Las Palmas – Perfect combination of beach vacation and city life

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Known as the capital of Gran Canaria, cozy Las Palmas is the perfect combination of beach vacation and city life, as well as wonderful sights and activities. Las Palmas is located in the northern part of Gran Canaria and its long beach Las Canteras is one of the city’s most popular attractions. Las Palmas’ relaxed beach atmosphere, numerous attractive restaurants and tapas bars, and the sunny local way of life attract tourists year after year, again and again. And I don’t wonder why!

We traveled to the Canary Islands at the end of January. We thought for a long time about what would be a nice destination and for a while we also thought about returning to our own home island, Sal, in Cape Verde. However, in the end we wanted to stay inside Europe and in January there are not many options if you want to go somewhere warm. I’ve already been to Tenerife twice myself, so I didn’t want to go back there again (even though it’s a nice destination). At the same time, we wanted to be sure that we could also experience ordinary local life during the trip, and we didn’t want to be in the middle of large hotel areas. We conveniently found a really nice Home exchange -home for our trip in Las Palmas. The capital was the only right choice for us as our base, because even though there are tourists, there is also so much more in Las Palmas.

WHAT GRAN CANARIA?

Gran Canaria is one of the largest islands of the Spanish Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, about 210 km west of the Moroccan coast. It is known for its wonderful beaches, diverse nature and subtropical climate, which means warmth all year round. Gran Canaria has mountains, valleys, deserts and lush forests, as well as wonderful beaches.

The island’s most famous landmark is certainly Roque Nublo, a huge basalt rock formation that offers spectacular views all around. Another popular destination is the sand dunes of Maspalomas on the south side of the island. During this trip, we didn’t have time for either, because we just focused on enjoying the city life and the sunshine in Las Palmas. Also we weren’t attracted by the news of large numbers of Portuguese manowars along the sand dunes and beaches of Maspalomas at this time, nor by the stomach disease epidemic that was going on on the south side of the island. Next time then.

Gran Canaria pampers travelers with various activities such as boat trips, hiking in the mountains and sunny beaches. The island has several small local villages to explore, a lively nightlife and plenty of restaurants, shops and cultural events. Since we love the sun and the sea, we mostly stayed at the beach. We ate a lot of tapas and got to know the city center and different neighborhoods. I also have to say that the city atmosphere of Las Palmas reminded me of the times when I lived in Valencia. Spain is a dear country to me and this place also managed to surprise me in a positive way. Luckily we chose Las Palmas.

Get to know Gran Canaria and book an island tour for yourself and your travel group here, where you can see and experience all of the island’s attractions easily and effortlessly in one day!

LAS PALMAS – CULTURE AND BEACH

Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and at the same time the largest city on the whole island. There are many historical and cultural attractions in Las Palmas, and although the city is very popular with tourists, you can also experience the usual local way of life and atmosphere here. A fun way to get to know Las Palmas is, for example, riding the Hop on Hop off bus while admiring the city scenery.

The old town of Vegueta is a historic and beautiful area to spend the day when you wish to do something different also during your beach vacation. Here, it is worth visiting at least the Plaza Santa Ana square and the cathedral located on its edge, as well as various museums, if you are interested in history. The colorful buildings and narrow streets of the old town created its own wonderful and charming atmosphere.

Triana is a lively and cozy place with plenty of restaurants and cafes, as well as shopping opportunities. Calle Maior de Triana, the main pedestrian street, is also located here, which is also the main shopping street. Here you can certainly find amazing clothes and accessories for every taste.

Playa de las Canteras is Las Palmas’ largest and most beautiful beach, with an atmospheric wide beach promenade next to it. There are numerous different cafes and beach restaurants along the promenade, with different price levels. Near Canteras beach is also the lively Plaza de Espana square, where the city’s second popular shopping street begins with also very good shopping opportunities.

Santa Catalina area and Parque Santa Catalina are also located near Las Canteras beach and are definitely one of the charming and liveliest areas in the city. Here are restaurants and cafes as well as bars and nightclubs for many tastes and good public transport connections around the rest of the city, as well as direct bus connections to the south of the island. Our accommodation was located here, right in the middle of Parque Santa Catalina and Las Canteras beach. From the window of our apartment, you could see the sea diagonally and the swaying palm trees around. Just the perfect place for a vacation!

During the trip, we also visited the white village of Agaete, more about that next time. From Gran Canaria, our journey continued to Fuerteventura, which loosely reminded us of the island of Sal in Cape Verde.