If you go to Gran Canaria you should not miss its capital – Las Palmas is arguably the most beautiful city in the Canary Islands, with charming colonial architecture and a long urban beach. Its old city will remind you a bit to Seville and a bit to the Caribbean.
This post is only about the city of Las Palmas. Read our post about our Gran Canaria road trip, to know where else you can go in the island!
A little bit of history
Real de las Tres Palmas, the origin of the city, was founded in 1478 as an encampment by the Castilians who were conquering the island. This developed into the Vegueta quarter, the old colonial city of Las Palmas. Along with Triana, it makes up the historical centre of Las Palmas
A few kilometres to the North there is another interesting area of the city: the 3 km long beach Playa de las Canteras, the huge port of Las Palmas and La Isleta, a rocky peninsula where a fortress was built to defend the island from English and Dutch corsairs.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has functioned as the capital of the Canaries since its foundation and it was also an obliged stop in the voyages between mainland Spain and America.
The main political and religious institutions in the Canary Islands were established in Vegueta. Soon, the quarter of Triana was created at the other side of the Guiniguada ravine.
Nowadays, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife are co-capitals of the Canary Islands region. This was the solution to the historical rivalry between the elites of the main islands in the archipelago.
The Canary Islands developed their own trade with America and also with England, quite automonously from mainland Spain. In fact, they were actually exempt from the of Castile-America trade monopoly centred in Seville.
Vegueta
Vegueta, the origin of Las Palmas, is a charming colonial town. Its streets invite you to wander around them and even make you think you are in a Caribbean city. Certainly, if you only have a couple of hours in Las Palmas, you should go to Vegueta. You can follow this route so you don’t miss any of its highlights!
We prefer exploring cities on our own, but if you like walking tours with history and culture explanations, you can check this one out!
We can start discovering Vegueta walking through calle Armas up to the Church of San Antonio Abad, in the homonymous square (1).
In the primitive church that once stood there, Columbus prayed before setting off for America in his first voyage. The crew stopped in Gran Canaria to repair the ship Pinta. Since then, the island became a frequent stop in the trips to America.
The current church was built in the 18th c. The streets around here, where the palm in the picture stands, is where Real de Las Tres Palmas was founded. We could say then that these were the streets Columbus saw.
Now take calle de Colón (Columbus St) from this square, to arrive at the entrance of Columbus House (Casa de Colón) (A). It is actually a 16th c. typical mansion from the Canaries that has grown, integrating other houses. It is said that one of them is the Governor House which hosted Columbus while he was asking for help to repair his ship.
It sounds more like legend than actual history, but anyway the building now hosts a museum about Columbus voyages to America and the economic and social relationships between the Canaries and the “New World”.
The house is also a fine example of 16th c. architecture of the Canaries, with three typical patios, although there was a very significant restoration starting in the 1950s.
The entrance to the museum costs 4 € and it opens every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Sundays 10 am – 3 pm).
La entrada al museo cuesta 4 € y abre todos los días de 10:00 a 18:00 (domingos hasta las 15:00).
If you decide to visit Columbus House, you will exit through its actual main entrance, in Plaza del Pilar Nuevo (2). This is the most beautiful façade of the house, with wooden balconies and a beautiful ornate front door. The public fountain were women used to take water and gather is still preserved.
The apse of the Cathedral of Santa Ana (3) is in this square. This was the Cathedral of all the Canary Islands until the creation of the diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (in Tenerife) in 1819.
The Cathedral is considered the best example of religious architecture in the Canaries. Its construction started in 1497 and continued throughout the 16th c.
It was then enlarged towards the end of the 18th c., and the works took over a century. Therefore, it is a mixture of different styles, from late Gothic to Neoclassical.
Interestingly, the Cathedral does not face the East, but the façade orientation is such that the Sun fits through its middle arch when rising on the summer solstice.
It is worth visiting the interior of the Cathedral. The tickets cost 3 € and includes the Diocese Museum, with religious artwork and artifacts.
The entrance is through the patio de los naranjos (orange trees courtyard), just like in Seville! It is not as impressive, though, and actually what wll instantly catch your eye is a huge palm tree.
Las Palmas had a special relationship with Seville, but also the Diocese of the Canary Islands depended on the Archdiocese of Seville, so in the 18th c. enlargement they wanted to give it a Sevillian touch.
The cathedral interior is the only part that preserves the original Late Gothic style. The decoration is austere because the Dutch sacked and burnt the city after taking it for some days in 1599. Fortunately, the building stood but all original artworks were lost.
Then, we recommend you to go up the Cathedral tower (1.50 €). First, a lift will take you to the top part of the façade. From there, you will have a great view of the square in front of the temple (Plaza de Santa Ana).
To reach the top of the tower you have to walk up a spiral staircase. There you will enjoy a beautiful view of the city, its hills, the ocean… and the white roof of the Cathedral.
Plaza de Santa Ana (4) is the square in which the main façade of the Cathedral is located. It also hosted the main administrativa buildings of the city and archipelago: the City Hall, the Historical Archive and the Court of Justice.
This was the first planned main square (plaza mayor) of Spain, creating a concept that was later followed in many cities of Spanish America.
Just across the cathedral, there is a monument to the dogs that gave its name to the island (the Romans called it Canaria, “[islands] of dogs”) and later to the whole archipelago.
The City Hall is located on the opposite side of the Cathedral.
Walk behind it to arrive at Plaza del Espíritu Santo (5). There is a small old church, but what will surprise you more is a roofed fountain (which is very rare in Spain) encircled by tropical trees… looks like a setting for a García Márquez novel.
Now walk back towards the sea through Dr. Chil street. You will see a black and white church (San Francisco de Borja) before arriving in Plaza de San Agustín (6), one of the most beautiful places in Vegueta.
There stands the church of San Agustín, the oldest in Las Palmas. Next to it, an augustine monastery of the 17th c. which was taken over by the State during the major ecclesiastical confiscation of Mendizábal in 1837. Now it hosts the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands.
Then go North to arrive in calle Mendizábal (7), main tapas area in Vegueta along with calle Pelota. Every Thursday, the bars in the area give you a free pincho with your drink!
In these streets, there are many tapas bars, traditional restaurants and also some great modern cuisine venues. We tried two classics that we really enjoyed, each one in its own way.
Calle Mendizábal ends in calle Pelota, where you can enter Vegueta Market (8), the end of our walking tour.
This market opened in 1861 and in its shops you can buy tropical fruits from the Islands much fresher and cheaper than in Europe, as well as local cheese (the Canaries have a surprising variety of good cheese) and other food products.
By the way, if you arrived in Las Palmas by car, the parking of Vegueta Market is a great place to park your car.
Museums in Vegueta
As well as Columbus House, in Vegueta there are other interesting museums.
The Museum of the Canary Islands (Museo Canario) is an archaeological museum where you will be able to learn more about the pre-hispanic dwellers of the Canaries. The entrance costs 5 € and opens Mon-Fri 10 am to 8 pm and Sat-Sun and bank holidays 10 am to 2 pm.
This museum has a replica of the Painted Cave (Cueva Pintada) in Gáldar, the most important archaeological site in Gran Canaria, that we visited during our trip in the island.
You can also visit the Atlantic Centre for Modern Art (Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno – CAAM), in calle de los Balcones (plus an exhibition hall next to the church where Columbus prayed). The entrance is free (Tue-Sat 10 am – 9 pm, Sun 10 am – 2 pm).
Triana
Triana is the other historical quarter of Las Palmas. It lies on the other side of what was the Guiniguada ravine (and is now a wide road connecting the city to the motorway) from Vegueta Market.
This area takes it’s name from the popular neighbourhood in Seville and it was created shortly after Las Palmas was founded.
The quarter follows a series of parallel streets which are mostly pedestrian, on both sides of its main street (calle Mayor de Triana or calle Triana).
Triana has been since its inception the commercial quarter of the city and it is very different from Vegueta. Its calle Mayor, bustling and full of fashion shops, provides a great contrast with the calm streets of most of Vegueta, just across the road.
- Pérez Galdós Theatre
- Calle Mayor de Triana (Calle Triana)
- San Telmo Park
- Palace of Rodríguez Quegles
- Birthplace Benito Pérez Galdós
- Gabinete Literario
When crossing from Vegueta, you will first see the neo-classical Pérez Galdós Theatre (1). Continue walking and enter Triana.
The first thing you should do in Triana is walking down its lively calle Mayor (2). You will instantly feel the atmosphere of the city and if you like shopping, this is just the place for it.
Arrive at San Telmo Park (3), at the other side of Triana. Don’t miss the art nouveau kiosk in the park, decorated with tiles from Valencia.
As you will see, Triana’s architecture is also very different from tha in Vegueta. There is no clear continuity in style, ranging from a few colonial buildings to lame modern houses.
But certainly the most interesting architecture in Triana are its art nouveau palaces and buildings. This style was developed in Triana through an influx from Barcelona.
Don’t be tempted to stay in calle Mayor – actually the most interesting buildings are in other streets, especially Pérez Galdós and Cano.
Palacete Rodríguez Quegles (4), is a beautiful art nouveau mansion built by a local businessman in 1900. It is a pity that the street is so narrow that the building cannot be seen in all its magnificience.
Benito Pérez Galdós, one of the best Spanish novelists of all times, was born in a house in Triana (5) in 1843 (although he most most of his novels in – and about – Madrid). His house has been opened as the Pérez Galdós Museum.
After saying hello to Galdós, you can take Calle Malteses on your right to reach the headquarters of the Gabinete Literario (6) a cultural association. This was the first art nouveau building in Las Palmas – as we have seen, the style that best defines Triana.
Time for some beach - Playa de las Canteras
Playa de las Canteras (which translates as Quarries Beach) is the main beach in the city of Las Palmas, and locals are very proud of it. It is over 3 km long and it is located on the West Coast of the isthmus that joins La Isleta with the rest of the island.
This beach is around 4 km North of Triana, too far to walk… and there is not much interesting on the way. It is certainly one of the nicest beaches in Gran Canaria and and one the best city beaches in Spain! In this post we tell you more about Playa de las Canteras and other wonderful beaches in Gran Canaria.
You should know that in Las Palmas the sky is often cloudy, especially in summer. The mountains in the centre of the island stop the clouds from going South, where it is nearly always sunny. Locals call this effect “donkey’s belly” (panza de burro). The good thing is that it keeps temperatures around 23 ºC all year long.
The only downside is that the neighbourhoods around the beach are quite ugly – they were mostly built during the rapid population growth of the city (it tripled between 1940 and 1970). There are also some vintage hotels from the beginning of the beach & sun tourism surge in the island.
The most beautiful areas in Playa de las Canteras are its Northern and Southern tips. So it you are not feeling like walking through the whole beach (around 30 minutes), you can skip the middle of it.
If you don’t have much time in Las Palmas, maybe this taxi an walking tour suits you – check it out in this link.
The Northern area is where the beach is widest and it is the best place to swim and to walk. There is a volcanic reef (La Barra) that can only be seen at low tide. It protects the beach from the waves and there are many fish around it.
The Southern area, on the other hand, is very wavy so it is especially beautiful at high tide on a windy day.
On the Southern tip stands Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, named after the world famous tenor who was born in Las Palmas.
Built in the 1990s by Barcelona architect Óscar Tusquets , it is probably the most interesting modern building in the city.
One of its distinctive features is the large window that allows the audience to see the waves of the Atlantic Ocean while enjoying a concert in its hall!
Many people in Las Palmas don’t like the auditorium that much… because it is not as large and impressive as that in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, designed by world famous Santiago Calatrava. The rivalry is really intense!
But we do like it, by itself – the location is great and the architecture is very original, it makes us think a bit about Morocco.
Eating in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas is a good place to discover the cuisine from the Canary Islands and also to enjoy Spanish food. There are also some interesting modern and fusion restaurants.
Contrary to the Southern coast of Gran Canaria, restaurants in Las Palmas are made for locals. Therefore, you will eat better and cheaper and avoid the risk of ending up in a restaurant made for tourists.
Now we will tell you about three restaurants we tried in Las Palmas and found very recommendable.
Triciclo (Vegueta)
Our first meal Las Palmas was in Triciclo (Calle Pelota, 12). It is one of the most popular modern cuisine restaurants in old Las Palmas. We were lucky to find a table without having a reservation.
uno de los restaurantes modernos más famosos de Vegueta, en plena calle Pelota. Tuvimos suerte de encontrar una mesa sin reserva previa.
In Triciclo, they mix beautifully Canary and Spanish modern cuisine with noticeable Asian influences. We started with Bombitas de la Barceloneta, their take on stuffed potatoes with minced meat, a classic tapa from Barcelona.
Papas con mojo is the most famous dish from the Canary Islands. Potatoes built in water with a lot of salt (sea water), served with mojos, sauces based on local chilli peppers, garlic and olive oil, with many variations.
We ate them often during our trip, but none like those in Triciclo! They use rare black potatoes and their mojos are amazing: red with dried tomatoes and green with pistachios.
Wait, where is the Asian infuence? Well, it is mostly in the main dishes, like the shrimp and fish curry or the Bali-style iberian pork with nasi goreng.
Next time is Las Palmas we would certainly like to go back to Triciclo!
La Champiñonería (Vegueta)
A local friend recommended us La Champiñonería (Calle Mendizábal, 30), a classic in tapas hotspot Calle Mendizábal.
Its name translates as “the mushrooms shop”, so you can imagine what you can eat there. It was around 15 different mushroom recipes, stir fried or stuffed with different sauces.
We tried their mushrooms stuffed with chicken with curry and tarragon and the “house rools”, a kind of crêpe with meat and mushroom brunoise. Both were delicious… This place is certainly a must in any Vegueta tapas tour!
Restaurante Fuji
Fuji (Calle Fernando Guanarteme, 56) is the oldest Japanese restaurant in Spain. A Japanese chef opened it in 1967 as there were many Japanese boats arriving in the port of Las Palmas. Now it is run by a Spanish chef who worked with the founder for many years.
It is a very popular restaurant in Las Palmas, so you really need to make a reservation if you want to eat here. The downside of this is that they use a shift system – dinners at 8:30 or 10 pm, and when the time for the next shift comes, they invite you to finish and leave quickly.
They serve several tuna specials, like tataki or a tuna carpaccio with a lot of truffle and mango from the Canaries. Apart from the classic sushi and makis they have some special sushis that are ordered by pieces. Some look like Basque-Japanese fusion, like the foie or the quail egg & truffle sushi.
Here we finish our trip in Las Palmas – a very interesting urban mixture of all the cultures that have passed by and lived in the island.
If you are thinking about visiting Gran Canaria, check out our road trip in the island!
