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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Las Palmas
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Give Las Palmas 3 nights: base in Puerto-Canteras for the beach and nightlife, or Vegueta for the old town; skip it as a day trip from the south coast.
Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and the island's only real city: five urban beaches, a 15th-century old town and a working port, with year-round warmth and no closed season. It is not the resort south coast — the weather is windier and the sea cooler — but it has the history, the food and the local life the resorts lack. Three nights covers the beaches, Vegueta and a day out; two is enough if you only want sun.
- Country
- Spain
- Local name
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (busiest and windiest for beach days); Carnaval week if you want quiet
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All emergency services 112 · National police 091 · Local police 092
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.20–2.50 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €10–16 |
| Beer: caña at a bar / supermarket | €1.50–3 / €0.60–1.20 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | €8–12 |
| City bus ride with card | €0.80 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LPA · Gran Canaria Airport
- About 20 km south of the city; Global express buses 60 and 91 run to San Telmo and Santa Catalina, roughly every 30 min, €2.80–4.00 one way (check).About 12 mi south of the city; Global express buses 60 and 91 run to San Telmo and Santa Catalina, roughly every 30 min, €2.80–4.00 one way (check).
Typical fares
- LPA airport → San Telmo or Santa Catalina, Global express
- €2.80–4.00, about 30–40 min (check)
- Taxi airport → Las Palmas centre
- about €30 (check)
- Ferry Las Palmas → Tenerife
- from about €40 one way, 1 h 40 min–2 h 40 min (check)
Get around
Guaguas Municipales yellow city buses cover the centre; a rechargeable card brings the fare to about €0.80 a ride, cash fares are higher and cards are the practical option. Global blue buses link the two bus stations (San Telmo and Santa Catalina) with the airport and the rest of the island. Taxis are metered and easy to flag; the city is walkable between Vegueta, Triana and the port but the beach strip is a long walk from the old town.
See and do
Known for
- Playa de las Canteras
- Vegueta old town
- Carnaval de Las Palmas
- Year-round warm weather
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vegueta and Triana old town | Walk or city bus to San Telmo | Half a day |
| Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves | Global bus from San Telmo, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés | Global bus south, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Teide and Tenerife | Ferry from the port or Agaete, then bus | 3 h+ |
Sleep
- Puerto-Canteras
- Hotels, nightlife and Playa de las Canteras on the doorstep; the default for beach-first trips.
- Vegueta and Triana
- Old town, cathedral and Calle Mayor de Triana; quieter, better for history and food, 10–15 min by bus to the beach.
- Ciudad Jardín
- Leafy 1930s district with the Santa Catalina hotel, Doramas Park and Pueblo Canario; calm, mid-to-high budget.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Hola / Buenos díasOH-lah / BWEH-nos DEE-as |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syas |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-de es-TA la PLA-ya |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-do pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta |
| I don't understand | No entiendono en-TYEN-do |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- The sea at Las Canteras is cooler and the city windier than the south coast resorts — pack a layer even in summer.
- Cash is not accepted on city buses; buy or top up a Guagua card at Santa Catalina, San Telmo or a kiosk.
- Rental-car desks and third-party booking sites are a known source of extra fees in Spain: book direct with the company.
- Carnaval fills the city and pushes hotel prices up; book weeks ahead if you want to be there.
Las Palmas is a normal European city and generally safe by day; the real issues are pickpockets around Santa Catalina and the port, and late-night drink spiking in the Puerto-Canteras bar strip. Keep bags zipped and watch your drink.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Las Palmas yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Playa de las Canteras
- Vegueta old town
- Carnaval de Las Palmas
- Year-round warm weather
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gran Canaria tourism board: www.grancanaria.com/turismo/en/tours-around-the-island/eastern-route/las-palmas-de-gran-canaria/
- Global interurban buses: guaguasglobal.com/en/home/
- Wikivoyage: Las Palmas, revision 5247770 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247770
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Las PalmasLas Palmas de Gran Canaria
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The UK, Ireland and most EU states: consulates or embassies in Madrid; the US has a consular agency in Las Palmas (check the address).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/las-palmas). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.