 Gran Canaria has a wide variety of possibilities for visitors wishing to take a stroll - not just in the capital, but also in the island’s towns. However, the most attractive walks are in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A wander through the old city will allow visitors to get to know a little more of the history of the city.
The old city consists of the districts of Vegueta and Triana. Vegueta has a blend of several architectonic styles starting with the first buildings constructed by the conquerors of the island incorporating late gothic, neo-gothic as well as baroque influences. The Plaza de Santa Ana, the Cathedral, the Casa Consistorial and the Episcopal Palace are the city’s architectonic jewels well worth visiting.
The district of Triana grew when Vegueta could not house any more inhabitants. This area contains examples of 17th, 18th and 19th century Canarian architecture. The most interesting buildings are the Military Government, the Teatro Pérez Galdós, the seat of the Island Council and the Church of San Telmo.
Las Palmas is a port city with busy commercial activity. One can go shopping and later wander along Las Canteras beach - one of the most popular places for the people of Las Palmas. Near to the beach is Santa Catalina Park, that has become one of the city's main show and leisure areas. The carnival galas take place in this park.
Another emblem of the city is the Alfredo Krauss Auditorium Convention Centre, a meeting and concert hall at the northeast of Las Canteras beach. Tourist buses (known as guaguas turísticas) leave from Santa Catalina Park and visit the key attractions. They are just perfect for those who prefer to take the tourist route from the comfort of a bus seat.
And there’s nothing better, after a day of sightseeing than a good meal. The fusion of tradition and cultures in Canarian cooking will delight both locals and visitors.
Gran Canaria and its capital have an enormous array of cultural attractions…museums, monuments and green areas.
Museums: The museums in Las Palmas are an unparalleled reference point of the history of this island. The Canarian Museum, La Casa de Colón, the CAAM Modern Art Centre, the Pérez Galdós Museum House, the Nestor Museum, the Elder Museum of Science and Technology. The best way to learn about the past and present of the city is to visit its museums.
The Jardín Canario botanical garden is set in an area of twenty-seven hectares in Barranco Guiniaguada. It is a botanical institute and a research and conservation centre for Macaronian flora – from the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde. It has a vast collection of plants, especially from the region, meaning visits are an educational and interesting experience.
The Caldera de Bandama is a crater of an extinct volcano around the same size as Jardín Canario. It is located ten kilometres from the city and has a diameter of more than a thousand metres, a perimeter of ten kilometres and a depth of two hundred metres. The crater is set in a surrounding landscape of unparalleled natural beauty.
 The Cathedral of Santa Ana, also known as the Cathedral of the Canary Islands dates from the start of the 16th century. Its lengthy construction period caused a mixture of architectonic styles making it truly unique.
The Church of San Juan Bautista, also known as the Cathedral of Arucas, was built at the start of the 20th century on the site of the former 17th century parish church in neo-gothic style. Inside it houses Italian sculptures, Flemish and Andalusian school paintings as well as pieces by Cristóbal Hernández de Quintana.
The Basilica of Nuestra Señora la Virgen del Pino houses the statue of the patron of the Canary Islands. The image is contained in the chapel of the Basilica. Originally, this was the Parish Church of Teror, built in 1503, and later, at the request of Bishop Marquina, it became a Basilica in 1916.
The Castillo de la Luz defended the city during the 16th century against attacks from English and Dutch pirates. Today it is a cultural centre and the maritime museum of the city.
The Casa de Colón opened in 1951; it is a cultural institution with the aim of studying and researching the history of the Canary Islands and its links with America.
The Chapel of San Antonio Abad is where Christopher Colombus is supposed to have prayed before setting sail into the unknown on his voyage of discovery.
The Casa Fuerte fortress is the oldest Castilian building on the island.
 Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, was founded in 1478. Initially it was a military encampment - named Real de Las Palmas - rather than a city. The encampment was the first overseas urban centre in Europe and became a model used in the construction of hundreds of cities in America.
Sugar cane farming and sugar production caused the island’s first economic, urban and demographic boom. During the 16th and 17th centuries, defensive walls divided the island into two to protect against scores of pirate attacks. Yet it was not until the 19th century that the city's sluggish economic growth ended when the new port was built facilitating the spread of the new ideas of Enlightenment.
The construction of the Puerto de la Luz was a great leap forward in modernising the city. Many settlers, from many different areas, have arrived via the port, helping to shape the open and distinctive character of its people. Las Palmas is a cosmopolitan city, drenched in many cultures and one of the most important reference points in Spanish tourism today. |