Essential Spain
+44 118 971 4700
Search for a Hotel Anywhere
Search This Site
Las Palmas
Located 210 kilometres off the west coast of Africa lie the Canary Islands. Of the nine islands one of the largest and most important is Gran Canaria which is home to the capital city Las Palmas. The city takes on joint capital city status of the Canary Islands community with other well-known destination Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The population of Las Palmas is approximately 377,000 making it the largest Canary city and the ninth most-populous in Spain, while the population of the entire urban area is more than 720,000. Las Palmas is something of a tourist hotspot and is situated in the north-eastern section of the island. It is home to lovely golden beaches, a port, bustling streets, cafes, museums and historic monuments, among other things. The region is famous for its glorious sunshine and the average temperatures reach the heights of 24 degrees, adding further weight to the tourism-based economy.
The city came into life in 1478 after the invasion of the Castillian army led by Juan Rejon and started out life under the name Real de Las Palmas. This settlement expanded towards the historical areas of Vegueta and Triana situated on either side of the banks of the Barranco de Guiniguada ravine, although a motorway also separates the two areas now. In 1492 Christopher Colombus visited the city on his way to the Americas and today there is a museum in the city named after the great explorer. For 400 years the first settlements remained fairly stable locked away behind the city wall and it was not until the 19th century that the busy port was built which marked a northern expansion and the emergence of new districts. The historic area of town – Vegueta – was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990 signalling its impressive structures and historic nature, and there does seem to be something of a cosmopolitan aspect to the city also, bringing further life and variety to the popular resort. Indeed, Las Palmas is, today, home to numerous foreign migrants and settlers, which is no doubt partly responsible for the doubling of the area’s population in the last 30 years. Along the city’s streets visitors will inevitably stumble upon African, Chinese, Russian and Middle Eastern merchants, while the Korean and Indian communities are among the largest in the area.
A Spanish city wouldn’t be complete without its special brand of festival and Las Palmas keeps up with the game well here. June sees the Fiestas de San Juan celebrate the city’s foundation while the Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Caneria proves one of the main tourist attractions. Las Palmas even has its own native sports – Lucha 
Canaria and the Vela Latina Caneria. Lucha Canaria is translated Canary fighting and pits two wrestlers in a circle to see each other off. Vela Latina is a sailing competition and joins surfing, diving and fishing as other popular water-based activities for visitors and locals to take part in.
Las Palmas and the wider Gran Canaria island offer a number of activities and sights for visitors. Of course there are the fantastic beaches – the Playa de las Canteras and the Playa de las Alcaravaneras. There are also historic buildings such as the 17th century Palacio Regental, the 19th century built government buildings and the Bishop’s Palace, most of which was destoyed in the fire at the end of the 16th century. In the historic Vegueta area of town visitors can soak up the sights of the Catedral de Santa Ana or visit museums like the Casa Museo de Colon (named after Colombus), the Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno or the Museo Canario. Meanwhile in other parts are the Casa Museo de Perez Galdos, marking the birthplace of the island’s most famous writer, the Pueblo Canario and the Castillo de la Luz. When everything is added together, the sum is a beautiful place to spend time relaxing on holiday in the capital of the Canary Islands.