Las Palmas

Old jail Barranco Seco

Rotunda lighthouse in La Luz port

The city was founded by Juan Rejón on 24 June 1478, with the name "Real de Las Palmas".[14] Rejón was head of the invading Castilian army, which then engaged in war with the locals.[15][16]

The war began at the mouth of the Guiniguada ravine, where he settled together with his 30 soldiers El Real de Las Palmas, which today is the district of Vegueta.[16]

The struggle lasted for a period of five years, costing a great number of lives, especially on the aboriginal side, which lacked sufficient means to defend itself against the armies sent by the Catholic Monarchs. Even so, resistance was fierce. The end of the conquest came in 1483, with the incorporation of the island into the Crown of Castile by Pedro de Vera, who managed to subjugate the natives of Gáldar in the northwest of the island.[17]

20 November 1485 the diocese was transferred from El Rubicón (Lanzarote) to Real de Las Palmas.[18] The importance of the city grew gradually, with the establishment of the Bishopric of the Canary Islands, the first Court of the Holy Inquisition, the Royal Court of the Canary Islands and the residence of the Captains General of the Canary Islands. Although the capital, as understood from the 19th century onwards, did not exist as such in the archipelago, given that the Captain General's Residence was in Las Palmas, it can be considered that this was the capital of the Canary Islands during part of the 16th and 17th centuries; afterwards, although without legal or real significance, it continued to be considered the honorary capital of the Canary archipelago.[18]

In 1492, Christopher Columbus (Spanish: Cristóbal Colón) anchored in the port of Las Palmas for a repair of the rudder of his ship Pinta[19] and spent some time on the neighbour island on his first trip to the Americas.[19][20] He also stopped there on the way back to Spain.[21] The Colón House - a museum in the Vegueta district of the city - is named after him.[22]

In 1595, Francis Drake tried to plunder the town, leading to the Battle of Las Palmas.[21] A Dutch raid under vice-admiral Pieter van der Does in 1599 was only slightly more successful; some of the town was destroyed, but the raiders were repelled.[23][24]

Las Palmas' seaport, Puerto de la Luz (known internationally as La Luz port), benefited greatly from the closure of the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis. Many foreign workers migrated to the city at this time.

Las Palmas is a sister city of San Antonio, Texas, in the United States, which was founded in 1718 by about 25 Canary Islanders.[25]

Administrative divisions of Las Palmas

Las Palmas is divided into five administrative districts, which in turn are subdivided into districts, not necessarily consistent with the traditional neighborhoods.

The city has four main beaches: Las Canteras, Las Alcaravaneras, La Laja, and El Confital.

• Playa de Las Canteras (Las Canteras Beach) is the largest beach in the city, and is frequented throughout the year by city dwellers as well as by large numbers of foreign visitors. The beach lies on the west side of the isthmus of Guanarteme, which links the peninsula of La Isleta, located to the northeast, with the rest of the island of Gran Canaria. The 3,100 m beach is oriented toward the northwest in what is known as Confital bow or bay, and stretches from the foothills of La Isleta until shortly before the mouth of the ravine Tamaraceite. Along much of this length, the beach is sheltered from most of the waves and currents of the Atlantic by a natural barrier of coral sandstone popularly known as "the bar", which is in easy swimming distance from shore. A system for environmental management has been introduced, and the beach has received ISO 14001 certification – one of only three beaches in Spain to do so, namely La Concha in San Sebastián and La Victoria in Cádiz. Inside the beach runs the Paseo de Las Canteras, a wide pedestrian boardwalk, or sidewalk, which runs parallel to the beach from near the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus to the area known as "Puntilla" until reaching Playa del Confital. La Playa de Las Canteras covers three areas that correspond to the arches and inflections that it conducts on the coast. Each presents certain morphological characteristics.[27]

Playa de Las Canteras 2019

Las Canteras Beach

Las Canteras Beach Avenue

• Playa de Las Alcaravaneras (Las Alcaravaneras beach) extends from the rising side of the Isthmus of Guanarteme, an old spit of sand dunes and mountains linking the peninsula of La Isleta, located to the northeast, with the rest of the island of Gran Canaria. It extends from the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria to the new marina breakwater of the city, for just over 800 metres (1⁄2 mi) of fine golden sand.[28] The whole beach is serviced by the promenade, which starts in Las Alcaravaneras, connects with the Playa de San Cristobal, and ends in Playa de La Laja, 16 kilometres (10 mi) to the south. The promenade is one of the recreational areas of the city and is popular with people who take the opportunity to walk, run, play sports, or cycle. The tranquility of the bay, and yacht clubs close to the existing beach, make Playa de Las Alcaravaneras a great place to practice sports such as sailing and canoeing. The beach also offers facilities for sports such as beach volleyball, beach soccer or futvóley (which has organized tournaments in the summer) and court sports such as basketball, indoor soccer, and volleyball.
• Playa de la Laja (La Laja Beach), with fine gray sand, is approximately 1200 m long and has an average width of 40 m.[29] Its moderate waves and currents are no longer dangerous since the construction of a dam in the south in the 1990s. At the time, the Ministry of Environment also trawled the seabed to bring sand onto the beach, and the construction of a boardwalk has significantly improved pedestrian access. Due to the intensity of its streams and incoming waves, La Laja has been hailed as a favorite surfers' beach.[29] It is the starting point for boat races that occur every weekend between April and October.[30]
• Playa del Confital (Confital Beach), southwest of the peninsula of La Isleta, is the northern part of the large bay which contains Playa de Las Canteras and Playa del Confital. While Playa de Las Canteras is a long and wide, sandy beach, Playa del Confital is a narrower and mostly hard, volcanic beach equipped with comfortable foot paths and large, slanted slabs of stone suitable for relaxing, exercising and sunbathing. Advanced off the beach surfing replaces swimming as the major water activity on Playa del Confital.[31] Until some years ago, the beach was home to a small shanty town, which has since been eradicated and the land of the Playa del Confital returned to general, public use. Ensuing improvements, however, proved controversial as some environmental organizations and residents questioned the legality of the proceedings. The waves arriving at the beach are highly thought of by amateur and professional surfers alike, some of whom consider the Confital as having one of the best right hand breaks in Europe.[32] Here, the ocean currents form a tube that is used by more experienced surfers for its speed and strong contrasts. Each year, qualifying events for the professional world surfing championship take place on this beach.[33]

As of 2008, nearly half (45.9%) of Gran Canaria's inhabitants live in Las Palmas, as well as 18.35% of the Canary Islands' total population. According to a study by the National Statistics Institute of Spain Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has a life expectancy of 80.9 years.

Throughout history, Las Palmas received waves of immigrants from mainland Spain and countries from every continent. The majority of the population is Spanish, although large North- and sub-Saharan African and Latin American communities exist (especially the Venezuelan community, which is growing fast), as well as important historical minorities such as Indians (Sindhi) and Koreans and a growing Chinese population.

Ethnically, most autochthonous Canarians are descendants of a mixture of aboriginal people (guanches) of the Canary Islands (now extinct), the Spanish conquistadores and later European (mainly Spanish, Portuguese, Flemish, Irish, French, Italian, German, and British) colonizers.

Demographic evolution of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1768 - 2019)

Las Palmas is home to University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, founded in 1989.[44]

The city also has a variety of state and public primary and secondary schools.

International schools include:

• Deutsche Schule Las Palmas (German)
• The British School of Gran Canaria (Tafira School is in the city limits)[45]
• The American School of Las Palmas
• Lycée Français René-Verneau, the French international school, is in the city limits of Telde[46]
• Colegio Japonés de Las Palmas, a Japanese international school, was formerly located within Tafira Alta in the city;[47] opened in October 1973,[48] and closed in March 2001.[49]
• Canterbury School of Gran Canaria, a British international school.[50]

The Escuela Complementaria Japonesa de Las Palmas previously provided a weekend supplementary Japanese programme.[51]

Windows of Santa Ana cathedral, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas offers a variety of theater, cinema, opera, concerts, visual arts and dance performances. The city hosts the Canary Islands Music Festival, the Theatre and Dance and the International Film Festival. The main City Festival, celebrating the foundation of the "City Fiestas de San Juan"[52] is held in June. The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria[53] is one of the main attractions for tourists. The city center of Las Palmas, specifically the Vegueta and Triana neighbourhoods, are included in the tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[54]

Museums, theatres and exhibition halls

• The Museo Canario is located in the historic district of Vegueta. Founded in 1879, it is an international partner of the Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). It has a valuable collection of Canary archaeological objects, which are exhibited in 16 halls. It is also equipped with a library of over 60,000 volumes, many of them dealing with the Canary Islands topics. Its archive covers the period from 1785 until today.

Casa de Colón (Columbus House) y Pilar Nuevo

• The Casa Museo de Colón is in the Plaza de San Antonio Abad, behind the cathedral of Santa Ana. It focuses on the history of the Canary Islands and its relations with America. It has 13 permanent exhibition halls, a library and a dedicated study center, and diverse spaces for temporary activities. The complex consists of several houses, one of which was accessed by Christopher Columbus during his first trip to America in 1492; it was the residence of former Governor (now better known as the home of Columbus). It is organized into five subject areas: America before the Discovery, Columbus and his journeys, Canary enclave strategic base for experimenting with the New World, The history and genesis of the city of Palmas, and painting of the 16th century to start of the 20th century.
• The Casa Museo Pérez Galdós is located in the Triana neighborhood of the city. It is the birthplace of Benito Pérez Galdós. It has an extensive collection of documents, books, furniture and personal belongings of the writer.

Plaza del Pueblo Canario, Nestor Museum

• The Museo Néstor is in the neighborhood of Garden City. Dedicated to the modernist painter Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre, the museum was opened in 1956 in the architectural ensemble of the Pueblo Canario, which was conceived and built by his brother Miguel. It has 10 exhibition halls, as well as a documentation center and pedagogy.
• The Elder Museum of Science and Technology is an innovative, interactive, engaged in scientific and technological culture. Elder located in the building, which dates from the end of the 19th century has 4,500 m² (48,438 sq ft) of exhibition halls, workshops, interactive modules, large-format film and greenhouse ecosystem.
• The Maritime Museum, located in the former Jet Foil station has around 1,000 m² (10,764 sq ft) of floor space. When the expansion is finished, will have a giant pool to simulate interactive bay, where a large ship can be handled by visitors.

Lady Harimaguada, Martín Chirino.

• The Atlantic Center of Modern Art (CAAM), opened in 1989, is one of the most important references for the cultural and artistic life of the Canary Islands, and is responsible for disseminating the art made in the islands to the rest of the world, especially Africa, America and Europe. It has permanent and temporary exhibitions that range from the historical avant-garde to the latest trends. It is located on Calle Los Balcones de Vegueta, and preserves the original façade of the 18th century.

Pérez Galdós Theatre

• The Teatro Pérez Galdós was designed by the architect Francisco Jareño y Alarcón in 1867. Its current appearance, with some modifications, is due to the intervention of Fernando Navarro and Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre after the fire that destroyed it almost entirely in 1928. Miguel Martín's brother, the painter Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre, was commissioned to decorate the stalls, lounges and the stage. It was originally called Teatro Tirso de Molina until 1901, when, with the occasion of the premiere of Electra, the theatre was renamed after the canarian writer Benito Pérez Galdós. Following works of renovation, the theatre reopened in April 2007.
• The Cuyás Theater, on the stage of the former Cine Cuyás is a work of rationalist Canarian architect Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre. Its main hall has a capacity for 940 people, divided between the stalls and two amphitheatres. It also has a large patio that allows the organization of outdoor events. It is currently constructing an alternative test room with a capacity for one hundred seats.
• The Sala Insular de Teatro is a scenic area which lies in the main hall of an old church. In 2007, after some refurbishment, the Board reopened its doors to the public, welcoming small local assemblies.
• The Guiniguada Theater after a decade long refurbishment, will reopen in 2011.[55]

Auditorium and Convention Centre

Auditorio Alfredo Kraus

• The Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, named after the world renowned Spanish operatic tenor Alfredo Kraus, who was born in Las Palmas, is located on the Atlantic, near the Playa de Las Canteras, one of the most privileged areas of the city. Its 13,200 m² (142,084 sq ft) floor area has 11 rooms which accommodate from large conventions and concerts to conferences.
• The Palais des congrès de Gran Canaria is in the premises of the Institución Ferial de Canarias with a capacity for 800 people on 16,000 m² (172,223 sq ft).
• The Center for Initiatives of the Caja de Ahorros de Canarias (CICC) is housed in a mid-19th-century building by the architect Manuel Ponce de Leon in the neighborhood of Triana. It is a small conference center with the latest technology and up to 500 guests.

Parque San Telmo

• Avenida Marítima
• Avenida Mésa y López
• El Confital
• Fuente Luminosa
• Parque de la Mayordomía
• Parque de Santa Catalina
• Parque Doramas
• Parque Juan Pablo II
• Parque San Telmo
• Plaza de Canarias
• Plaza de España
• Plaza de La Feria
• Plaza de Las Ranas
• Plaza Santa Ana
• Triana

Cathedral of Santa Ana in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Castillo de la Luz

Church of San Juan Bautista

Botanic garden in Arucas

• Bandama Caldera (Bandama Natural Monument) in Santa Brígida, Las Palmas is part of the Tafira Protected Landscape. It is considered a point of geological interest because of the Caldera de Bandama: this volcanic caldera reaches 569 m (1,867 ft) above sea level at the highest point on its rim, Pico de Bandama, and is about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) wide and 200 m (660 ft) deep. The steep walk to the bottom of the caldera takes about half an hour. Volcanic ash of different hues is in great abundance, and there are some interesting botanic species of Canary Islands origin. There are facilities for food and refreshments as well.
• Archaeological sites in Santa Brígida. In the valley of La Angostura and Las Meleguinas can find numerous traces of Aboriginal canaries that have prompted the declaration of the area as a Cultural, as groups of caves carved into rock, silos or sidewalks. In the archaeological site of El Tope, discovered on 16 July 1988, where you can see remnants that suggest the existence of an aboriginal burial mound, as well as ceramics, pottery and curious pintaderas.[57][58] En la pared norte de la Caldera de Bandama se encuentra la Cueva de los Canarios, utilizada por los aborígenes como granero. It has been discovered Libyco-Berber inscriptions belonging to the ancient Guanche autochthones and some vessels (which are now in the Museo Canario).[57][58] Also in the same area in the wall of the volcano in the stew is the Cueva de Los Frailes was discovered in 1933 a set of 37 caves.[58]
• Church of San Juan Bautista (also vulgarly known as Catedral de Arucas due to its big size) built entirely in Arucas stone by local master masons, and it dates from 1909 (Initial Configuration from the 17th century). Apart from the wealth of the carved stone columns and column heads, there are also some beautiful stained glass windows, the works of Canary Island painter Cristobal Hernandez de Quintana, and an extraordinary carving of the Reclining Christ, by Manuel Ramos.[59]
• Jardín de la Marquesa de Arucas – Botanical Garden in Arucas.
• Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Telde is the true spiritual centre of Telde. Located in the square of the same name and founded in 1483, the old church was erected by the Garcia del Castillo family at the time of the town's foundation. It still has the original gateway, an example of Sevillian–Portuguese Gothic architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the Purépecha Mexican Indians, brought here before 1550, the Flemish Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the Virgin Mary, brought from Flanders, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes.[60]
• Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino in Teror from 1760.
• Archaeological sites in Telde. Telde has 101 archaeological sites and 709 listed assets of ethnographic interest. In regard to the aboriginal time deposits, each year it expands its number or discover new aspects of old fields, but most are in disrepair and many are disappearing. Some of the most prominent are the coastal town of Tufia, in good condition and extensively excavated by archaeologists; Four Doors cave site, Telde, a large cave with four doors located on top of a mountain and overlooking the teldense plain; an almogarén (religious vessel) at the top; a troglodyte village with collective barn in the back, the caves of Tara and Cendro remains of the ancient center of population, the town of Draguillo on the border with Ingenio, Las Cuevas Chalasia which consist of a labyrinthine series of artificial caves linked by tunnels and the impressive Necropolis of Jinámar which includes more than 500 tombs of various types belonging to the old canary.
• Basílica de San Juan Bautista in Telde
• Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino in Teror from 1760.
• Palacete Rodriguez Quegles, an eclectic modernist mansion from the turn of the 20th century, it is a venue for exhibitions and other cultural events, and the center for coordinating events around the city.[61]

Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias (Catholic Church), Spanish Evangelical Church (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Union of Evangelical Baptists of Spain (Baptist World Alliance), Assemblies of God.[62] There are also Muslim mosques.

Estadio Gran Canaria

Las Palmas is home to three major professional sports teams. These are:

• UD Las Palmas – association football club playing in Spain’s Segunda División. The team play their home games at Estadio de Gran Canaria, with a capacity of 32,665. The team used to play at Estadio Insular (which is now closed), with a capacity of 22,000. Honours: Spanish SuperLeague: Runner-up 1968–69, Spanish Cup: Runner-up 1977–78, Semifinal: 1974, 1984, 1997.
• CB Gran Canaria – basketball club playing in Liga ACB at the Palacio de Deportes de Las Palmas, with a capacity of 9,870. Honours: Spanish SuperCup: 2016 Winner.
• La Caja de Canarias (Club Voleibol J.A.V. Olímpico) – women's volleyball club playing in Superliga Femenina de Voleibol.

Las Palmas was one of the arenas of 2014 FIBA World Championship for Group D, consisting Lithuania, Angola, Korea, Slovenia, Mexico and Australia. Matches were played in the new arena – Gran Canaria Arena with a capacity of about 10,000.

Many (mainly) outdoor sports are practised in city and neighbourhood, for example: surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, swimming, diving, skydiving, paragliding, running, cycling, rowing, tennis and golf (mainly in Las Palmeras Golf, Real Club De Golf De Las Palmas, El Cortijo Club de Campo and Oasis Golf). Real Club De Golf De Las Palmas, inaugurated on 17 December 1891, is the oldest golf club in Spain.[71]

The two general hospitals of Gran Canaria are in Las Palmas. While Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín (Doctor Negrín University Hospital of Gran Canaria) is geared to health care in the north and west of the island, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria (Insular University Hospital of Gran Canaria) is geared to health care in the south and east of the island. There are also smaller private hospitals and clinics.

Las Palmas is twinned with:[72]

• Garachico, Spain
• San Antonio, United States
• Guanajuato, Mexico
• Nouadhibou, Mauritania

In addition, the municipality has approved in plenary willingness twinning with the following cities, if they are not well formalized these twinning:[72]

• Rabat, Morocco
• Praia, Cape Verde
• Vigo, Spain
• Gdańsk, Poland
• Genoa, Italy
• Martinsicuro, Italy
• Jalisco, Mexico
• Xiamen, China

Writer Benito Pérez Galdós

Javier Bardem receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012

Tennis pro Carla Suarez Navarro

• Wenceslao Benitez Inglott (1879-1954), counter admiral, scientist, and engineer.
• Alfredo Kraus (1927–1999), 20th-century tenor
• Javier Bardem (1 March 1969–), actor
• Antonio Betancort (13 March 1937 – 15 March 2015), former football player
• Juan Bordes (15 July 1948), sculptor
• Juan Hidalgo Codorniu (1927–2018), composer
• José Comas Quesada (3 February 1928 – 14 January 1993), painter
• Pedro Déniz (1 August 1964), Spanish interdisciplinary artist
• José Doreste (19 September 1956), Spanish sailor and olympic champion
• Luis Doreste (7 March 1961), Spanish sailor and 2x olympic champion
• Nicolás Estévanez (1838–1914), military officer, politician and poet
• Manuel Pablo García Díaz (25 January 1976), football (soccer) player
• Nicolás García Hemme (20 June 1988), taekwondo olympic medalist
• Sven Giegold (17 November 1969), German politician
• Mateo Gil (23 September 1972), writer and film director
• Patricia Guerra (21 July 1965), sailor and Olympic champion
• Jesé (26 February 1993), footballer
• Francisco Kraus (1926–2016), Spanish baritone and voice teacher
• Juan Fernando López Aguilar (10 June 1961), former Spanish Minister of Justice
• Úrsula López (1870–1966), singer
• Marta Marrero (16 January 1983), tennis player
• Kira Miró (13 March 1980), actress and presenter
• Roberto Molina (5 June 1960), Spanish sailor and olympic champion
• Juan Negrín (1892–1956), politician; President of Government of Republican Spain 1937–39
• Rebeca Nuez Suarez (10 November 1993), Classical Violinist.
• Pinito del Oro (1930–2017), trapeze artist, member of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
• Benito Pérez Galdós (1843–1920), 19th-century writer
• Sandro Ramirez (born 1995), football player
• Leticia Romero (28 May 1995), Spanish international basketball player
• Borja del Rosario (14 January 1985), footballer
• Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo (3 June 1936), President of the Government of the Canaries, minister of Public administrations, minister of Education and Sciences of Spain and Mayor
• Antonia San Juan (22 May 1961), Spanish actress, director and screenwriter
• Magüi Serna (1 March 1979), tennis player
• Carla Suárez Navarro (3 September 1988), tennis player
• Domingo Tejera de Quesada (1881–1944), publisher and politician
• Juan Carlos Valerón (17 June 1975), footballer
• José de Viera y Clavijo (28 December 1731 – 1813), ecclesiastic historian and botanist

• Andrews, Sarah; Quintero, Josephine (2007). Canary Islands. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1741045956.

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