The capital city of the eastern province of the Canary Islands, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is an ideal place for visitors who want to enjoy the sun and the sea. The city has more than 200 kilometres of coastline. Its two most important beaches are Las Canteras and Alcaravaneras.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria features three historic neighbourhoods which are San Antonio, Vegueta and Triana. There, visitors can find colonial architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries in their beautiful courtyards and balconies.
Some of Las Palmas' most important attractions are the Cathedral, a mixture of Gothic and Neoclassic styles; the House of Columbus, displaying maps, models and fragments of his diaries; the Canary Island Museum, housing a collection of the Guanches (the Canary Island's settlers in pre-Columbian times); the Atlantic Centre of Modern Art, which offers the most innovative exhibitions; and the Castle of the Light, the first fortress to be built on the island in the times of the conquest.
The best places for shopping are found along the pedestrianized Triana street. In the residential area of Ciudad Jardin, visitors will find the Rubio and Dorama Gardens which house the Zoo and the Canary Islands Village.
The neighbourhood of Santa Catalina offers the best restaurants in which you can taste some of the island's specialties: vieja and jewfish grouper, marinated kid, 'papas arrugas', mojos sauces, roasted maize meal, as well as cheeses and wines.