Las Palmas Gran Canaria

The cruise terminal of Las Palmas is the most important port for ferries and cruise ships, so it is always busy here. The new cruise terminal can, as of september 2025, berth 5 large vessels and is located right in the city center, only 100 meters from the Muelle very modern shopping Center City and regional buses leave from the bus station right in front of the terminal. There are also plenty of taxis here. You can easily discover everything on foot.

Printable map to take along.

At the heart of the Vegueta quarter sits the twin-towered Santa Ana Cathedral, the first artistic construction in the Canaries, which was executed following the orders of Catholic kings after Gran Canaria was conquered in 1478. The construction started around 1500 and was not completed until almost four centuries later, making the intervention of several architects and artists inevitable, the result of which can be seen in three basic architectonic styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Neoclassic.

Another fun thing to see is to watch the "kinnetic" moving sculpture at the entrance of the Technology Museum which is only about 150 meters from where you are docked. No entrance fee required to see his sculpture.

The tourist office is at Calle León y Castillo 17

Hop on/off buses are awaiting you close to the Terminal. As things slow down between noon and 3 pm this might be the best time to hop on.

Taxis: Just look for eggshell-white cars with a red stripe on each front door. Other signs that might help you recognize a taxi are the letters SP (meaning Servicio Público) and a green light on top or in the front windscreen (this green light indicates that the taxi is free).

A four hour taxi tour costs abour 100 Euro. The driver knows all the nice places.

Beach: north of the city (take a bus or taxi from Parque Santa Catalina) is the PLaya (=beach) de las Canteras, a 3 km stretch sand with lots of restaurants and a good local atmosphere.

Playa del Inglés, a 50 min ride by bus or taxi, has nice beaches too, besides the many high-rise hotels.

Arucas is the island's banana capital, west of Las Palmas into the mountains.

Besides the port is the El Muelle, a commercial center with large stores and boutiques.

Lots of shops are in the narrow streets on the other side of nearby Parque Santa Catalina, a square full of outdoor cafés. For tobacco and liquor this is the place to shop (The Canaries have a special duty-free status!)

The best places to eat are along Playa de las Canteras and Vegueta, the oldest part of the city, and in the Triana District.

El Corte Ingles an upscale Department store is more to the left from where you are docked. Just look for the "Casino" sign, it's right there.

The euro.

Spanish is the official language in the entire national territory. However, other languages coexist with Spanish in certain regions of Spain. These are: Catalan in Catalonia, Galician in Galicia, Euskera/Basque in the Basque Country, Valencian in the Valencia Region and a particular variety of Catalan spoken on the Balearic Islands.

Emergency number: Dial 112 free of charge (valid throughout Spain). Service is given in Spanish, and also in English, French and German in some tourist areas.

The most common business for shops and businesses hours are Monday through Saturday, from 9.30 h to 13.30 h, and from 16.30 to 20.00 h.

Big shopping centers and department stores open from 10.00 h to 21.00 or 22.00 h uninterruptedly. These big stores open sometimes on Sunday.

In coastal cities, in high season, shops are usually open passed 22.00 h.

Pharmacies open from 9.30 to 13.30 h, and from 16.30 to 20.00 h. In all major cities you can find pharmacies that open 24 hours. Pharmacies follow a rolling late-hour schedule, which is published in the newspapers, and is posted at all pharmacies.

Museums are in general closed on Mondays.

National