilometre pedestrian promenade runs alongside the beach and provides an easy route for walks along the coast. One distinctive geological feature is La Barra: the limestone reef is more than 100,000 years old, runs parallel to more than half of Playa de Las Canteras and acts as a natural breakwater.

There are also different characteristics within this coastal area. La Cícer is an area of Playa de Las Canteras known as a surf spot. So in Las Canteras, the promenade and natural setting are as much in focus as the reef and La Cícer’s surfing character.

Vegueta brings together the city’s history with its market, art and music; Las Canteras offers a different focus, with its promenade, natural setting and reef. When looking for a hotel in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, you can start by considering which of these aspects you would like to shape your stay most.

Discover more destinations: Tuineje, Pájara, La Oliva, Puerto Del Rosario, Betancuria, Antigua, Teguitar, Valle De Santa Inés, Llanos De La Concepción, Caldereta, El Roque, Tindaya, Ajuy, Castillo Caleta de Fuste, Cardón, Costa de Antigua, Agua de Bueyes, La Ampuyenta, Jandia, Tefía, Valles de Ortega, Tesejerague and Majanicho.

For the broader travel overview: Canary Islands.