Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and the most populous city in the Canary Islands. The city is located on the northeastern coast of the island and is divided into two main tourist zones, Las Canteras Beach in the north and the historic district of Vegueta to the south. If you’re visiting for the first time, you’ll want to split your time between both of these zones to get the best of both worlds.
Las Palmas caters to all interests, from surfing and sunbathing to museums and markets, this bustling port city is a slice of paradise. Not to mention the temperature averages a perfect 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. After spending three months living in Las Palmas, I’ve compiled a guide to my favorite things to do in this wonderful city.
Explore the historic neighborhood of Vegueta
Visit the iconic Cathedral de Santa Ana
Vegueta is the oldest neighborhood in Las Palmas, home to cobbled streets, multicolored Canarian buildings, and a smattering of museums centered around the formidable neo-Gothic Cathedral of Santa Ana.
It only costs a few euros to visit this grand cathedral (the first church in the Canary Islands), featuring sweeping arches, glimmering stained glass, and a lovely outdoor garden, Patio de los Naranjos. Don’t forget to climb the bell tower for a bird’s-eye view over Vegueta and the bustling Plaza de Santa Ana.
On Sundays, the square behind the cathedral — Plaza del Pilar Nuevo — hosts a small crafts market from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Here you’ll find leather goods, jewelry, and cosmetics made by local artisans.
Visit the museums in Vegueta
Vegueta is home to several museums, my favorite being Museo Canario. An archeological museum, Museo Canario boasts fascinating artifacts and engaging exhibits about the island’s prehistory and Indigenous inhabitants, the Guanche. On the upper floor, you’ll find several mummies and rows upon rows of skulls encased in glass shelves, the most intriguing yet morbid exhibit in the museum, although some critique the ethicality of how these specimens were obtained.
Not far from Museo Canario is the Casa de Colón. The museum is housed in the former governor’s mansion with stunning Canarian architecture, ornate wooden balconies, and a charming inner courtyard and garden. The museum is named after the contentious Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colón), who allegedly lodged here during one of his voyages. Casa de Colón features various exhibits dedicated to his “discovery” of the Americas, along with pre-Hispanic artifacts, fine art paintings, and a replica of the interior of La Niña. While the museum’s namesake is (rightfully) controversial, admission is only a few euros, with free entrance on Sundays.
Just down the street from the Casa de Colón is the Atlantic Center of Modern Art, a free museum with modern art exhibitions from international artists. Though not a large museum, it’s a beautiful space that warrants at least a walk-through. For caffeine pick me up nearby, check out my favorite cafe in the old town, Cool Beans. The eclectic interior and funky ceramic mugs are complemented by tasty hot drinks, pastries, and small bites.
Shop at Mercado de Vegueta
Vegueta boasts a small indoor market — the Mercado de Vegueta — housed in an 18th-century burnt orange market hall. The hall boasts a couple of cafes and tapas bars, and vendors with gleaming displays of fresh fruit, hanging legs of jamón, aromatic wheels of cheese, and dried spices and nuts.
It’s a fun place to walk around, but the prices are inflated, catering to the tourist crowd. For example, unique tropical fruits like horned melons, prickly pear fruit, red bananas, etc will likely be 3-4 times what you’d find in a frutería (greengrocer) or grocery store. If you don’t mind spending a little extra to buy from the aesthetic displays go for it, but you’ll find more reasonable prices elsewhere.
Stroll Calle Triana and San Telmo Park
The picturesque Triana neighborhood is an offshoot of adjacent Vegueta, home to a smattering of cafes, restaurants, and a lovely pedestrian shopping street. The pedestrian walkway, Calle Triana, is named after the charming riverside neighborhood of Triana in Seville, renowned for its ceramics, flamenco, and markets. Along Calle Triana, you’ll find big Spanish brands like Tous Jewelry and Bimba y Lola, and universal classics like Vans and Carhartt. Take some time to explore the sidestreets, lined by restaurants with outdoor tables where locals sip coffees and cañas shaded by umbrellas.
On the northern end of Calle Triana is San Telmo Park, a small urban green space with a playground (shaped like a pirate ship) and an iconic powder blue cafe/kiosk built in the Art Nouveau style. This is also where one of the main bus stations is, Estación San Telmo, the gateway to the rest of Gran Canaria. Here you can catch buses to the interior, south, and northwest coast. Some might be tempted to stop for a drink at the ornate San Telmo kiosk, but I’d recommend snapping a photo and heading elsewhere. Some of my favorite cafes in the area include: Un Cerdo Volando, Ave Pasteleria Artesanal, and Caracolillo Coffee.
Surf, swim, and snack at Las Canteras Beach
Sunbathe and snorkel at Las Canteras
No visit to Las Palmas would be complete without a day of sunning on the sprawling golden sands of Las Canteras Beach. Las Canteras is one of the most important urban beaches in Europe, stretching for nearly two miles along an elevated seaside promenade. The northern half is protected by a rocky barrier, La Barra, which makes for calm swimming conditions year round. It also provides a habitat for vibrant marine life like coral, anemones, and heaps of fish. I loved snorkeling here. The water is calm and clear, teeming with lively parrotfish and triggerfish, silvery sea bream, and even elongated pipefish.
Hike at rugged El Confital
If you continue north, there’s a lovely waterfront walkway that leads out on the little peninsula of La Isleta to El Confital. This desolate stretch of land boasts undulating hills and a rock-hewn beach that is popular with expert surfers who flock to it for the epic right-hand break. High up in the hills, you’ll see a white cross — Mirador Cruz del Confital — an overlook you can hike to from the beach with epic views over Las Palmas. It only takes 20-30 minutes to get up there following the small trails that cut across the hills and you’ll encounter a network of ancient Guanche caves under the overlook.
Surf at La Cícer
To the south is La Cícer, a stretch of unprotected beach pounded by waves from the Atlantic. This area is popular for surfing, with experts shredding curling swell out back while beginners get their sea legs riding whitewash. If you’re keen to learn, the Canary Islands are one of the best places to learn to surf in Europe, and the neighborhood around La Cícer is full of surf schools and camps.
Where to eat along Las Canteras
If you work up an appetite while sunbathing, the promenade is lined with waterfront restaurants, some more authentic than others. For tapas, I love Toma pan y moja, while Basal has great international dishes and heartier plates. If you’re looking for dirt cheap snacks, check out 100 Montaditos, a Spanish chain with super cheap beer and over a hundred types of “montaditos” — €1 mini sandwiches.
A few streets in from the promenade are two of my favorite spots for typical Canarian cuisine, Bochinche El Chato and Bodegón Pachichi (check out the chorizo al infierno — meat skewers lit on fire — and papas arrugadas — wrinkled baby potatoes served with a Canarian sauce called mojo). If you’re craving something sweet, grab an ice cream from Heladeria Peña la Vieja, one of the oldest on the island offering local flavors like gofio, or my favorite — dark chocolate and orange. Try to hit it when there’s not a line down the block.
Getting around Las Palmas
Las Palmas is super walkable but quite dispersed, so getting from the beach area at Las Canteras to the historic zone of Vegueta will take about an hour on foot. Thankfully, Las Palmas has a great city bus system (the yellow buses you see in the street) and a bike-sharing system: Sitycleta.
Buses / Guaguas
The yellow city buses (buses are called “guaguas” in the Canary Islands) are easy to use, costing a flat rate of €1.40 per ride as of fall 2024 which you can pay by cash or contactless credit card when boarding (although credit card is preferred). You can also buy a “guagua bono” card from the tabaco shops. The card costs €1.50, with the minimum recharge being €8.50, for a total of €10. With the guagua bono card, each ride only costs €0.42, a screaming deal and you can refill it as many times as you want. I bought one of these before getting my resident bus card and never ran out of credit, even after lending it to visiting friends.
You’ll also see the blue regional buses (Guaguas Global) throughout Las Palmas, with service throughout the entire island. These buses make several stops throughout the city, including near Las Canteras, the main street Mesa y López, and the bus stations in Santa Catalina and San Telmo. When you’re moving locally (or anywhere on the island) with the blue Global buses, you’ll need to tell the bus driver where you’re getting off (the stop) and they’ll charge you a fare based on distance. Here you can pay by cash or contactless credit card, although by card is easier. You cannot use the guagua bono card on these buses, only on the yellow city buses.
In short:
- Yellow city buses: Flat rate €1.40
- Blue global buses (all around the island): The rate depends on your final destination
Bike sharing: Sitycleta
Las Palmas has an excellent bike-sharing system called Sitycleta. Racks are dispersed throughout the city offering traditional bikes, e-bikes, and electric scooters. To use the bikes, download the app Moxsi. If you think you’ll ride the bikes or scooters (Sityneta) more than once, I recommend getting a subscription (a monthly fee of €3.34 for bikes, €5 for scooters, or €6.67 combined) which you can do in the app by following the menu -> my account -> subscriptions. Check out all their rates here.
With a subscription, the first 30 minutes of each bike ride are free, with a rate of €0.50 to €0.75 for every additional 30 minutes. If you don’t have a subscription, 30-minute increments cost €1.50 for pedal bikes and €2.50 for electric bikes, making it 100% worth it to buy the subscription, in my opinion. To rent the bikes just scan the QR code or enter the bike number on the app and the rack should unlock. When returning, make sure it fits snugly in the rack and the lock’s engaged, and the app should tell you it’s been returned. If you have any problems, the support team is very responsive. I had trouble returning bikes a few times and the overtime charges were always waived.