Las Palmas, the capital and largest city of Gran Canaria island, is a vibrant hub of activity, with highly original and individual architecture that shows influences from all over the world, and a thriving nightlife.
The historical quarter of town, the Barrio de la Vegueta, contains many impressive old buildings of Gothic and neoclassical design, such as the cathedral and the Archiepiscopal Palais. It also contains the Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderne, a must for fans of contemporary art.
Other worthwhile museums in Las Palmas are: the Museo Canario (the Canarian Museum), which provides fascinating information about the island’s first inhabitants, the Guanches; the Museum Perez Galdos; and the Museum of Arts.
Las Palmas will delight any keen shopper with its broad array of shops, boutiques and department stores. The Triana district, with a multitude of stores selling clothes, books, fabrics, handicrafts, gifts and sports items, is a good place to start searching for items.
By day or by night, there is always something happening in Las Palmas. The beaches are globally renowned, especially Playa de las Canteras, which has four kilometres of golden sand and a reef. La Barra calms the water in the bay without cutting it off from the ocean, making it wonderful for swimming. At El Confital beach, at the far end of the Canteras promenade, windsurfers converge to take advantage of the fabulous waves.
Nights are long and steamy in Las Palmas, with visitors starting off at the bars and restaurants which permeate the city, and continuing until the early hours of the morning at the many nightclubs and organised parties.
If you tire of the city, there is a plethora of other places to spend your time on Gran Canaria. Eight kilometres outside of Las Palmas is Jardin Canario, a beautiful garden where over 500 species of plants indigenous to the island can be seen.
At Agaete, there are thermal springs and a striking canyon with plantations of avocados, coffee, bananas and papayas. Masplomas is arguably the most beautiful beach on Gran Canaria, with fine, white sand stretching a length of six kilometres and one kilometre in width.
Ferries or flights are the only means of reaching Las Palmas. Las Palmas has its own international airport which handles approximately five million passengers per year. Weekly ferries travel between mainland Spain and Gran Canaria.
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