Why You Should Visit Las Palmas, de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria offers a mesmerising blend of charming cobbled streets in the historic old town, stunning sandy beaches, and delectable cuisine, ensuring a delightful experience for every traveler. With an abundance of sights to explore and activities to enjoy, this vibrant city stands out as a perfect holiday destination.

In early June, I set off for Las Palmas with my bright yellow suitcase packed full of my favorite dresses, suncream, and flip-flops, eagerly anticipating the warm weather and the adventures that lay ahead. This was my first beach holiday in nearly six years, and I couldn’t wait to indulge in tapas, swim in the sea, and explore the historic old town of Vegueta. If you know me, you know I’m meticulous about trip planning. I dive into YouTube videos, read blogs, scour travel sites, obsess over Pinterest posts, and save the best TikTok spots. I find as much joy in planning as in the trip itself. Armed with a list of must-try foods, must-see places, and even some natural pools for a refreshing dip, I was ready for an unforgettable experience. Read on to discover why Las Palmas should be on your adventure list!

Where I Stayed

Before diving into my list of things to do and see, let me share where I stayed during my five-day trip. I chose the charming adults-only Hotel Veintiuno, a dreamy retreat with tall ceilings, neutral tones, and a rooftop pool and bar with an honesty box. This chic hotel was not only beautifully designed but also perfectly located in the heart of Vegueta, the old town. Just steps away from tapas bars, historical sites, and cobblestone walkways, it offered an ideal blend of comfort and convenience.

Hotel Veintiuno is a stunning colonial house, built in the 18th century and transformed into an adults-only hotel in June 2018. If you’re seeking a hotel with buffets, entertainment, and a large pool, this isn’t the place for you. However, if you desire a romantic, quiet, and special stay in the heart of the capital, I cannot recommend Hotel Veintiuno enough. The staff were incredibly accommodating, welcoming you ‘home’ for the week and doing everything possible to ensure a perfect stay.

Alongside its beautiful decor and superb location, the breakfast was really great. The hotel only offers a bed-and-breakfast option, which might not suit longer stays (we stayed for four nights), but the breakfast was one of the best I’ve ever had. Each morning on the rooftop bar, we enjoyed a two-course breakfast, starting with a savoury dish followed by something sweet. Our favourites included Iberico ham on artisan bread, pumpkin hummus on toast, and for the sweet course, fruit yogurt with granola and sugar cane sauce. Drooling again just thinking about these breakfasts!

1. The Old Town of Vegueta

After checking in, we stepped out into the heart of Vegueta and were instantly greeted by winding cobbled streets, pastel-colored buildings, a towering cathedral, and the distant sound of a Canarian guitar echoing through the streets. It was around 1pm when we set off to explore our surroundings, giving us plenty of time to immerse ourselves in the local atmosphere on our first day. With lunchtime upon us, our first order of business was to find a bite to eat and a glass of red wine in the charming old town.

I’ll be writing a separate blog post about the best foodie stops in Las Palmas, so you’ll have to wait to read about what we ate during our trip! (what a tease, I know, haha!)

Located in the southern part of the capital of Gran Canaria, Vegueta became the founding nucleus of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at the end of the 15th century. Its squares are home to historical buildings such as the Casa de Colón, the Cathedral of Santa Ana, the Canary Museum, the Literary Cabinet, the Town Hall, and the Atlantic Center of Modern Art—all of which are well worth a visit. You can easily spend an entire day in Vegueta, taking in the sights, climbing to the top of the Cathedral tower, enjoying famous almond cake, sampling wines, and participating in a tapas crawl. Stay tuned for my upcoming guide to Vegueta, which will include a recommended route, detailed information on each site, and plenty of photos.

2. Plaza Hurtado de Mendoza – “Frog Square”

During our trip to Las Palmas, we affectionately referred to Plaza Hurtado de Mendoza as “Frog Square.” We quickly fell in love with its black and white checkered centre, featuring a water fountain with two frog statues, surrounded by palm trees, tapas bars, and a Jazz Café. This charming square reminded me of Toad House from The Wind in the Willows, a book series I adore.

Every evening, we visited Frog Square, enjoying a seat on one of the many benches, people-watching as the sounds of locals and tourists enjoying jugs of sangria filled the air. I highly recommend visiting Plaza Hurtado de Mendoza when you’re in Las Palmas. It’s a fantastic spot to savour a jug of sangria or a cold glass of Coke, and if you’re like me, you can even pretend you’re visiting Toad Hall!

3. Visit One of the Many Markets

Gran Canaria is home to numerous markets, with several located in Las Palmas. During our five-day stay, we were fortunate to visit two of these vibrant markets: Mercado del Puerto and Mercado de Vegueta. Both markets offered a delightful array of fresh fruit, local produce, trinkets, tapas bars, and meat stalls.

Mercado del Puerto, housed in its original 19th-century wrought iron building just behind the beach, features an enticing mix of tapas stands and food stalls. Here, you can find everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to fish and local delicacies such as palm honey, parrotfish, tropical fruits, and unique local vegetables like Canarian black potatoes and taro root.

Opening Hours: The traditional market stalls open from Monday to Thursday from 7:00 to 14:00, and between 7.00 and 15.00 on Friday and Saturday.

Food stalls open from 10.00 to 16.00 from Monday to Thursday, 10.00 to 24.00 on Friday and Saturday, and from 10.00 to 20.00 on Sunday.

Mercado De Vagueta has everything from vibrant fruits and vegetables to aromatic spices, herbs, cheeses, eggs, meats, and fish. A stones throw away from the old town, if you’re staying in Vagueta this is a must say (but can also be reached on bus from various location in Las Palmas in under 30 minutes).

Opening hours: The stalls open from 7:00 to 14:00 except Sunday when they are closed.

The colourful markets are worth a visit and you won’t leave hungry!

4. Swim in Natural Pools

I was elated to discover several natural pools perfect for a refreshing dip. Since we were staying in Vegueta, we chose the closest one, Piscinas de La Laja. However, other natural pools, such as Roque Prieto Pools and Los Charcones de Bañaderos, are also worth checking out.

These natural pools, located along the seafront with mountains in the distance, are just a five-minute bus ride away. You can catch various buses to get there, including the 12, 15, 55, 58, and 59. Don’t be alarmed when you get off the bus and find yourself on a main road—it’s easy to think you’ve ended up in the wrong place! Look for a nearby bridge and walk under it on the footpath, which will lead you directly to the natural pools in just three minutes.

Swimming in these picturesque natural pools was one of my favourite moments of the trip. Despite the overcast weather making the water quite fresh, it didn’t stop us from enjoying the experience. There are two natural pools, and I can’t recommend them enough for a unique and refreshing adventure.

5. Go Crab Spotting.

I developed a bit of a fascination with crabs on this holiday. After swimming in Piscinas de La Laja, we explored some of the rocks along the seafront and stumbled upon numerous crabs, turning it into a fun game of spotting them. A special moment was watching about six crabs jump into the sea from the rocks, and we even found a beautiful red crab. I patiently waited 20 minutes for this little guy to pop his head out and say hello! This became a delightful activity after our swim, and scrambling across the rocks added to the fun. Remember to do this safely and wear appropriate shoes if you plan to explore the rocks.

6. Have a Beach Day!

There are five beaches in Las Palmas, some with long sandy stretches of beach and great for swimming. As we only had 5 days on our trip, we decided on one beach day and chose to visit Las Canteras Beach for its long stretch of sand and row of restaurants and bars along the seafront.

Las Canteras is so long that the locals treat it as several separate beaches, each with its own name and traditions. Overall it’s the best city beach in Europe and, some argue, in the world. We enjoyed a sea swim, people watching, and catching some rays and as we went in June, it was fairly quiet too! There are plenty of public loos and sun-beds you can hire, but we chose to take a towel and find our own spot on the beach. If you want to find out more about the several beaches in Las Palmas, or the best spot on Las Canteras, I found this site really useful.

7. Find a Quieter Spot to Relax

If you do choose to visit Las Canteras Beach, I recommend walking along the seafront to your right for approx 7 minutes, away from the bars, restaurants and hustle and bustle to find a quieter space to relax and listen to the waves crash against the rocks. We stumbled upon a beautiful stretch of seafront, with just two restaurants near by. We spent a good two hours here, enjoying the waves and sun with Mojitos and meatballs.

And there we have it! My 7 reasons why you should add Las Palmas De Gran Canaria to your holiday bucket list! From sandy beaches, to the historic old town, there’s plenty to do and see. Everyone we met was super friendly on our holiday, and the busses were easy (and very cheap) to use! Google maps was accurate during our stay, and busses were prompt and on time. Honestly, we didn’t want to come home and I could have easily have stayed for a few more nights.

Very soon I will be sharing my top places to eat, and a more detailed walking route of the Old Town Vagueta – so keep a look out for these in the next coming weeks!

Have you been to Las Palmas, is there anything else you would add to this list? Let me know!