Blog Three: Gran Canaria
[12th November 2025]
Cruise stop number two gives us the opportunity to visit one of a group of islands we’ve always meant to go to but never got around to it – the Canaries – in particular the capital of Gran Canaria: Las Palmas.
We head off the boat and search out a taxi to take us into the heart of the Old Town of Las Palmas, Placa de Santa Ana. The trip takes us along the waterfront, past numerous modern high-rise buildings which give off an air of prosperity, before cutting up a lane towards the Placa.
It’s in the mid-20s here, so a very welcome change in temperature from what we’d be experiencing back home. One side of the impressive rectangular Placa is bathed in warm sunshine, whilst the other is in welcome shade. The rather plain stone of the cathedral forms one end of the rectangle, so we go in to have a look.
The interior is quite restrained for a Catholic cathedral in a Spanish city (we are, politically if not geographically, back on European soil today), and the lengthy period it took to complete is reflected in a mash-up of at least three architectural styles. We take the elevator up for the highlight of the visit, the panoramic views from the cathedral roof of the city of Las Palmas spread out below us on one side, and the port and sea on the other. Happily, the sun is in the right position for photos.
The houses on the hillsides are mainly squarish blocks in white, terracotta and shades of blue and green, which are a bit reminiscent of buildings in North Africa. Fiona carries on up a longish spiral staircase for 360-degree panoramic views from the top platform, but reports back that it’s a difficult climb and descent, and that the viewing platform is only two people deep and very crowded.
We take the lift down in a group of 11 people. The maximum capacity is 6, but a number are very small Japanese folk, so we reckon it will be OK. The narrow lift takes a wee while to empty so, as I’m last out, I lean back and hold the door open. The first person getting in puts both hands on my backside and shoves me out of the way. I hope she understands English and I hope she suffers from vertigo.
We sit in the lovely Andalucian courtyard for a bit and admire the exotic plants and fruits growing in the central beds, as well as the unusual sculpture with its central wide-angle mirror, which reflects a highly distorted view of the patio.
We leave the grounds of the cathedral and have an enjoyable tapas lunch in a café Fiona has previously identified, then take a wander through the streets and squares of the Old Town. The area and its general ambience come as a huge positive surprise, with classy street musicians contributing to the general atmosphere – not necessarily what we were expecting from islands that are often portrayed just as a mass tourist destination.
The buildings in the Old Town, for me, have echoes of Havana and Puerto Rico, and many have beautifully carved dark wooden balconies facing onto the street. The whole effect is of a unique Spanish city with African and Caribbean touches and influences.
We wind round to La Casa de Colón, Christopher Columbus’ wonderful house. It isn’t huge, but the house features a lovely, slightly wild, central courtyard, with interesting sculptures in a range of contrasting styles, and an interior with lots of beautifully crafted wood. La Casa de Colón house is now a museum, which tracks the great adventurer’s many voyages in this part of the world and elsewhere. Like the cathedral and Placa Santa Ana, it is atmospheric, not too busy, and feels quite tranquil.
We reckon La Casa de Colón ranks up there with the rather larger and more opulent (and more modern) House on the Klong, the former residence of the mysterious Jim Thomson, in Bangkok.
A bit more of an amble brings us out of the Old Town, into an attractive, more modern district, from where we hail a taxi back to the cruise terminal, as always leaving plenty of time to spare before the advertised last boarding time for departure. Ever since we were sitting in a café on the Greek island of Symi, thinking we had an hour to spare, but had to watch as our ferry, complete with our luggage, pulled away from the opposite side of the harbour without us, we’ve suffered from acute lateness paranoia where boats are concerned!
The opportunity to visit Las Palmas for a day has left us with the clear impression that it is a city we’d like to return to in the future, and that it would recommend itself for a short break, particularly at this time of year.
My dozen favourite images from our day in Las Palmas are included in the gallery below. Click on a thumbnail to see a bigger image. If you’re using a mobile phone, turn your screen sideways to see the bigger image to best effect.
Image Gallery
