Walk around Las Palmas

The gateway to Las Palmas will probably be the park for most arrivals and at the same time one of the main bus stops – Santa Catalina Park. It is closest to the local beaches and town center, making it an ideal starting point for excursions. There is a really large space in the local conditions, where you will find greenery, the surrounding area is lined with cafes and there is also a modern building of the Museum of Science and Technology Elder.

An undeniable advantage for Las Palmas is its location, because it has two coasts. This has the advantage that its east coast is used for industry and shipping. The west coast is lined with a long sandy beach Las Canteras and a famous promenade almost 5 km long. Here the locals go to the best restaurants, sunbathe, swim and relax but also play sports.

To the north, where Las Canteras Beach begins, you will find La Puntilla Park and several statues overlooking a long length of golden beach. Be careful if you travel to the city with a dog. Dogs are not allowed on the entire promenade, including the beach.

The promenade is really lively. And since the morning hours, when the locals come here to run. During the day you will often find busy restaurant gardens or stalls selling local products and specialties. And in the evening the couples are romantic walking at sunset, which beautifully blushes the whole scenery.

The beach is divided into two imaginary parts. In the north, it is protected by a coral barrier, so there is a suitable entrance for swimming. But at its southern end, surfers rule. The waves are relatively stable here and surfers of various levels will find their conditions here, from beginners to seasoned surfers. In this way, people in the city also choose accommodation according to their preferences, which will be their main daily activity. In the north of the city, beach loungers prefer to stay, and in the south, surfers who are not far from the waves are far away.

Lovers of this sport come to the city for surfing, but also those who fail on the spot. If you do not belong to either group, watching more or less successful attempts to make waves is a lot of fun. Fun is also taken care of for photographers, especially at the golden hour it is almost impossible to take a bad photo.

Gran Canaria is less than 2 hours away by ferry from Tenerife, with its Pico de Teide landmark. And it is on this 3 and 3/4 km high highest mountain in Spain that the inhabitants of the west coast of Las Palmas have a beautiful view, although from a distance.

If we move to the east coast of Las Palmas, apart from a really large port for ferries, which will take you to all the Canary Islands and beyond, there is not much fun. The coast is bordered by a main road that connects the city with the resorts in the south of the island.

But even here on the eastern otherwise industrial coast you will find a piece of history that is worth a stop. It is a castle Castillo de la Luz from the 15th century, which served as a defense of the city and originally stood on a cliff isolated by the tide, but as the city grew, it now has a sea level of 150m.

Further on the east coast to the south is the historic city center, which did not seem so interesting to us. We decided to look at at least the lit city from the top. We walked through the gardens in Parque Doramas and after a short climb up the hill to the cross at Iglesia Coreana, where there is a nice view from the Plaza de Agustín Castillo to the illuminated large steamers in the port.

What is interesting about Las Palmas is that on its northern side, where the peninsula is located, there is a large military base right next to the city, occupying almost the entire area. Just below the base is the last piece of the freely accessible part and this is El Confital beach, which is also popular with surfers, but also with dog walkers. In contrast to Las Canteras, dogs are allowed here.

From the barbed wire fence of the military base, which has a tactical location on the northernmost hill of the peninsula, there is a beautiful view over the entire city of Las Palmas. And one more interesting thing at the end. Las Palmas, as the capital of Gran Canaria and the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, always alternates after four years in which city is the capital for the entire Canary Islands.