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Cruise Destination Reviews - Las Palmas

Sarah Hawthorne - Cruise Port Report Las Palmas Overview
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Though its scenery is not as dramatic as that of Tenerife or La Palma, Gran Canaria's many soft sandy beaches, incredibly diverse scenery and sports locations make it a prime choice for sun worshippers, outdoor enthusiasts, sports people and cultural vultures! The main port, Las Palmas, is the biggest city in the Canaries chain oft visited by cruise ships crossing the Atlantic and enjoys a spring-like climate year round -- one of the best in the world, according to a Syracuse University study. Expect sunny days, warm water and a mild average annual temperature of 69 degrees.

Like most Canarian cities (the Canary Islands are an autonomous region of Spain), Las Palmas has a distinctly Spanish feel and a rich history. Christopher Columbus called here during his famous voyage of 1492, and the conquistadors -- attracted by its plangent palm groves and broad bay -- founded the city in 1478.

Its palm tree-lined streets are clean, well laid out and richly endowed with fabulous floral displays -- the city's gardeners make the most of the balmy climate. The unique old town of Vegueta has an amazingly authentic feel to it, with narrow cobbled streets, no traffic and low number of tourists make you feel very special indeed.

The town fathers whither by accident or design have kept this area very special making it on par with the old quarters of Gerona, Barcelona or even Paris. The streets are incredibly clean, without being sterile and the silence sits beautifully with the flashing blue skies above, the rasp of the palms and the ocean winking at you through a side street with a vessel lowling on the swell, magnificent.

When you arrive at the port on your cruise, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the city is only minutes from the port, no long walk or ridiculous taxi fare. And on that note watch out for the taxis, you have been warned.

As for excursions there is the usual fare organised by the ship’s excursion dept, which means you’ll be decanted onto a coach at the port for a schlep off somewhere in the hills. Depending on the shore organiser (Intercruises Iberoservice or Ten Travel) you have a choice of tours like Arucas & Teror, Maspalomas Beaches or Bandana Crater.

A surprising new edition on offer is a city bike tour, which we took (I wanted to feel the wind in my hair) which started from the port and using new comfortable bikes took us along easy paths to Vegueta where the two guides packed as much as possible into the excursion without seeming to rush. Museums, churches and art galleries all seemed to fit seamlessly together.

We finished with a silver service lunch in a restaurant frequented by the King of Spain, so we felt pretty much under dressed for the occasion. The whole thing was incredibly relaxed and we felt we had been on something really special. The tour, we are told, conforms to the edicts of sustainable tourism, which gets my vote.

Apparently this is new to the ships, so you’ll have to enquire onboard or through your agent before you set sail. Or you can book ahead, Google for “city bike tour Las Palmas”.

And you don't even have to travel far to find a pleasant beach; the honey-sanded Playa de las Canteras lies just northwest of its downtown area and has the distinction of being one of the longest city beaches in the world.

Further afield, visitors can discover quaint old towns like Arucas and Teror, or explore Gran Canaria's volcanic interior -- a surreal moonscape of craggy gorges and gaping craters.

All in all it comes down to how much time your ship stays in Port to decide the best way to see the city without travelling too much. My advice is to take the least stressful option and stay local.