Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Las Palmas
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Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of
Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spain, Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. the island had a population of that constitut ...
, in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, in the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. It is the capital city of the Canary Islands (jointly with
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife (; locally ), commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas. Santa Cruz has a ...
) and the most populous city in the
autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...
of the Canary Islands, and the ninth-largest city in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
with a population of 381,223 in 2020. It is also the fifth-most populous urban area in Spain and (depending on sources) ninth or tenth most populous metropolitan area in Spain. Las Palmas is located in the northeastern part of the island of Gran Canaria, about west of the Moroccan coast in the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. Las Palmas experiences a
desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
,Th
World map of Koppen-Geiger climate classification
offset by the local cooler
Canary Current The Canary Current is a wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later jo ...
, with warm temperatures throughout the year. It has an average annual temperature of . The city was founded in 1478, and considered the '' de facto'' (without legal and real recognition)''La Junta Suprema de Canarias''. Volumen I. Buenaventura Bonnet y Riveron. ''Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Tenerife'', Editorial: Editorial Interinsular Canaria SA, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1980 (reedition 1948), pp. 104–106. capital of the Canary Islands until the seventeenth century. It is the home of the Canarian Ministry of Presidency (shared in a four-year term with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), as well as half of the ministries and boards of the Canarian government, and the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands.


History

The city was founded by
Juan Rejón Juan Rejón (died 1481) was an Aragonese captain in the service of the Castilian navy, who was appointed by the Catholic Monarchs to participate in the conquest of the Canary Islands. Rejón founded the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Afte ...
on 24 June 1478, with the name "Real de Las Palmas". Rejón was head of the invading Castilian army, which then engaged in war with the locals. The war began at the mouth of the Guiniguada ravine, where he settled together with his 30 soldiers El Real de Las Palmas, which today is the district of Vegueta. The struggle lasted for a period of five years, costing a great number of lives, especially on the aboriginal side, which lacked sufficient means to defend itself against the armies sent by the Catholic monarchs. Even so, resistance was fierce. The end of the conquest came in 1483, with the incorporation of the island into the Crown of Castile by
Pedro de Vera Pedro de Vera Mendoza (Jerez de la Frontera, c. 1430 - Jerez de la Frontera, July 1505) was a Castilian nobleman and Conquistador who completed the conquest of the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands for the Crown of Castile and who bruta ...
, who managed to subjugate the natives of Gáldar in the northwest of the island. On November 20, 1485, the diocese was transferred from El Rubicón (Lanzarote) to Real de Las Palmas. The importance of the city grew gradually, with the establishment of the Bishopric of the Canary Islands, the first Court of the Holy Inquisition, the Royal Court of the Canary Islands and the residence of the Captains General of the Canary Islands. Although the capital, as understood from the 19th century onwards, did not exist as such in the archipelago, given that the Captain General's Residence was in Las Palmas, it can be considered that this was the capital of the Canary Islands during part of the 16th and 17th centuries; afterwards, although without legal or real significance, it continued to be considered the honorary capital of the Canary archipelago. In 1492,
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
(Spanish: Cristóbal Colón) anchored in the port of Las Palmas for a repair of the rudder of his ship ''Pinta'' and spent some time on the neighbour island on his first trip to the Americas. He also stopped there on the way back to Spain. The - a museum in the district of the city - is named after him. In 1595,
Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...
tried to plunder the town, leading to the
Battle of Las Palmas The Battle of las Palmas was an unsuccessful English naval expedition in 1595 during the Anglo-Spanish War against the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. The English Fleet was originally directed towards Puerto Rico, but had taken a detour in hop ...
. A Dutch raid under vice-admiral Pieter van der Does in 1599 was only slightly more successful; some of the town was destroyed, but the raiders were repelled. Las Palmas' seaport, ''Puerto de la Luz'' (known internationally as ''La Luz port''), the construction of which began in 1883 played significant role in modernizing the city and sped up its advancement. The port benefited greatly from the closure of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
during the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
. Many foreign workers migrated to the city at this time. In 1927, the
Province of Canary Islands The Province of Canary Islands (in Spanish: ''Provincia de Canarias'') is the name of the former province formed by the Canary Islands. This province had its capital in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. After the provincial division in 1927, t ...
was split into two provinces: of
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife (; locally ), commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas. Santa Cruz has a ...
and Las Palmas. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria became the capital of the latter, and integrated the islands of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.


Administrative divisions

Las Palmas is divided into five administrative districts, which in turn are subdivided into districts, not necessarily consistent with the traditional neighborhoods.


Geography

The city has four main beaches: Las Canteras, Las Alcaravaneras, La Laja, and El Confital. * ''
Playa de Las Canteras The Playa de Las Canteras ( beach; 'Beach of the Quarries') is the main urban beach of the city of Las Palmas, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), one of the most important beaches of the Canary Islands. Las Canteras has ...
'' (Las Canteras Beach) is the largest beach in the city, and is frequented throughout the year by city dwellers as well as by large numbers of foreign visitors. The beach lies on the west side of the isthmus of Guanarteme, which links the peninsula of La Isleta, located to the northeast, with the rest of the island of Gran Canaria. The 3,100 m beach is oriented toward the northwest in what is known as Confital bow or bay, and stretches from the foothills of La Isleta until shortly before the mouth of the ravine Tamaraceite. Along much of this length, the beach is sheltered from most of the waves and currents of the Atlantic by a natural barrier of coral sandstone popularly known as "the bar", which is in easy swimming distance from shore. A system for environmental management has been introduced, and the beach has received
ISO 14001 The ISO 14000 family is a set of international standards for Natural environment, environment management systems. It was developed in March 1996 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ...
certification – one of only three beaches in Spain to do so, namely La Concha in
San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...
and La Victoria in
Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...
. Inside the beach runs the Paseo de Las Canteras, a wide pedestrian boardwalk, or sidewalk, which runs parallel to the beach from near the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus to the area known as "Puntilla" until reaching Playa del Confital. La Playa de Las Canteras covers three areas that correspond to the arches and inflections that it conducts on the coast. Each presents certain morphological characteristics. * ''Playa de Las Alcaravaneras'' (Las Alcaravaneras beach) extends from the rising side of the Isthmus of Guanarteme, an old spit of sand dunes and mountains linking the peninsula of La Isleta, located to the northeast, with the rest of the island of Gran Canaria. It extends from the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria to the new marina breakwater of the city, for just over of fine golden sand. The whole beach is serviced by the promenade, which starts in Las Alcaravaneras, connects with the Playa de San Cristobal, and ends in Playa de La Laja, to the south. The promenade is one of the recreational areas of the city and is popular with people who take the opportunity to walk, run, play sports, or cycle. The tranquility of the bay, and yacht clubs close to the existing beach, make Playa de Las Alcaravaneras a great place to practice sports such as sailing and canoeing. The beach also offers facilities for sports such as beach volleyball, beach soccer or futvóley (which has organized tournaments in the summer) and court sports such as basketball, indoor soccer, and volleyball. * ''Playa de la Laja'' (La Laja Beach), with fine gray sand, is approximately 1200 m long and has an average width of 40 m.''Playa de la Laja''
on ''beach-inspector.com''.
Its moderate waves and currents are no longer dangerous since the construction of a dam in the south in the 1990s. At the time, the Ministry of Environment also trawled the seabed to bring sand onto the beach, and the construction of a boardwalk has significantly improved pedestrian access. Due to the intensity of its streams and incoming waves, La Laja has been hailed as a favorite surfers' beach. It is the starting point for boat races that occur every weekend between April and October. * ''Playa del Confital'' (Confital Beach), southwest of the peninsula of La Isleta, is the northern part of the large bay which contains
Playa de Las Canteras The Playa de Las Canteras ( beach; 'Beach of the Quarries') is the main urban beach of the city of Las Palmas, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), one of the most important beaches of the Canary Islands. Las Canteras has ...
and Playa del Confital. While Playa de Las Canteras is a long and wide, sandy beach, Playa del Confital is a narrower and mostly hard, volcanic beach equipped with comfortable foot paths and large, slanted slabs of stone suitable for relaxing, exercising and sunbathing. Advanced off the beach surfing replaces swimming as the major water activity on Playa del Confital. Until some years ago, the beach was home to a small shanty town, which has since been eradicated and the land of the Playa del Confital returned to general, public use. Ensuing improvements, however, proved controversial as some environmental organizations and residents questioned the legality of the proceedings. The waves arriving at the beach are highly thought of by amateur and professional surfers alike, some of whom consider the Confital as having one of the best right hand breaks in Europe. Here, the ocean currents form a tube that is used by more experienced surfers for its speed and strong contrasts. Each year, qualifying events for the professional world surfing championship take place on this beach.


Climate

Las Palmas has a
hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''BWh'';
Trewartha Glenn Thomas Trewartha (1896 – 1984) was an American geographer of Cornish American descent. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a Ph.D. in 1924. He taught at the University of Wisconsin. He gave an address to th ...
: ''BWal'') with
tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...
influences has the average temperature on the coldest month does not drop below . Summers are dry and warm, while winters are also warm. Its average annual temperature is – during the day and at night. In January, the coldest month, the temperature typically ranges from (and sometimes higher) during the day, and around at night, with an average sea temperature at . In the warmest months – August and September – the temperature typically ranges from during the day, above at night, with the average sea temperature at . Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. August 1990 was the warmest month on record, with the average maximum temperature of the month during the day being . The highest temperature ever recorded was , and the coldest temperature ever recorded was . The highest wind speed ever recorded was on 28 November 2005, measuring . Las Palmas city has never recorded any snow or sleet. Annual average
relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...
is 66%, ranging from 64% in March to 69% in October. The amount of annual sunshine hours is above 2,800 per year, from around 190 in winter (average of six hours a day) to around 300 in summer (average of 10 hours a day). It rains on average only 22 days a year, with total precipitation per year of only .


Demographics

As of 2008, nearly half (45.9%) of Gran Canaria's inhabitants live in Las Palmas, as well as 18.35% of the Canary Islands' total population. According to a study by the National Statistics Institute of Spain Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has a life expectancy of 80.9 years. Throughout history, Las Palmas received waves of immigrants from mainland Spain and countries from every continent. The majority of the population is Spanish, although large North- and sub-Saharan African and Latin American communities exist (especially the Venezuelan community, which is growing fast), as well as important historical minorities such as Indians ( Sindhi),
Koreans Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 m ...
, and a growing
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
population. One street near the city's port has a number of Korean businesses, and has been called the city's Koreatown. It caters to Korean sailors who arrive at the island, who affectionately call the city the "Second
Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...
", after the port city in South Korea. Ethnically, most autochthonous Canarians are descendants of a mixture of aboriginal people (''
guanches The Guanche were the Indigenous peoples, indigenous inhabitants of the Spain, Spanish Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean some to the west of modern Morocco and the North African coast. The islanders spoke the Guanche language, which i ...
'') of the Canary Islands (now extinct), the Spanish and later European (mainly Spanish, Portuguese,
Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...
, French, Italian, German, and British) colonizers.


Education

Las Palmas is home to
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also known as the ULPGC (''Spanish'' Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is a Spanish public university located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital city of Gran Canaria island. It is t ...
, founded in 1989. The city also has a variety of state and public primary and secondary schools. International schools include: * Deutsche Schule Las Palmas (German) * The British School of Gran Canaria (Tafira School is in the city limits) * The American School of Las Palmas *
Lycée Français René-Verneau The Lycée Français René-Verneau de Gran Canaria () is a French international school in Telde, Gran Canaria, Spain. It was established in 1974 and has integrated the Mission laïque française (Mlf) in 1986. It serves levels ''maternelle'' (pre ...
, the French international school, is in the city limits of
Telde Telde is a municipality in the eastern part of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, overseas (Atlantic) insular Spain. It borders Las Palmas to the north and is part of its urban area. It is the second most populous municipality on the is ...
Lycée Français René-Verneau The Lycée Français René-Verneau de Gran Canaria () is a French international school in Telde, Gran Canaria, Spain. It was established in 1974 and has integrated the Mission laïque française (Mlf) in 1986. It serves levels ''maternelle'' (pre ...
de Grand Canary, Crta. de Taliarte s/n 35214, Telde (Espagne): ".
*
Colegio Japonés de Las Palmas was a Japanese international school in Tafira Alta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. History It opened in October 1973, making it the first Japanese school in Spain and the third-oldest in Europe if the Canary Islands are counted as being in E ...
, a
Japanese international school ''Zaigai kyōiku shisetsu'' ( 在外教育施設 'Overseas educational institution'), or in English, Japanese international school or overseas Japanese school, may refer to one of three types of institutions officially classified by the Ministry ...
, was formerly located within Tafira Alta in the city; opened in October 1973, and closed in March 2001.関係機関へのリンク


.
The Japan School of Doha is a Japanese international school located in Doha, Qatar. History The previous Japanese school in Doha, which had opened in 1979 but was eventually closed in 2001 due to lack of students, and de-authorized by the Japanese Ministry of Education ...
. Retrieved on 31 March 2015. "アテネ日本人学校(2007年3月休校)" and "ラス・パルマス日本人学校(2001年3月閉校)"
* Canterbury School of Gran Canaria, a British international school. The Escuela Complementaria Japonesa de Las Palmas previously provided a weekend supplementary Japanese programme.欧州の補習授業校一覧
().
MEXT The , also known as MEXT, is one of the eleven ministries of Japan that compose part of the executive branch of the government of Japan. History The Meiji period, Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871. In January 2001 ...
, 2 January 2003. Retrieved on 6 April 2015. ラス・パルマス, address: ''La escueda complementaria japonesa de Las Palmas'', Carretera del Centro 47, Tafira Alta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.


Culture

Las Palmas offers a variety of theater, cinema, opera, concerts, visual arts and dance performances. The city hosts the Canary Islands Music Festival, the Theatre and Dance and the International Film Festival. The main City Festival, celebrating the foundation of the "City Fiestas de San Juan" is held in June. The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of the main attractions for tourists. The city center of Las Palmas, specifically the Vegueta and Triana neighbourhoods, are included in the tentative List of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
.


Museums, theatres and exhibition halls

* The
Museo Canario El Museo Canario (English: the Canarian Museum) is an archeological museum in Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It is dedicated to the pre-colonial history of the Canary Islands. History The museum was founded ...
is located in the historic district of Vegueta. Founded in 1879, it is an international partner of the Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). It has a valuable collection of Canary archaeological objects, which are exhibited in 16 halls. It is also equipped with a library of over 60,000 volumes, many of them dealing with the Canary Islands topics. Its archive covers the period from 1785 until today. * The Casa Museo de Colón is in the Plaza de San Antonio Abad, behind the cathedral of Santa Ana, focusing on the history of the Canary Islands and its relations with America. It has 13 permanent exhibition halls, a library and a dedicated study center, and diverse spaces for temporary activities. The complex consists of several houses, one of which was accessed by
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
during his first trip to America in 1492; it was the residence of former Governor (now better known as the home of Columbus). It is organized into five subject areas: America before the Discovery, Columbus and his journeys, Canary enclave strategic base for experimenting with the New World, The history and genesis of the city of Palmas, and painting of the 16th century to start of the 20th century. * The Casa Museo Pérez Galdós is located in the Triana neighborhood of the city. It is the birthplace of
Benito Pérez Galdós Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós (; 10 May 1843 – 4 January 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Mi ...
. It has an extensive collection of documents, books, furniture and personal belongings of the writer. * The Museo Néstor is in the neighborhood of Garden City. Dedicated to the modernist painter
Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre, generally known simply as Néstor (4 May 1887, Las Palmas – 6 February 1938, Las Palmas) was a Canarian painter and theatrical designer who worked in the Symbolist and Art Deco styles. Biography He b ...
, the museum was opened in 1956 in the architectural ensemble of the Pueblo Canario, which was conceived and built by his brother
Miguel --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places * Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands *São Miguel (disamb ...
. It has 10 exhibition halls, as well as a documentation center and pedagogy. * The
Elder Museum of Science and Technology The Elder Museum of Science and Technology () is a museum in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital city of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. History The museum takes its name from the shipping company Elder Dempster Lines, the original owne ...
is an innovative, interactive, engaged in scientific and technological culture. Elder located in the building, which dates from the end of the 19th century has of exhibition halls, workshops, interactive modules, large-format film and greenhouse ecosystem. * The
Maritime Museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navy, navies and the m ...
, located in the former Jet Foil station has around of floor space. When the expansion is finished, will have a giant pool to simulate interactive bay, where a large ship can be handled by visitors. * The Atlantic Center of Modern Art (CAAM), opened in 1989, is one of the most important references for the cultural and artistic life of the Canary Islands, and is responsible for disseminating the art made in the islands to the rest of the world, especially Africa, America and Europe. It has permanent and temporary exhibitions that range from the historical avant-garde to the latest trends. It is located on Calle Los Balcones de Vegueta, and preserves the original façade of the 18th century. * The Teatro Pérez Galdós was designed by the architect Francisco Jareño y Alarcón in 1867. Its current appearance, with some modifications, is due to the intervention of Fernando Navarro and
Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places * Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands *São Miguel (disamb ...
after the fire that destroyed it almost entirely in 1928. Miguel Martín's brother, the painter
Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre, generally known simply as Néstor (4 May 1887, Las Palmas – 6 February 1938, Las Palmas) was a Canarian painter and theatrical designer who worked in the Symbolist and Art Deco styles. Biography He b ...
, was commissioned to decorate the stalls, lounges and the stage. It was originally called ''Teatro Tirso de Molina'' until 1901, when, with the occasion of the premiere of ''Electra'', the theatre was renamed after the canarian writer
Benito Pérez Galdós Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós (; 10 May 1843 – 4 January 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Mi ...
. Following works of renovation, the theatre reopened in April 2007. * The Cuyás Theater, on the stage of the former Cine Cuyás is a work of rationalist Canarian architect Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre. Its main hall has a capacity for 940 people, divided between the stalls and two amphitheatres. It also has a large patio that allows the organization of outdoor events. It is currently constructing an alternative test room with a capacity for one hundred seats. * The Sala Insular de Teatro is a scenic area which lies in the main hall of an old church. In 2007, after some refurbishment, the Board reopened its doors to the public, welcoming small local assemblies. * The Guiniguada Theater after a decade long refurbishment, will reopen in 2011.


Auditorium and Convention Centre

* The
Auditorio Alfredo Kraus The Auditorio Alfredo Kraus (Alfredo Kraus Auditorium) is an auditorium in Spain located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and is one of the most unique buildings in the capital of Gran Canaria. Created by Óscar Tusquets, it was built between 1993 ...
, named after the world renowned Spanish operatic tenor
Alfredo Kraus Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...
, who was born in Las Palmas, is located on the Atlantic, near the
Playa de Las Canteras The Playa de Las Canteras ( beach; 'Beach of the Quarries') is the main urban beach of the city of Las Palmas, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), one of the most important beaches of the Canary Islands. Las Canteras has ...
, one of the most privileged areas of the city. Its floor area has 11 rooms which accommodate from large conventions and concerts to conferences. * The
Palais des congrès de Gran Canaria Palais () may refer to: * Dance hall, popularly a ''palais de danse'', in the 1950s and 1960s in the UK * ''Palais'', French for palace **Grand Palais, the Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées **Petit Palais, an art museum in Paris * Palais River in t ...
is in the premises of the Institución Ferial de Canarias with a capacity for 800 people on . * The Center for Initiatives of the Caja de Ahorros de Canarias (CICC) is housed in a mid-19th-century building by the architect Manuel Ponce de Leon in the neighborhood of Triana. It is a small conference center with the latest technology and up to 500 guests.


Libraries

The city has 11 municipal libraries and there are three specialized centres: * The Library Island has a capacity for 500 persons over its three floors, in addition to a study hall and more than 100 computer connections, and 20 Internet access points. * La Biblioteca Simón Benitez Padilla specialises in geology, biology and ecology, and contains valuable bibliographical data from Simón Benitez Padilla, a notable advocate of the study of Canarian culture and former president of the Museum Canario. * The Archives Joaquín Blanco contains 160 years of history of the city; the burning of the Houses Consistoriales (in 1845) destroyed the previous document repository. A library is also situated on the first floor of Woermann Tower.


Cultural events

* Dance Center * Festival of Theater and Dance *
Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival () is an international film festival that is held in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the At ...
* Canary Islands Music Festival * Jazz Festival *
Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of the most famous carnivals of Spain. The event is celebrated every year in the month of February in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 2023 it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Intere ...
* Founding Celebrations * WOMAD Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (World of Music Arts and Dance) * Opera Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria * Fantastic and Terror Film Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria


Districts

Source: *Vegueta, Cono Sur and Tafira *Centro *Isleta – Puerto – Guanarteme *Ciudad Alta *Tamaraceite – San Lorezo – Tenoya


Parks and squares

*Avenida Marítima *Avenida Mésa y López *El Confital *Fuente Luminosa *Parque de la Mayordomía *Parque de Santa Catalina *Parque Doramas *Parque Juan Pablo II *
Parque de San Telmo Parque is the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish word for "park", and may refer to: * Parque (TransMilenio), a metro station in Bogotá, Colombia * Parque (Lisbon Metro), in Portugal * Parque (Santurce), a subbarrio in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Battle ...
* Plaza de España *Plaza de La Feria *Plaza de Las Ranas *Plaza Santa Ana *Triana


Architecture

*
Bandama Caldera The Bandama Natural Monument is part of the Tafira Protected Landscape on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain. It is considered a point of geological interest, because of the Caldera de Bandama. This volcanic crater, which is ...
(''Bandama Natural Monument'') in
Santa Brígida, Las Palmas Santa Brígida is a municipality in the northeastern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas of the Canary Islands. Its population is 18,791 (2013),caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...
reaches
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
at the highest point on its rim, Pico de Bandama, and is about wide and deep. The steep walk to the bottom of the caldera takes about half an hour. Volcanic ash of different hues is in great abundance, and there are some interesting botanic species of Canary Islands origin. There are facilities for food and refreshments as well. * Archaeological sites in Santa Brígida. In the valley of La Angostura and Las Meleguinas can find numerous traces of Aboriginal canaries that have prompted the declaration of the area as a Cultural, as groups of caves carved into rock, silos or sidewalks. In the archaeological site of El Tope, discovered on 16 July 1988, where you can see remnants that suggest the existence of an aboriginal burial mound, as well as ceramics, pottery and curious pintaderas."''Lugares de interés histórico cultural de Santa Brígida''"
Cabildo de Gran Canaria
EOn the north wall of the Caldera de Bandama is the Cueva de los Canarios, used by the aborigines as a granary. It has been discovered
Libyco-Berber The Libyco-Berber alphabet is an abjad writing system that was used during the first millennium BC by various Berber peoples of North Africa and the Canary Islands, to write ancient varieties of the Berber language like the Numidian language. Th ...
inscriptions belonging to the ancient
Guanche Guanche may refer to: *Guanches, the indigenous people of the Canary Islands *Guanche language, an extinct language, spoken by the Guanches until the 16th or 17th century *''Conus guanche ''Conus guanche'' is a species of sea snail, a marine ga ...
autochthones and some vessels (which are now in the
Museo Canario El Museo Canario (English: the Canarian Museum) is an archeological museum in Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It is dedicated to the pre-colonial history of the Canary Islands. History The museum was founded ...
). Also in the same area in the wall of the volcano in the stew is the Cueva de Los Frailes was discovered in 1933 a set of 37 caves. * Church of San Juan Bautista (also vulgarly known as ''Catedral de Arucas'' due to its big size) built entirely in
Arucas Arucas is a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria, province of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Arucas borders Las Palmas to the west and is part of its urban area. Its population is 36,852 (2013),Jardín de la Marquesa de Arucas – Botanical Garden in Arucas. * Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Telde is the true spiritual centre of
Telde Telde is a municipality in the eastern part of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, overseas (Atlantic) insular Spain. It borders Las Palmas to the north and is part of its urban area. It is the second most populous municipality on the is ...
. Located in the square of the same name and founded in 1483, the old church was erected by the Garcia del Castillo family at the time of the town's foundation. It still has the original gateway, an example of
Sevillian Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...
Portuguese Gothic architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the Purépecha Mexican Indians, brought here before 1550, the
Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...
Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, brought from
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes. *
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino The Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino is a Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billi ...
in
Teror Teror is a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Its population is 12,671 (2013),Four Doors cave site, Telde The Four Doors (in Spanish ''Cuatro Puertas'') site, also known as , is a complex of caves in the south of the municipality of Telde, Gran Canaria. The ''Cuatro Puertas'' site is named after its most spectacular cave, the most emblematic of Gra ...
, a large cave with four doors located on top of a mountain and overlooking the teldense plain; an almogarén (religious vessel) at the top; a troglodyte village with collective barn in the back, the caves of Tara and Cendro remains of the ancient center of population, the town of Draguillo on the border with Ingenio, Las Cuevas Chalasia which consist of a labyrinthine series of artificial caves linked by tunnels and the impressive
Necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...
of Jinámar which includes more than 500 tombs of various types belonging to the old canary. * Basílica de San Juan Bautista in Telde *
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino The Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino is a Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billi ...
in
Teror Teror is a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Its population is 12,671 (2013),Palacete Rodriguez Quegles The Palacete Rodríguez Quegles is a mansion, or small palace, in Las Palmas, capital of Gran Canaria island, in the Canary Islands of Spain. It was built around 1901 as an elaborate residence for a wealthy businessman, then in 1972 sold to the ci ...
, an eclectic
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
mansion from the turn of the 20th century, it is a venue for exhibitions and other cultural events, and the center for coordinating events around the city.


Places of worship

Among the
places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is so ...
, they are predominantly
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
churches and temples:
Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias The Diocese of Canarias or Diocese Canariense-Rubicense () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the Canary Islands in the ecclesiastical province of Seville in Spain. The dioceses includes the islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerteven ...
(
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
),
Spanish Evangelical Church The Spanish Evangelical Church ( ''IEE is a united denomination; Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Congregationalists participated in the merger. It was established in the wake of religious tolerance in Spain in 1869. The first General Asse ...
(
World Communion of Reformed Churches The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Reformed (Calvinist) churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations (227 members and three associate or affiliate members) in 108 countries, together claiming ...
),
Baptist Evangelical Union of Spain The Baptist Evangelical Union of Spain () is a Baptist denomination. It is affiliated with the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain and the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Madrid. History The Union has its origi ...
(
Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is an international communion of Baptists, with an estimated 51 million people from 266 member bodies in 134 countries and territories as of 2024. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA accounts f ...
),
Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
. There are also
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
mosques.


Transportation


Roads and highways

Urban road infrastructure is overburdened on workdays and in certain areas; the city street plan is not at all rectilinear, and may be confusing even to experienced drivers. However, there are no toll roads; entrances, exits, main streets and important zones are all well-signposted. Las Palmas, being the centre of the Las Palmas metropolitan area, is the hub for the island's motorway network. The city is linked with three highways: the GC-1 to the south, the GC-2 to the west and GC-3 acting as a city bypass connecting the other two. The GC-1 links the capital with
Puerto de Mogán Puerto de Mogán is a picturesque fishing village and popular marina in the municipality of Mogán, Las Palmas, Mogán, set at the mouth of a steep-sided valley on the south-west coast of the island of Gran Canaria. Canals linking the marina to ...
in the south. It is the fastest route from the top of the island to the bottom and vice versa with a speed limit of . It is approximately in length and runs along the eastern and the southern coasts, and is also the second longest superhighway in the Canary Islands. The road provides easy access from the
Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
to the major cities and resorts, which include
Maspalomas Maspalomas () is a tourist resort in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, stretching from Bahía Feliz in the east to Meloneras in the west, including the resort towns of San Agustín, Playa del Inglés and Campo de Golf, ...
and
Playa del Inglés Playa del Inglés (; English: ''Englishman's Beach'') is a beach resort in Maspalomas on the south coast of the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It is part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and is a popular touri ...
. The increase in tourism over the years has necessitated the route's upgrading and widening to cope with traffic growth. The GC-1 begins south of the downtown area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the highway runs within the beach of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and south intersects with the GC-2 and later runs with a few clover leaf interchanges and later forms a junction with GC-5 and south, the GC-31. The GC-2 North Highway connects Las Palmas with the small northern port and village of
Agaete Agaete is a municipality of Las Palmas province, on the Canary Islands, Spain. Geography It is in the north-west of Gran Canaria island, and is enclosed by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Gáldar to the north-east, and Artenara to the south. ...
. The highway begins by the beach area of the island, and runs through the downtown area, linking with the GC31 at a roundabout interchange. The freeway runs within the beaches and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean for the half part but at around the 20th km, it becomes a highway after the unidirectional parclo interchanges and runs within the coastline, it later has several interchanges and several towns as it passes to the northwest and finally, it ends in Agaete.


Airport

Las Palmas is served by
Gran Canaria Airport Gran Canaria Airport () is a passenger and freight airport on the island of Gran Canaria. It is an important airport within the Spanish air transport network (owned and managed by a public enterprise, AENA), as it holds the sixth position in te ...
, also called ''Las Palmas Airport'' . The airport is located in the eastern part of the island, about from Las Palmas city centre. In 2008, it handled 10,212,106 passengers and of cargo, and is the fourth busiest in Spain. It is also the only airport on the islands with two runways, thus can accommodate up to 53 landings and take-offs per hour. The lengthy runways made the airport an alternative landing site for the NASA
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...
. This airport is also a base for
Binter Canarias Binter Canarias S.A. is the flag carrier of the Spanish autonomous community of the Canary Islands, based on the grounds of Gran Canaria Airport in Telde, Gran Canaria and Tenerife North Airport, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain. It is a r ...
and Canaryfly, airlines which operate regional inter-island flights within the Canary Islands. An airbase of the
Spanish Air Force The Spanish Air and Space Force () is the aerial and space warfare branch of the Spanish Armed Forces. History Early stages Hot air balloons have been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Al ...
is located to the east of the runways. Beyond several hangars opposite the passenger terminal, the Gando Air Base (''Base Aérea de Gando'') contains ten shelters situated on the southern end of the eastern runway.


Seaport

Puerto de Las Palmas (Las Palmas Port), also known as ''Puerto de la Luz'', is a main port for fishing, commercial, passenger and sports in the northwest of the city. It has been the traditional base for scale and supplying ships on their way through the Middle Atlantic for five centuries. The Port of Las Palmas is not only the first port of the Canary Islands, it is one of the main ports of Spain and the first of the geographical area of West Africa. As the leading port in the mid-Atlantic, it serves as the crossroads between Europe, Africa and America. In 2007, the port received some 11,262 ships; it welcomed a total of 907,782 cruise passengers, a 16.26% increase on 2006. In terms of annual TEU, the port of Las Palmas ranks as the 5th in Spain, and is among the first 15 ports of Europe. The Port of Las Palmas is the first Mid-Atlantic fishing base, with an annual traffic of more than 4,500 stopovers and with some 400,000 tons of frozen fish processed. Despite experiencing some decline in recent years, it retains its dominance in the fishing industry over other ports in the Canary Islands. At the foot of pier, special refrigerated containers and preparation rooms for frozen products can carry out the entire chain of post-processing and storage of fish, from refrigeration and distribution, to manufacture and supply of industrial ice. The port's EU-approved border inspection post is responsible for inspecting all types of imports and exports between the European Economic Union and its trading partners.
Muelle Deportivo
is the main yachting marina on the island opposite the commercial port with a capacity of 1250 boats. Close to the centre of the city it is popular with yachtsmen largely as a base for preparing their trans Atlantic passage. It is the start point for th
ARC and ARC+Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
in which up to 300 yachts of different sizes leave in November for the Caribbean. File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 03.jpg File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 11.jpg File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 13.jpg File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 18.jpg File:+ Blick von Deck 14 eines Kreuzfahrtschiffs auf Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 19.jpg


Bus

Las Palmas boasts a bus system, provided by the company ''Guaguas Municipales''. Municipal Bus Lines offers 40 urban transport routes. The main lines are the 1 (Teatro – Puerto), 2 (Alameda de Colón – Puerto), 17 (Teatro – El Rincón), 25 (Campus Universitario – El Rincón), 12 (Puerto – Hoya de la Plata) and 30 (Alameda de Colón – Santa Catalina, via Rehoyas). In addition, two circular lines (A: Santa Catalina – Santa Catalina, via Alcaraveneras) and B (Santa Catalina – Santa Catalina, via Ciudad Alta). The most important bus lines have frequencies of between 3 and 15 minutes during the day and between 10 and 40 minutes at night; some lines have service throughout the night. The bright yellow buses are known simply as 'guaguas'. The 10-ride ticket ('bono de diez') was once a disposable paper card ticket with magnetic stripe at one time widely available in city shops. This is now replaced by a reusable plastic card issued by the company which may be re-charged in multiples of 10 at bus stations and at machines situated at various sites such as public libraries. The Tarjeta Insular (Island Card) which offered a 20% discount on both municipal buses and Global buses was discontinued on 1 January 2011. A separate bus company ''Global'' with distinctive blue color, inter-hire company, has 119 lines, many to or from the capital. This company was formed 17 March 2000, resulting from the merger of the previous Salcai and interurban lines Utinsa. There is also the ''Guagua Turística'', which covers the most interesting sites of the city with a guide in several languages.


Rail

There is currently no rail transport system on Gran Canaria. Between 1893 and 1944 steam tram ran between Las Palmas and Puerto de La Luz. The line was electrified in 1910, although the line reverted to steam traction in 1944, when trams were hauled by a steam locomotive known as ''La Pepa''. A reproduction of this locomotive is now on display in the
Elder Museum of Science and Technology The Elder Museum of Science and Technology () is a museum in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital city of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. History The museum takes its name from the shipping company Elder Dempster Lines, the original owne ...
in Las Palmas. In the early 1970s an experimental elevated railway line operated through Las Palmas. Called the ''Tren Vertebrado'' ("vertebrate train"), it was designed by Basque engineer
Alejandro Goicoechea Alejandro Goicoechea Omar (23 March 1895 - 30 January 1984) was a Spanish engineer. Biography Goicoechea was born on 1895. He worked for the remote coal narrow gauge railway of La Robla (León), the longest narrow gauge line in Western Europe ...
and consisted of an unusual low-profile train running on elevated concrete tracks through the city. The project was unsuccessful and was dismantled in 1974. In the early 21st century, plans were put forward by the Gran Canaria Cabildo to develop a
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
railway line on Gran Canaria. If built, the ''
Tren de Gran Canaria Tren may refer to: *Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, a monomer or coordination chemistry compound *Trenbolone, a veterinary steroid * ''Tren'', a 1978 Yugoslav film *Trenbolone acetate Trenbolone acetate, sold under brand names such as Finajet and Fina ...
'' (TGC) line would run along the eastern coast and connect Las Palmas with the airport and
Maspalomas Maspalomas () is a tourist resort in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, stretching from Bahía Feliz in the east to Meloneras in the west, including the resort towns of San Agustín, Playa del Inglés and Campo de Golf, ...
in the south. In 2004 the Spanish Ministry of Development put a contract out to competitive tender for a feasibility study on a 50 km railway line from Las Palmas to Maspalomas. This railway project is currently suspended due to funding difficulties.


Sports

Las Palmas is home to three major professional sports teams. These are: *
UD Las Palmas Unión Deportiva Las Palmas S.A.D. is a professional association football, football club based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. The club will compete in Segunda División, the 2nd division in the Spanish football league syst ...
– association football club playing in Spain's
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
. The team play their home games at Estadio de Gran Canaria, with a capacity of 32,665. The team used to play at Estadio Insular (which is now closed), with a capacity of 22,000. Honours:
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
: Runner-up 1968–69,
Spanish Cup The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanish f ...
: Runner-up 1977–78, Semifinal: 1974, 1984, 1997. *
CB Gran Canaria Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria – Claret, S.A.D., known as Dreamland Gran Canaria due to sponsorship, is a professional basketball club based in Las Palmas, Spain. The team plays in the Spanish Liga ACB and the Champions League. Their home venue ...
– basketball club playing in
Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...
at the
Palacio de Deportes de Las Palmas Gran Canaria Arena, originally known as Palacio Multiusos de Gran Canaria, is an indoor sporting arena located in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. The arena, opened in 2014 by Mariano Rajoy,Spanish SuperCup Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine ** Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: 2016 Winner. * La Caja de Canarias (''Club Voleibol J.A.V. Olímpico'') – women's volleyball club playing in
Superliga Femenina de Voleibol The Superliga Femenina de Voleibol (SFM) is the top level of women's volleyball in Spain. The championship was founded in 1989. The administration of the league is carried out by the ''Real Federación Española de Voleibol''. Formerly known as 1ª ...
. Las Palmas was one of the arenas of
2014 FIBA World Championship The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. The tournament was held from 30 August to 14 September 2014. Hosted by Spain, it was the la ...
for
Group D Group D may refer to: * FIA Group D - International Formula racing cars: ** Formula Two ** Formula Three ** Formula 3000 * One of six or eight groups of four teams competing at the FIFA World Cup ** 2022 FIFA World Cup Group D ** 2018 FIFA Worl ...
, consisting , , , , and . Matches were played in the new arena –
Gran Canaria Arena Gran Canaria Arena, originally known as Palacio Multiusos de Gran Canaria, is an indoor sporting arena located in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. The arena, opened in 2014 by Mariano Rajoy,Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín (Doctor Negrín University Hospital of Gran Canaria) is geared to health care in the north and west of the island, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria (Insular University Hospital of Gran Canaria) is geared to health care in the south and east of the island. There are also smaller private hospitals and clinics.


Twin towns – sister cities

Las Palmas is twinned with:Hermanamientos
. Página oficial del Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
*
Garachico Garachico is a municipality and town on the northern coast of Tenerife, about 52 km West of the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 50 km from Tenerife North Airport and 67 km from Tenerife South Airport. The town itself nestles below ...
, Spain *
San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
, United States *
Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...
, Mexico *
Nouadhibou Nouadhibou (; , ), formerly named Port-Étienne, is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial center. The city has about 173,000 inhabitants. It is situated on a 65-kilometre peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou ...
, Mauritania In addition, the municipality has approved in plenary willingness twinning with the following cities, if they are not well formalized these twinning: *
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
, Morocco *
Ekaterinburg Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...
, Russia *
Praia Praia (, Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.Vigo Vigo (, ; ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of province of Pontevedra, Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest ...
, Spain *
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
, Poland *
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
, Italy *
Martinsicuro Martinsicuro (former Roman town of or ) is a town and (municipality) in province of Teramo, Abruzzo, central Italy. It is located on the right of the mouth of Tronto River. History Remains of a Bronze Age (10th-9th centuries BC) settlement were ...
, Italy *
Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
, Mexico *
Xiamen Xiamen,), also known as Amoy ( ; from the Zhangzhou Hokkien pronunciation, zh, c=, s=, t=, p=, poj=Ē͘-mûi, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Stra ...
, China


People from Las Palmas

*
Santi Aldama Santiago Aldama Toledo (born January 10th 2001) is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed ”The Trolley Problem”, he was named most valuable player (MVP) o ...
(10 January 2001), professional basketball player for the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
* Wenceslao Benitez Inglott (1879-1954), counter admiral, scientist, and engineer *
Alfredo Kraus Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...
(1927–1999), 20th-century tenor *
Javier Bardem Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem (born 1 March 1969) is a Spanish actor. In a career spanning over three decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, tw ...
(1 March 1969–), actor *
Antonio Betancort Antonio Rodrigo Betancort Barrera (13 March 1937 – 15 March 2015) was a Spanish footballer. He was born in Las Palmas, and played as a goalkeeper for Las Palmas, Real Madrid, and Deportivo La Coruña, and the Spain national team. Antonio Be ...
(13 March 1937 – 15 March 2015), former football player * Juan Bordes (15 July 1948), sculptor *
Pino Caballero Gil Pino Caballero Gil (born November 29, 1968) is a Spanish scientist. She is a professor in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of La Laguna (ULL) where she coordinates the CryptULL cryptology research group. Biography S ...
(born 1968), scientist *
Juan Hidalgo Codorniu Juan Hidalgo Codorniu (14 October 1927 – 26 February 2018) was a Spanish composer, poet, an action and visual artist. Biography Hidalgo was born in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. After studying piano and composition in Barcelona and Paris wit ...
(1927–2018), composer *
José Comas Quesada José Comas Quesada (3 February 1928 – 14 January 1993) was a Canarian painter born in the Puerto de la Luz, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. He is considered one of the greatest exponents of watercolour painting, both in the Canaries and Spain, o ...
(3 February 1928 – 14 January 1993), painter * Pedro Déniz (1 August 1964), Spanish interdisciplinary artist *
José Doreste José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...
(19 September 1956), Spanish sailor and olympic champion *
Luis Doreste Luís Doreste Blanco (born 7 March 1961 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas) is a Spanish sailor who won gold medal both in the 1984 Summer Olympics ( 470 class), and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona (Flying Dutchman). A me ...
(7 March 1961), Spanish sailor and 2x olympic champion *
Nicolás Estévanez Nicolás Estévanez Murphy (17 February 1838 – 19 August 1914) was a Spanish military officer, politician, essayist and poet. A federal republican, he briefly served as civil governor of Madrid and as Minister of War in the wake of the procla ...
(1838–1914), military officer, politician and poet *
Manuel Pablo García Díaz Manuel Pablo García Díaz (born 25 January 1976), known as Manuel Pablo, is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back. He is currently manager of Deportivo Fabril. He spent most of his career with Deportivo, ...
(25 January 1976), football (soccer) player * Nicolás García Hemme (20 June 1988), taekwondo olympic medalist *
Sven Giegold Sven Giegold (born 17 November 1969) is a German politician of the Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as the party's deputy chair since 2024, under co-chairs Franziska Brantner and Felix Banaszak. From 2021 to 2024, Giegold served as ...
(17 November 1969), German politician *
Mateo Gil Mateo Gil Rodríguez (born 23 September 1972, Las Palmas, Spain) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, second unit director, assistant director, cinematographer, editor and producer. He co-wrote most of Alejandro Amenábar's films with him ...
(23 September 1972), writer and film director *
Patricia Guerra Patricia Guerra Cabrera (born 21 July 1965 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas) is a Spanish sailor who won gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She did so in the 470 class alongside Theresa Zabell. She also competed at t ...
(21 July 1965), sailor and Olympic champion *
Jesé Jesé Rodríguez Ruiz (; born 26 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as Winger (football), winger or Forward (association football), forward. An academy graduate of La Liga side Real Madrid CF, ...
(26 February 1993), footballer *
María Juncal María Juncal (b. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ca. 1981) is a Spanish flamenco dancer who has toured in Belgium, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the U.S., and Venezuela. She has participa ...
(), flamenco dancer *
Francisco Kraus Francisco Kraus Trujillo (21 October 1926 – 27 February 2016) was a Spanish baritone. He was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Spain, on 21 October 1926. His father, Otto Kraus, was born in Austria and Francisco was the first ...
(1926–2016), Spanish baritone and voice teacher *
Juan Fernando López Aguilar Juan Fernando López Aguilar (; born 10 June 1961) is a Spanish jurist and politician of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) who has been serving as a member of the European Parliament since 2009. He served as Minister of Justice in the ...
(10 June 1961), former Spanish Minister of Justice *
Úrsula López Úrsula López (31 October 1870 – 3 September 1966), stage name Úrsula Falcón Quintero, was a Spanish zarzuela and Variety show, variety singer and businesswoman. In addition to performing, she was known for her glamorous public image, often f ...
(1870–1966), singer *
Marta Marrero Marta Marrero (born 16 January 1983) is a Spanish professional padel player and former tennis player. In tennis, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, won two WTA doubles titles, and also a total of 14 ITF singles and doubles tit ...
(16 January 1983), tennis player *
Kira Miró Kira García-Beltrán Miró (born 13 March 1980) is a Spanish actress and television presenter. Life and career Kira García-Beltrán Miró was born on 13 March 1980 in Santa Brígida, island of Gran Canaria. The second of three siblings, ...
(13 March 1980), actress and presenter * Roberto Molina (5 June 1960), Spanish sailor and olympic champion *
Juan Negrín Juan Negrín López (; 3 February 1892 – 12 November 1956) was a Spanish physician and politician who served as prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic. He was a leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (, PSOE) and of the le ...
(1892–1956), politician; President of Government of Republican Spain 1937–39 * Rebeca Nuez Suarez (10 November 1993), Classical Violinist. * Pinito del Oro (1930–2017), trapeze artist, member of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey *
Benito Pérez Galdós Benito María de los Dolores Pérez Galdós (; 10 May 1843 – 4 January 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was a leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Mi ...
(1843–1920), 19th-century writer * Sandro Ramirez (born 1995), football player *
María del Carmen Reina Jiménez Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...
(born 1942), essayist, writer, activist, and politician *
Misa Rodríguez María Isabel "Misa" Rodríguez Rivero (born 22 July 1999) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Liga F club Real Madrid CF and the Spain national team. She won the Zamora Trophy in 2020–21 season, conceding 0. ...
(born 1999), goalkeeper for
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
*
Leticia Romero Leticia Romero González (born 28 May 1995) is a Spanish basketball player from Agüimes who plays for Valencia Basket and the Spain women's national basketball team. She played three years in the Spain's top-tier league before spending her U. ...
(28 May 1995), Spanish international basketball player * Borja del Rosario (14 January 1985), footballer * Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo (3 June 1936), President of the Government of the Canaries, minister of Public administrations, minister of Education and Sciences of Spain and Mayor *
Antonia San Juan Antonia San Juan Fernández (born 22 May 1961) is a Spanish actress, director and screenwriter. Biography She was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. At 19 she went to Madrid, where she started working as a professional theatre actre ...
(22 May 1961), Spanish actress, director and screenwriter *
Magüi Serna María Luisa ("Magüi") Serna Barrera (; born 1 March 1979) is a former tennis player from Spain. She started competing on the ITF Circuit as from 1993, and joined the WTA Tour in 1996. On 12 January 2004, she reached her career-high singles ...
(1 March 1979), tennis player *
David Silva David Josué Jiménez Silva (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish former professional Association football, footballer who played mainly as a Midfielder#Central midfielder, central or an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder and o ...
(8 January 1986-), Spain National Team footballer *
Carla Suárez Navarro Carla Suárez Navarro (; born 3 September 1988) is a Spanish former professional tennis player. A former top 10 singles player, she reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 6 on 29 February 2016, and a best WTA doubles ranking of 11, o ...
(3 September 1988), tennis player *
Domingo Tejera de Quesada Domingo Tejera de Quesada (1881–1944) was a Spanish people, Spanish publisher. In 1911 to 1913 he managed a Madrid illustrated review '':es:Nuevo Mundo (revista), Nuevo Mundo'', in 1922 to1939 a Seville-based daily '':es:La Unión (Sevilla), La ...
(1881–1944), publisher and politician *
Juan Carlos Valerón Juan Carlos Valerón Santana (born 17 June 1975) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Over 15 seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 390 matches and 29 goals with Mallorca, Atlético Madrid and D ...
(17 June 1975), footballer *
José de Viera y Clavijo José de Viera y Clavijo (28 December 1731 – 21 February 1813), was a Spanish, of Portuguese descent, Enlightenment ecclesiastic, poet, historian, botanist, ethnographer, and professor. He is best known for his exhaustive ''History of the Can ...
(28 December 1731 – 1813), ecclesiastic historian and botanist * Isabel Torres (1969–2022), radio and television presenter, talk-show host, and actress. * Cristina Ramos (19 February 1979), singer


See also

*
List of municipalities in Las Palmas This is a list of the 34 municipalities in the province of Las Palmas in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, Spain. There are 21 municipalities on the island of Gran Canaria, 6 on the island of Fuerteventura and 7 on the island of Lan ...


Bibliography

*


Notes


References


External links


City Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Las Palmas De Gran Canaria Port cities and towns on the Spanish Atlantic coast Populated coastal places in Spain Populated places established in the 1470s 15th-century establishments in Africa Municipalities in Gran Canaria Capitals in Africa 15th-century establishments in Castile 1478 establishments Koreatowns