Gran Canaria between beaches and urban history

Gran Canaria can also be discovered through the contrasts between its coastline and urban history. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Canteras beach is a striking starting point: it stretches for 3,100 metres of sandy beach and is one of Spain’s most important urban beaches. The La Barra reef runs parallel to more than half of the beach and acts as a natural breakwater. For planning your trip, this brings together a long city beach and a distinctive coastal landscape.

Coastal paths and city neighbourhoods

Thanks to its mild climate and flat city centre, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is easy to explore on foot at any time of year. Vegueta offers a different impression: the oldest and most characteristic district is defined by narrow, cobbled streets and houses in traditional Canarian architecture. The beach and the city’s historic urban fabric thus offer different focal points for planning your stay.

Vegueta is also home to Mercado de Vegueta, the oldest food market in the Canary Islands. Its offerings include local produce as well as wines and cheeses from the Canary Islands. If you’re interested in regional food culture, you’ll find a tangible point of interest here, while the district’s streets and houses provide the architectural setting.

Museums and architectural history

Casa de Colón is a museum about the history of the Canary Islands and their ties to the Americas. Its permanent exhibition covers Columbus’s voyages, cartography and navigational instruments, pre-Columbian America, and relations between the Canary Islands and the Americas. It also explores the history of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from the 15th to the 19th century and painting from the 15th to the 20th century. The building itself is architecturally diverse, too: Casa de Colón combines styles ranging from Gothic to Neo-Canarian.

El Museo Canario was founded in 1879 as a scientific and cultural society. Its permanent exhibition is devoted exclusively to the Canarios, the indigenous people of Gran Canaria. The museum therefore offers a distinct focus on the history of the island’s population, while Casa de Colón explores the links between the Canary Islands and the Americas, as well as the city’s history.

Two fortresses are also among the city’s notable historic buildings. Castillo de La Luz is considered the oldest defensive fortress in the Canary Islands and was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1941. Castillo de Mata was built in 1577 beside the city wall as a defensive structure against foreign attackers. Its cultural programme includes exhibitions, talks, concerts, cinema and theatre; check specific events and dates before your visit.

Pueblo Canario is an architectural complex made up of several buildings inspired by traditional Canarian architecture. Folklore groups perform on the Bodegón terrace on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Check the latest times if you’re planning a visit around this event.

Gardens, the sea and performance venues

Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo covers 27 hectares and showcases the botanical diversity of the Canary Islands, as well as endemic species from the rest of the Macaronesian region. Stroll along paths through laurel forest, thermophilic woodland and Canarian pine forest; there is also a succulent garden with 2,000 specimens of succulent plants. The different habitats and the succulent garden offer distinct botanical highlights.

Another way to discover marine life is at Acuario Poema del Mar, at Muelle de Sanapú in the Port of Las Palmas. It presents marine life from all five continents in three different environments. The Onda Atlántica pedestrian bridge provides access from Mercado del Puerto. This connection is a useful point of reference if you’d like to include the market and aquarium in your plans.

At the end of Las Canteras beach are Auditorio Alfredo Kraus and Palacio de Congresos de Canarias, both considered city landmarks. Auditorio Alfredo Kraus is also home to the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra. In Parque Doramas, the Auditorio José Antonio Ramos amphitheatre hosts concerts and other cultural activities. The park rises up a mountain to the Altavista viewpoint, bringing a cultural venue together with an elevated vantage point.

Catedral de Santa Ana also offers a viewpoint: its south tower provides panoramic views across Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The tower can be reached by lift and via a flight of stairs; check current access arrangements before your visit. For arriving or continuing your journey through Puerto de Las Palmas, the port’s shipping connections are another useful point of reference: it is linked to 180 ports around the world by more than 30 regular shipping routes. If you’re planning a specific connection, check the current schedule.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ingenio, Playa de Tasarte, Puerto de las Nieves, El Majuelo, El Espinillo, El Chorrillo, Ojos de Garza, Comarca Oeste, Urbanización la Suerte, El Estanco, Trasmontaña, Tasartico, Moya, Agaete, Firgas, Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, La Sorrueda, La Caldera, Balcon de Telde, Roque, Artenara, San Bartolomé De Tirajana, Santa Brígida, Santa Lucía De Tirajana, Tejeda, Teror, Valleseco, Las Marciegas, Temisas, San Lorenzo, Melenara, Valsequillo, Vega De San Mateo, Santa María De Guía De Gran Canaria, Guía, Tarajalillo, Cazadores, Telde, Mogán, Gáldar, Arucas, Agüimes, La Aldea De San Nicolás, Casas Nuevas, Carrizal, Tenteniguada, Arinaga, Arguineguín, Tafira Baja, Lomitos De Correa, Maspalomas, Risco Blanco, El Juncal, Rosiana, La Ladera, Lomo Quiebre

For the broader travel overview: Canary Islands.