Culture & Places of Interest

Most holidaymakers come to Gran Canaria for the party atmosphere, the beaches and the sun and but there is a lot more to see and discover if you know where to look.  The original settlers on the island were called the Guanche and more of their artifacts and burial remains have been found on Gran Canaria than on many of the other Canary Islands. These historic remains even include many caves of which one the finest examples is the  painted Guanche caves to the north in Galdar are very popular with visitors. Columbus touched the Canary Islands and this is well chronicled in the Casa Colon Museum in Las Palmas. There is no doubt that many native Canarians were with him on his voyages into the new world.

Museo Canarioin Las Palmas focuses on the aboriginal inhabitants of Gran Canaria and the rest of the Canary Islands.  It explores how they lived, their social networks, their ceramics and crafts and the dwellings. This museum really is the central point for learning about the history of the original settlers on the Canary Islands.

Casa de Colon, Colon, 1, 35001 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Tel: 928 312 373/312 384. Open 9am to 7pm Mon-Fri, and 9am to 3pm Saturdays and Sundays

CAAM, C/Los Balcones. Tel: 902 31 18 24. Open 10am to 9pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 10am to 2pm Sundays

Museo Nesto Art Gallery at Puerblo Canario, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 24 51 35. Open from 10am to 8pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 10.30am to 2.30pm on Sundays

The Cathedral De Santa Ana & Museo Diocesano, Calle Obispo Codina 13, Las Palmas.  Tel: 928 33 14 30

Gabinete Literariohistorical building on Plazoleta Cairasco, Casa Museuo De Perez Galdos, Calle Cano 6, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 36 69 76. Open 9am to 7pm Mondays to Fridays

Museo Elder De La Ciencia y La Technologica- the Museum of Science and Technology, Parque Santa Catalina s/n, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 01 18 28. Open 11am to 9pm (summer)

Parque San Telmo includes the Iglesia de San Telmo church, then move on to the Ciudad Jardin and Parque Doramas and was actually designed by the British in the late 19th century.

Pueblo Canario in Las Palmas is a major attraction often offered by Gran Canaria excursion tour companies. It’s a little Canarian village scenario on the edge of Parque Doramas designed by the artist Nesto Martin Fernandez de la Torre and constructed by the artist’s brother in the 1930s.

Canario Viera y Clavijo – Botanical gardenof 27 hectares showing a wide range of Canarian flora and other species. Tel: 928 35 36 04