Gran Canaria Beaches

Playa de las Canteras

Playa de las Canteras is the main beach of Las Palmas, a fine, golden sand beach and certainly the most popular. It can be found to the very north of the city running from close to the port some 3 kilometres to the city’s auditorium with a wide and busy promenade running its entire length.

The beach splits into three “aches” with the most eastern one offering sunbeds and parasols, lifeguard on duty, showers, disabled access with special aparatus for helping disabled in and out of the ocean plus everything you’d expect of a blue flag beach. The section is 1.2 kilometres long and is also where all the tourists head as well as the locals so often busy especially at week-ends and during holidays. Not only has this beach been awarded the blue flag but it’s the only beach in the Canary Islands to receive the merit of Q for quality thanks to its environmental awareness and water Quality amongst other criteria. There’s a natural reef running parallel to this shore which acts as a breakwater making this an ideal beach for kids too and the water here is always calm even if over on the west point of the beach they are surfing.

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The middle arch is 760 meters long and the western arc just over 1km in length. The western part receives no protection at all from the reef so there are often waves and guys with body boards or on rougher days surfing. These consist of a more dark, volcanic sand with pebbles on the western most part.

Las Palmas is one of the largest cities in Spain though once you arrive at Las Canteras you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a holiday resort. The promenade is lined with large hotels and apartment complexes and in-between typical Spanish and Canarian restaurants and bars. At the western most point of the beach the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium and the huge shopping center Las Arenas. Getting here from the south catch one of the direct / semi-direct buses to the main bus stop in San Telmo then a city bus over to Las Canteras. If you wanted a holiday with a little more culture and escape the mass tourism then book an apartment or hotel with a view of Las Canteras beach for the week and stay up here in Las Palmas!

Recap