"La Playa de las Canteras ( Las Palmas ) " a Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Travel Page by C.GOROSTIAGA

The Canary Islands are famous for their sun and beaches. It is full of hotels and you have a great variety of restaurants and clubs to enjoy yourself. Nightlife is incredible. You can party everynight. The South of Gran Canaria is full of tourists. In my opinion, it is like a German and Scandinavian colony.
Accommodations are very good but what I don't like is the fact that all the influence of these tourists has changed the authentic native style of life. What I mean is that is perfect for people who are interested in having a good time going to beach and having a good meal. You can find British, German,Scandinavian.... restaurants, clubs with its own cuisine as you were in its land. A good example would be Santo Domingo ( Dominican Republic ), or Cancun ( Mexico ). The touristy area is like a bubble and it seems fake. For those who want to immerse themselves in the real local culture, I strongly recommend going off the beaten path. You could always go to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ( The capital ), Ayacata ( Center of the Island ), Agaete ( docks ), Teror ( its structure of buidings and views so on ). In Las Palmas of Gran Canaria you could also visit the old part of the city. There are a lot of old buildings and areas like Triana.

For those who wish to take advantage of the excellent climate in the island capital there are two magnificent beaches. " Playa de las Canteras " ( see photo ), regarded as one of the best in the world for its natural conditions, has been repeatedly awarded prizes by the European Union. Its three kilometres of the finest golden sand and a natural reef which, 200 metres from the shoreline, protects it from strong waves, make it one of the island's favourite beaches both for the local inhabitants and tourists. Alcaravaneras beach also enjoys excellent sand, though there is a problem with contamination of the water because of the proximity of the Port area.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital of the island and of the Province, is located in the municipal borough of the same name. The city was founded in 1478 and had jurisdiction over the whole of the island until 1837 when Gran Canaria was divided into the 21 municipal boroughs which remain in force in the present day. Las Palmas is a European city with colonial roots but with the overtones and colours of the Tropics. Throughout the length and breadth of its eight districts the city offers its visitors the chance to see an extensive range of matters of cultural interest, as well as covering the whole spectrum of sporting and leisure activities.

Some 20 kms. from Gran Canaria Airport, the city covers 10 km² and has a population of almost 361,000.