Las Canteras, las palmas urban sketch
For my 40th birthday celebrations (yes I also went to London to see Mamma Mia but this was a holiday on my actual birthday!) I wanted to go somewhere that would be warm, sunny, have good food, preferably some access to nature, cultural activities, not a long haul destination and had direct flights from Dublin. I swear I’m really not fussy at all! Oh, and did I mention I would also be travelling in January! So that narrows it down, quite a bit. According to Accuweather, Las palmas looked to be around 20ºc. Perfect!
We spent 10 days in Las Palmas and I could easily have stayed longer. It was way better than I anticipated and not the tourist trap I expected from the Canaries. In fact, there was no English/ Irish/ Dutch/German bars insight.
TLDR – SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR A MAP OF ALL THE PLACES MENTIONED IN THE POST
Best areas to stay in Las Palmas
Las Canteras Beach
This area is where we stayed and the one I would recommend. It’s close to everything, has lots of bars and restaurants, good transport options, and an amazing beach you can snorkel from. The promenade all the way along the beach making a lovely walk or place to people watch. On first glance it does look grotty especially when you walk away from the beach and it’s certainly not as characterful and atmospheric as the old town area but it has everything you need for your stay and you can easily reach the old town by bus or taxi.
Vegueta (old town)
This is the classic atmospheric area with old colonial-style architecture cobbled streets and plazas. Most of the museums are also in this area as well as the Catedral de Santa Ana. On Thursdays there is a Tapas Night where the street around Calle Mendizábal is filled with people sitting at tables and chairs or standing while munching on handheld tapas and sipping beer or cocktails. This is not just put on for tourists as when we visited there was plenty of locals joining in too.
Triana (shopping district)
This is mainly a shopping area but there are some really funky cafés and wine bars that we passed by here. We passed by boutique shops as well as high street chains, veggie restaurants, theatres and its just a short stroll from Vegueta.
Ciudad Jardin (port area leafy)
This leafy area was established by British residents in the late 19th Century. The large Parque Doramas is a lovely landscaped park next to the plush Hotel Santa Catalina. There is an amazing rooftop bar at the hotel that’s worth a visit. Just past the Club Natación Metropole a swimming and watersports club also is the harbour area filled with yachts. Along the promenade is Sailors Bay Bar where the yachting crew hang out. If you’re looking for work or a lift on a Yacht this is the place apparently.
La Isleta
Is a small peninsula at the far end of Las Canteras Beach. When the beach got too crowded we walked up here to watch the surfers at Playa del Confital and it was surprisingly quiet. Further along, the shore sits Castilo de la Luz the oldest fortress on Gran Canaria. A walk up the hill is worth it to see an amazing view of the city. We were lucky enough to witness this just at sunset as we walked back into town, as we had just missed the bus!
Las palmas where to stay area map
More info on best areas to stay or live in Las Palmas
Las Palmas restaurants & places to eat
(scroll to the bottom for a map)
- Bodegón Pachichi – Atmospheric spot with great tapas, cheap prices and very good service ( the most expensive thing on the menu being €6.50 for a big ‘ración’ portion of Serano ham!)
- Bochinche El Chato – Just around the corner from Pachichi this popular spot serves up local favourites from friendly staff at good prices
- Wong Solo Casa Ari – Cozy and welcoming western-style traditional warung (eatery) with a friendly atmosphere and great food.
- Pizzeria da Luigi – BOOK AHEAD it is worth it and rated #1 on tripadvisor with good reason. Mouthwateringly delicious pizza with imported products and a good wine selection
- Fat Frank –
- Bodegón El Biberon – Casual and spacious tapas restaurant with traditional Canarian dishes and traditional interior complete with hanging hams.
- B44 – Good quality fast-food style burger joint that makes great homemade fries with a selection of sauces.
- Juice Avenue – Café serving up healthy food in the form of salads, smoothies, juices, bagels and crepes ( they also deliver)
- Pizzadillo – Lively spot serving up pizza pockets filled with a range of delicious freshly made fish, veggie or meat based Italian sauces and toppings. Great lively Italian staff to make you smile 🙂
- El Mono Malvado (The Evil Monkey) – The best cocktails I’ve ever had. Custom made based on your tastes or order the standard ones from the blackboard.
Things to experience in Las Palmas
- Visit the museums in Vegueta – Casa de Colón (Columbus’s house), CAAM (Atlantic Center of Modern Art), Centro de Artes Plasticas, Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art or the Museo Canario which is filled with prehistoric skulls???
- View the city from the top of Santa Ana Cathedral – worth the €1.50 entrance fee to take the lift to the rooftop and see the wonderful view of the city
- La Ruta Del Pincho (Tapas Thursdays) – On Thursday evenings Calle Mendizábal fills with people munching tapas, music, tables and chairs. Enjoy. slow down. Take 1 or 2 tapas from each place and work your way down the street.
- Go snorkelling in the clear waters of Playa de las Canteras – The water is crystal clear but chilly. Even as you wade in the water the fish will swim around you. You can pick up a snorkel from one of the beachside shops for around 10 euro or you can take a tour.
- Try surfing – Loads of surfers to the south of Las Canteras in the ‘La Cícer’ area . There are lots of surf schools to choose from there also. We just enjoyed watching the surfers and the waves from the shore.
- Go for a hike in Isleta – There are trails to the viewpoint Mirador Noroeste de Las Coloradas and from there there is a bus you can get back into town if you don’t want to walk. There are also interesting ancient caves built along the hillside beside Playa del Confital.
- Walk along the beach at sunset & see the sand sculptures – just soak up the atmosphere or have a look at some of the incredible sand sculptures made by artists long the promonade near Las Canteras.
Day trips from Las Palmas
We only went on 2 different day trips by public bus but there are loads more places to explore if you either rent a car or have a bit of time.
Car rental – We were recommended both Cicar and Avant Rent a car. However, in the end we just took the bus as we didn’t have any parking.
AGAETE
- San Mateo – Take bus number 303 at platform 4 at San Telmo bus station. It takes about 40 minutes drive up into the hills with Global bus. It’s a tranquil picturesque town with lovely views of the hillsides and hikes into the mountains.
More info on the bus routes you can take around Gran Canaria
The best time of year to visit
The weather is good year-round. December to February is considered high season. However, we visited in late January and found it easy to escape the crowds and found lots of places all to ourselves. February/ March has a lively carnival and November hosts the Womad international music festival.
What airlines fly to Las Palmas
The airport is well connected to most European destinations and a few African ones also. See below for a full list.
A
Aer Lingus
Air Europa
Air Nostrum
AIS Airlines
Alba Star
AMC Aviation
Atlantic Airways
Austrian Airlines
B
Binter Canarias
British Airways
Brussels Airlines
C
Canaryfly
Condor
Corendon Dutch Airlines
D
Danish Air Transport
E
Easy Jet
Edelweiss
Enter Air
Eurowings
F
Finnair
G
Great Dane Airlines
I
Iberia Express
Iberia
Icelandair
J
Jet Time
Jet2.com
L
Laudamotion
Lufthansa
Luxair
M
Mauritania Airlines
N
Neos
Norwegian Air
Novair
R
Royal Air Maroc
Ryanair
S
SAS Scandinavian Airlines
Sata Internacional
SmartLynx
SmartWings
Sunclass Airlines
Sundair
SunExpress
T
TAP Air Portugal
Transavia.com
Travel Service
TUI Fly Netherlands
Tui Airways
TUI Fly Belgium
Tuifly
Tuifly Nordic
V
Volotea
Vueling