Las Palmas Old Town private walking tour

The Casa de Colón is one of Las Palmas most attractive buildings with ornate doorways, beautiful latticed balconies, large courtyards and carved wooden ceilings, representing numerous aspects of the island’s architecture. This palace was the residence of the first governors of the island and it is claimed that Christopher Columbus stayed there in 1492 while one of his ships was repaired, hence the name Casa de Colón (Columbus House). This charming building was rebuilt in 1777 and since 1952 has housed a museum comprising 13 permanent exhibition rooms, a library and study centre as well as several spaces reserved for temporary activities, such as lectures, seminars and exhibitions. On display are pre-Columbian artefacts, ship models, a replica of a cabin of La Niña, one ship of Columbus’ fleet, navigation instruments, nautical maps and charts, paintings as well as many other artefacts related to voyages made by the famous navigator and the history of the Canaries and their relationship with the Americas.

The Canary Islands Cathedral started to be built the year 1497 and until the end of the century XX it wasn’t finished. It combines the neoclassic (facade), gothic and renaissance style because of the different times when it was built. So that it was in charge of different architects. It is considered the most important building from the Canarian religious architecture.

The Atlantic Center for Modern Art is a contemporary art museum in the Canary Islands, Spain. It is in Vegueta in Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria. The building was designed by the architect Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza, retaining the façade of two older neoclassical houses.

The Espíritu Santo square is located next to the Consistorial Houses, old headquarter from the municipal offices until 1979. It is one of the noblest areas from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Therefore, around it we can appreciate some stately constructions. There is a fountain covered with a stone cupola. It is one of the few covered fountains from the Hispanic architecture. Next to the fountain, there is a drago and an araucaria tree and it represents the twinning between the Canary Islands and America. In the same square, we will find the hermitage Espíritu Santo which was built in 1540.

Crowning an island of tall cliffs to the north and extensive beaches to the south, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a city which offers sun, sea and an exceptional historic legacy. Mild temperatures throughout the year make for an enjoyable and racially diverse city. The combination of the aboriginal Guanche culture, its colonial past, and the fact that it is only 90 miles from the coast of Africa create a distinctive character resulting from the mix of Europe, America and Africa.

This hermitage is located at its square with the same name and it is well known because Cristopher Columbus prayed here in his stop at Gran Canaria in 1492, before starting its way to the discovery of America. It was the first church in the town.

Santa Ana square is from the century XVI and it was the first planned major square from Spain. In this square is located the Cathedral, the Bishopric, the Consistorial Houses, the Regental House, the High Court of Justice from the Canary Islands and the Provincial Historic Archive. At the Santa Ana square, in front of the Cathedral, you can also see some Canarian dog statues, so as a line of palm trees and some benches to have a break.

The Santo Domingo square and church are the focus from the Rosario pilgrimage which goes across Vegueta and Triana in October since from here it starts. This square has a fountain from the century XVIII and the church with the same name.

In Vegueta street market you can buy handicrafts, fruit, and plants in beautiful surroundings and absorb the culture of the city’s historical quarter. Set in the Plaza del Pilar Nuevo, right by the cathedral, the market offers a wide range of produce as well as live music and children’s activities. Vegueta market closes during the summer but is a popular event for the rest of the year.

Where Las Palmas was born Towards the south of Gran Canaria’s capital city, Vegueta was the original settlement that gave birth to Las Palmas at the end of the 15th Century. Its streets and squares contain historical buildings such as the Casa de Colon mansion, Santa Ana cathedral, the Museo Canario museum, Gabinete Literario club, town hall, and Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno gallery. The area around the market, built in 1856, is full of shops and over the road is the Triana shopping district. A historic old town full of culture and pretty corners Alongside the Guiniguada Barranco and opposite the Perez Galdós theatre, named after a famous Vegueta resident, you find an old town full of cobbled streets, pretty corners, and a wide range of architectural styles ranging from late Gothic to renaissance. After a walk, there are plenty of outdoor terraces to enjoy a break and absorb the atmosphere of its historical surroundings. We love some Vegueta streets. One is the Pelota street because of its gastronomic offer and beautiful buildings as the one we can see below. We have also Los Balcones street, because of the different balconies that it has. Finally we recommend you the Mendizábal street because of the festive atmosphere that you will find here every Thursday with the tapas night.