A 3,100-metre city beach and a historic district with narrow, cobbled streets reveal two different sides of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Las Canteras is one of Spain’s most notable city beaches. In Vegueta, by contrast, you’ll find houses in traditional Canarian architecture. Those looking to combine culture, city life and the coast will find different ways to explore the city here.

City beach and historic streets

The La Barra reef runs parallel to more than half of Las Canteras beach and acts as a natural breakwater. This coastal landscape is a focus in its own right, alongside the historic sights: at the beach, the sea takes centre stage, while Vegueta offers a different view of the city with its traditional architecture and cobbled streets.

Vegueta is considered the oldest and most distinctive district of the city. Its narrow streets and traditional Canarian architecture shape its character. There are several different places to discover its history, including museums, former defensive structures and an architectural complex inspired by Canarian building traditions.

Museums and architectural history

Casa de Colón is a museum about the history of the Canary Islands and their ties with America. The building itself also brings together styles ranging from Gothic to Neo-Canarian. Its permanent exhibition covers Columbus’s voyages, cartography and navigational instruments, as well as pre-Columbian America and the ties between the Canary Islands and America. 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.

El Museo Canario offers a different historical focus. The scientific and cultural society was founded in 1879, and its permanent exhibition is devoted exclusively to the indigenous people of Gran Canaria, the Canarios. A visit here therefore focuses on the island’s people and their history, while Casa de Colón explores broader themes surrounding the ties between the islands and America.

The fortifications also tell the story of different periods in the city’s history. Castillo de La Luz is 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 invaders. Its cultural programme includes exhibitions, talks, concerts, cinema and theatre; check the current programme before your visit.

Pueblo Canario adds to this architectural history with a complex of several buildings inspired by traditional Canarian architecture. Folk groups perform on the Bodegón terrace on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. As the schedule may change, it’s worth checking the date before your visit.

Gardens, performance venues and marine life

Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo covers 27 hectares. It showcases the botanical diversity of the Canary Islands and endemic species from the rest of the Macaronesian region. You can stroll through laurel forest, thermophilic woodland and Canarian pine forest, and explore the succulent garden with its 2,000 specimens. The different garden areas make plant life and landscape types a focus of the visit.

At Parque Doramas, the terrain rises up a mountain to the Altavista viewpoint. The park is also home to the Auditorio José Antonio Ramos amphitheatre, where concerts and other cultural events take place. Another cultural venue is formed by Auditorio Alfredo Kraus and Palacio de Congresos de Canarias: both are located at one end of Las Canteras beach and are considered city landmarks. Auditorio Alfredo Kraus is also home to the Gran Canaria Philharmonic Orchestra.

Those interested in marine life can explore exhibits from all five continents in three different environments at Acuario Poema del Mar, in Muelle de Sanapú at the Port of Las Palmas. The Onda Atlántica pedestrian bridge provides access to the aquarium from Mercado del Puerto. For another glimpse of local food culture, visit Mercado de Vegueta, the oldest food market in the Canary Islands. There you’ll find local produce, as well as wines and cheeses from the Canary Islands.

Exploring on foot and looking out over the city

The mild climate and flat city centre make Las Palmas de Gran Canaria easy to explore on foot at any time of year. For a view across the city, head to the south tower of Catedral de Santa Ana. It can be reached by lift and by climbing a flight of stairs; check access conditions before your visit.

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

For the main travel overview: Canary Islands.