Hotels in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the capital of the island and shares the status of capital of the Canary Islands, with almost 382,000 inhabitants it is the largest city in the archipelago. It was founded on 24 June 1478 by Juan Rejón, and its old quarter of Vegueta keeps the Cathedral of Santa Ana, begun in 1497, and the Casa de Colón museum, linked to Columbus's stopover in 1492. The neighbouring Triana district has modernist buildings along its pedestrian shopping street, and the writer Benito Pérez Galdós was born nearby in 1843. Las Canteras is a city beach about 3 km long, protected by the La Barra reef, which keeps the water calm for swimming and snorkelling. The southern end of the beach is popular with surfers, next to the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, which hosts concerts, opera and film festivals. Puerto de La Luz is one of the busiest ports in the Atlantic and a major cruise port, with ferries to the other islands. The Carnival of Las Palmas is a Festival of International Tourist Interest, famous for its Drag Queen Gala in Parque Santa Catalina. A climate study once described the city as having "the best climate in the world", with mild temperatures throughout the year. The airport is about 21 km away, around 20 minutes along the GC-1 motorway, and the GC-2 leads west along the north coast. Las Palmas suits city breaks, culture lovers and travellers who want a beach holiday combined with restaurants, museums and everyday Canarian life.