Gran Canaria
Capital
URBAN CENTERS
Located in the northeastern part with about 344,400 inhabitants Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the capital of the Canary Islands. Urban development was mainly concentrated towards La Isleta, a small island located north of the city. The old historic center is located around the southern districts of Vegueta and Triana and the city hugs the coast with long
avenues that follow each other for more than 3 km, up to the lively Santa Catalina and Puerto de la Luz.
Climate
BEACHS
The south of the island offers higher temperatures and little rain as the Massif Central of Gran Canaria hinders the passage of clouds and winds
coming from the North. The climate generally like the other Canary Islands is very pleasant.
Made of fine sand, among the splendid beaches of Gran Canaria we point out those of San Augustin, Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas.
Made of fine sand, among the splendid beaches of Gran Canaria we point out those of San Augustin, Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas.
Airport
PThe airport of Gran Canaria Airport, is the largest of the Canary Islands, equipped with two runways and is 18 km from the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. It is a hub for the local airline Binter Canarias Airlines. There are 3 Terminals in the airport, Zone A for European flights, Zone B for other international flights and Zone C for flights to and from the other Canary Islands. Very popular with tourists, Gran Canaria Airport is an important airport for reaching summer holiday destinations, even for short stays throughout the year. The Iata airport code is LPA, while the ICAO abbreviation is GCLP. The geographical coordinates are, Longitude 15° 23' 4'' W, Latitude 27° 55' 57'' N. The airlines that operate low cost flights from Gran Canaria Airport are Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, Arkefly, Cimber Air, Condor, easyJet and GermanWings. As for the connections with the Gran Canaria airport and the urban centers, the buses leave for various destinations in Gran Canaria, line 60 goes as far as the capital Las Palmas, Parque de San Catalina and Parque de San Telmo, while line 66 goes as far as Faro de Maspalomas. The taxi stand is located outside the passenger terminal. To get to Gran Canaria airport you have to take the GC-1 highway. which crosses the island of Gran Canaria from north to south and east, there are also indications for accessing this motorway from the secondary neighboring roads. The Gran Canaria Airport is the gateway to the millions of tourists who visit the island every year, it is located on the coast of the island from which it takes its name. Due to the favorable climatic conditions, the Gran Canaria Airport has excellent operating conditions and is open 24 hours a day every day of the year, representing a guarantee for the airlines, that they can carry out their operations without problems resulting from adverse weather conditions. Gran Canaria tourism spain canary islands.
Territory
Located in the center of the Canary archipelago, Gran Canaria is formed by a variety of landscapes that characterize the territory full of contrasts: from the miniature desert and the palm groves of the sunny south, you pass to the wooded peaks, crossing volcanoes, deep ravines cliffs perpendicular to the ocean, sand dunes, luxuriant green areas, impressive panoramas. Most of the beaches are located on the southern side of the island. The territory is divided into two distinct geographical areas, the southern part, arid and sandy with long areas of desert dunes where numerous bathing establishments are concentrated with tourist structures and the north-western part formed by jagged coasts and valleys cultivated in terraces formed by jagged coasts and fertile and humid valleys cultivated in terraces where it is possible to find crops of bananas, papayas, mangoes, avocados. The island is the most populated of the Canary archipelago, it occupies a total area of 1,560 square kilometers with approximately 714,100 inhabitants. The maximum elevation of the island is the Pico de las Nieves with 1,950 meters of altitude.
Hotels
Near the beach of Santa Catalina and the port, as well as in Vegueta and Triana, the majority of the hotels are located. The urban centers of Vegueta, Triana, Santa Catalina and the port area are also the favorite places to taste the gastronomic specialties and typical dishes, due to the presence of establishments such as restaurants and bars, both cheap and luxurious, which offer a great variety of traditional and international dishes.
Leisure
To spend the evening in joy on the island of Gran Canaria there are various entertainments in the hotels, Playa del Ingles and Las Palmas with their clubs enliven the nightlife with fun and entertainment. Game lovers have the chance to try your luck at the local casino.
Transportation
the airport is twenty km away. from Las Palmas, frequent flights from Madrid and Barcelona with Air Europa, Iberia and Spanair. There are also connections from Cadiz with the use of the ship.
Excursions
Among the trips and excursions to be carried out during your stay in Gran Canaria , we mention: the capital "Las Palmas" located in the extreme north-east of the island with the Vegueta neighborhood with its memories of the past , the colonial houses characterized by basalt and lime facades, built around narrow streets. The Columbus Museum, the Gothic and Neoclassical Cathedral of Santa Ana, the Atlantic Center of Modern Art. We also mention "Maspalomas", "Playa de Ingles", "Arucas", "Mogàn" and "Puerto Rico".
Attractions
Among the most significant places to visit, we point out the Spiaggia de las Canteras, about 3 km long. The Puerto de Mogán, one of the most famous centers on the island of Gran Canaria. La Cruz de Tejeda, Tourist route in the mountainous hinterland of Gran Canaria (35-45 km) Teror, Artenara, Cruz de Tejeda, Roque Nublo, Pico de las Nieves. Maspalomas Beach, with its famous sand dunes.
Las Palmas Airport
People arriving at the airport to meet friends or relatives can obtain information in the arrivals hall where the timetables are listed on the special monitor. gran canaria arrivals. All arrivals take place on the ground floor of the passenger terminal which is divided into three zones, flights from European Union countries, international and local flights. After arrivals, passengers should check through the monitors located at the entrance to the hall which conveyor they must go to to retrieve their baggage. The flight number and origin is indicated above each baggage reclaim carousel. In this regard, please note that the airlines are responsible for any financial or physical damage suffered by passengers or their personal effects during transport, therefore in the event of loss, damage or delay of baggage, passengers must report the accident immediately to the counter of the airline or handling agent so that appropriate measures can be taken promptly. The car rental offices are located on the ground floor, in the connecting passage between international arrivals and EU arrivals. They can also be reached by crossing the baggage reclaim hall or through the hall on the arrivals floor. The rental cars are parked in the reserved area on the lower level of the car park. Two thousand palm trees have been planted on the airport site in order to complete a palm grove composed of 3500 trees, moreover the number of plants that form the natural barrier of local maritime pine trees Canary island casuarina pines has increased, this natural barrier contributes to stop the advance of the dunes both in the north and in the south, also acting as an anti-noise barrier for neighboring populations. The airport has a fauna control service with 16 specimens of birds of prey, including 13 different species of falcons, two Harrises and a goshawk, the targeted actions preserve, care for and promote the local flora, in order to prevent any type of birds can pose a danger during aircraft landing and take-off operations from track. Furthermore, this service also contributes to the permanence and development of the ancient art of falconry.
Flight departures from Las Palmas
At the airport, departures take place from the first floor, passengers must go to the check-in of the airline they are traveling with, where they will be delivered boarding passes and checked baggage. There are 96 check-in desks available for Departures at Gran Canaria Airport, all destinations are indicated on the information screens located at the entrance to the terminal. gran canaria airport departures gran canaria. The airport has 38 gates of embarkation, it is organized in three zones: A for flights within the European Union, B for international flights outside the EU and finally C regional flights or between the Canary Islands. In these areas there are respectively 27, 6 and 8 boarding gates for Departures. The boarding pass is the document required to board the plane, it indicates the zone and the gate number through which the passengers are on board, each airport boarding zone is identified by a letter and a colour. Improvements are currently underway to the airport's infrastructure, with the apron being expanded aircraft parking and the construction of a new parking area.
Gastronomy
In the local gastronomy, original recipes with meat, fish, fruit and vegetables are highlighted. Among the typical dishes we mention the main ones such as the aperitifs called enyesques, the papas arrugadas new potatoes boiled in salt, the "carajacas" marinated livers or the ropa vieja beef morsels with chickpeas. Among the first courses we mention the Caldo de Pescado fish fumet and the potaje de berros watercress soup , between the second courses, both of meat, such as the conejo en salmorejo marinated rabbit , and of fish, such as the vieja sancochada boiled parrot fish . The typical desserts of Gran Canaria are the bienmesabe cream of almonds and honey and the huevos mole beaten egg yolks with sugar syrup and cinnamon. Among the drinks we recommend the excellent d.o.c. wines: the "Gran Canaria" and the "Monte Lentiscal". Among the typical products of the island of Gran Canaria, exotic fruit stand out, such as papaya, mango or plantain, the famous tropical bananas, with a large variety of tropical fruit juices and many other products, such as palm honey, cactus jam, Canarian tropical banana cream. Characteristic and interesting is Aloe vera, a tropical succulent plant native to the Canary Islands, considered sacred in the past by the indigenous Guanche aborigines. Aloe vera grows in abundance in these islands and has various therapeutic properties, the juice is used to drink as an energy, tonic, and is also against stomach pain, being very curative, in fact the gel is used to heal burns and to treat muscle pain, it is also used in cream for beauty of face and body.
Monuments to visit
Finally, among the main monuments to see in Gran Canaria we mention the Cueva pintada in Gáldar and the Cenobio de Valerón in Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria, the Catedral de Santa Ana which is located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista in Arucas and the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino, patroness of the diocese of the Canary Islands and of the island, located in Teror. In the historic neighborhood of Vegueta in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, you can find the Museo Canario, the hermitage of Sant'Antonio Abate and the Christopher Columbus House Museum.
Bathing
For bathing lovers there are numerous sheltered and safe beaches, equipped with ideal games for a child, so that they can have fun for the duration of their stay. There are also specific centers such as water parks, theme parks and amusement parks, amusement arcades, leisure venues, internet rooms and public parks with numerous amusements capable of satisfying every tourist.
town halls
The local administration of the island of Gran Canaria sees it divided into 21 municipalities and the total population of 829,500 inhabitants in 2008, of which 377,000 reside in the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands and also the capital of province of Las Palmas.