Las Palmas

[Alter Egotist]

Hey all. Looking for a bit of help. Again. (God he's so demanding and gives nothing back) I promise I'll take loads of pics next time I'm away and make them available to all. Anywho........

I was thinking of heading to Las Palmas some afternoon or Sunday for a bit of shopping. Apart from landing in the airport there I have never been in and around the city. I was wondering could anyone help/tell me.......

1) Where the best shopping areas or tourist sites I have to see are?

2) Can I get a bus from anywhere in the city back to Puerto Rico?

3) Where does the Bus in Puerto Rico leaves from?

4) The bus times to and from PR to Las Palmas? And are there differnt times on Sundays? Do all the shops open on Sundays?

5) Where the Las Palmas football satadium is and where I could pick up a las Palmas jersey. Also What colour the home and away jerseys are.

Hope ye can help.

Answers on a postcard.

Cheers,

AL.

[mary]

Firstly, dont bother coming to Las Palmas on a Sunday. Everything will be shut
Easiest shopping is El Muelle down near the port. All the main stores are there.
Or Las Arenas, big shopping centre just at the far end of Las Canteras beach. Theres are Barecelona football club shop in there - if that is any help for football stuff.
Stadium is out by another shopping centre - Siete Palmas.
Best bet would be to come up by bus, write these places on a bit of paper and show them to a taxi driver who can take you there. Not much English is spoken in the city.
Old Town of Las Palmas is Triana and Vegueta. Museo de Colon, Casa Colon are the places to see in Vegueta (no, its not an exhibition of intestines - Colon is Columbus who stopped off here whilst on his travels)
Lovely cobbled streets and Romeo and Juiel balconies.
Go to Hotel Santa catalina and have a coffee on the terrace. Feels just like the old colonial days and next door is museo Nestor and Pueblo canario where there have some craft shops and canarian dancing (definitely on a Sunday and maybe on a thursday at about 12.30)

[coolcreen]

Bus number 91 is an express hourly service between Puerto Rico bus station(It is more an area than a station) and Las Palmas. It is located very close to a roundabout with a water fountain at it's centre. Journey time is about one hour, depending on traffic. From memory, I think that the departures are 45 minutes past the hour from Puerto Rico and 15 minutes past the hour from Las Palmas. You may also use the number 1 bus service which runs very frequently, but can take about 2 hours to complete the journey as it goes through many of the towns and villages.
Check the above information out when you arrive as the times/frequency may have changed.

[redswanlady]

Hi

What is Las Palmas like? Are there any british name stores? Is it worth a trip up there?

Any info would be good

thanx

[mary]

Marks and Spencers!!!! thats along Mesa y Lopez. There is a C&A in Muelle apart from that its all the usual shops you find in the shopping centres.

i love las palmas. Best idea is to park and then taxi around as it gets a bit complicated driving around.

Take the kids on the open top bus tour - about 8 euros a head. You can hop on and off - another bus comes along every hour. it takes you all over Las Palmas - out to the isleta and through the old town.

[CSI Fan]

there's also an m&S in Triana and in Las Arenas shopping centre. Shopping in Las Palmas is absolutely fantastic, shoes to die for, far better shopping than in any Uk city centre or out of town shopping park.

[vecino]

Of course Las Palmas is worth going to from antique shops hidden away off the Triana to el corte ingles and everything in the middle & El corte ingles sells everything . . . Zara home store and Zara everywhere . Please get to know Las P if you live here , I also think it is much better than most uk towns for shopping as there is so much more choice just look at the food hall downstairs in el corte ingles (which the most profitable department store chain in europe ) Remember the Spanish opening times for some shops though in Las palmas .

[2-islandangie]

Las Palmas is definitely worth going to. After many trips there we are still finding new places. Siete Palmas has media Market - The best place to shop for electrical goods, mobile phones, computers & accessories etc.
There is also El corte Ingles & Hipercor.
Putting it in perspective it is shoppers paradise. Mary has the right idea though it is far easier to get a cab.
The only problem I have is I need to lose my husband when I get there as he doesn't share my enthusiasm to hit the shops!!!!
As well as Marks & Spencer (I think there are 3 or 4 in Las Palmas) I have also spotted C & A's but I can't remember the name of the shopping centre. I haven't been there yet.......
Go & enjoy :D

[2-islandangie]

I think the shopping centre I am referring to is La Ballenas. I am sure the super mod Mary will know.

[Owen]

There's apage dedicated to Las Palmas on the web site and a ton of photos in the gallery
http://www.canaryforum.com/gc/palmas.html

[mary]

There is a C and A in Muelle shopping centre- down by the port opposite Santa catalina park.
La ballena - is on the way to Siete Palmas - tends to have the cheaper end of the market and not so international.

The best shoe shop I've found apart from Calzados Navarro is Carolina Boix - lovely leather flip flops and what i call little shoes as well as wedges etc. There's one in the Al campo bit. They are so cheap - 6 euros for good flip flops - not rubber ones that make between your toes go sore

[julia]

I love Las Palmas

Not only for the Shopping but also for sitting in the Street cafes and watching the world go by. But I Agree with the others, Las Palmas is well worth not only one visit but more. You just find that each time you go you will see something new shops hidden away in some sidestreet, and the Architecture is fantastic too.:thumb:

LG

Julia

[maxine]

We now have a new Zara home opened in Triana, which is lovely, much bigger than Mesa Lopez. Also in Tirana a new Berska last week.
I think Las Arenas is the better centre. If your not a local i would get a taxi from the centre of Las Palmas. Its the biggest has 3 floors:ph34r:

[oddynoki]

Heading to Puerto Rico next week and want to visit Las Palmas by car. But after our last attempt I wondered if anyone had any tips, as it was a nightmare. We wanted to go to Canteras beach and the usual tourist places and probably naively expected big tourist like signs to lead us to them but didnt see many. We saw a few signs but we still got lost, the closest we got to Canteras beach was the main commercial shipping port where we ended up in customs! The traffic was really bad though, I dont know whether or not it was rush hour or its always like that?
We then headed into the city centre where we drove round for an hour looking for somewhere to park, got stressed and spent another hour trying to find our way out!
Has anyone managed to find these places and is there anywhere to park?

[mary]

It is possible but a nightmare. You could head towards the port and El Muelle (a big shopping centre on the edge of Alcavaneras beach) Park there and then taxi.
Or bus to Parque San Telmo and then you are on the edge of Triana
Or when you get nearish Las Palmas follow 'P' signs - parking or Aparcamiento, in spanish. Park and keep a note of where you are. Then taxi everywhere. Even if you drive everywhere, parking is a nightmare and so you spend more time parking than having a good time. The signposts are terrible. Its less of a tourist area and more of a working city (doesnt stop London having signposts though - but imagine driving up to London and expecting the same. I would still advise bus or train there and then taxi)

[roxy]

I agree Mary its much easier on the bus.
I did that in May, wanted to go to Santa Catalina, walked some of the way browsing in the shops when we got off the bus then when we'd had enough walking just jumped in a taxi the rest of the way AND the taxi driver would NOT accept a tip !!

[oddynoki]

Hi Mary and Roxy, thanks for your replies
Its not just me then, it is a nightmare! I suppose its like driving through any city.
We'll probably get the bus then, just seems a shame when weve got a car.

[liam]

must agree......we always get the bus from puerto rico and taxi from the station in lp...........

[Owen]

... or drive up to Las Palmas but as soon as you arrive look for the sign for Triana or Vergueta then the P for parking sign and there's a BIG underground car park opposite the bus station at Triana. Park there, Triana is a really nice area for shopping and accross the road is the cathedral and Vergueta the historic quarter. You could spend most of the day there, shop in Triana and visit the museums at Vergueta. If you have time left over, get the bus to theother shopping street of Mesa y Lopez or to Santa Catalina Park. From the park it is a ten minute stroll to Las Canteras beach. At least that way you don't really have to drive through much of the city.

[MARCUS]

And just to add to " Owens kind words" .......
Having lived in Las Palmas for a few years.Driving in Las Palmas can be a "terrifying experience" (without wishing to sound " dramatic" ) The only other place in the world that is " hideous" for driving is in " India"
(with respect to my friend " Raj" - a man from " Deli" with " a turben " and a strong " Leicestershire" accent........)
I would recommend going by Bus to Las Palmas because if you drive your stress levels will rise to a level of " critical " ..........
" Happy motoring" viewers!
:mellow:
Mr M x