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TRAVEL GUIDE |
History of Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is also known as the "continent in miniature" with its centre being a mountainous, alpine region with peaks of 6,400 feet and an alpine climate. The north-west is greener still whilst the south remains arid and even desert like with the famous sand dunes of Maspalomas. The western coast is a series of mountains and cliffs, the east more level which is where most of the tourist resorts have been established all the way to the far north and the capital city of Las Palmas. The mountainous terrain of all the Canary islands is due to the fact that the islands were all volcanic in origin, Lanzarote still having an active volcano, though it hasn't errupted since the 18th century. Tenerife has the highest peak throughout anywhere in Spain, Teide, rising to over 12,000 feet, an inactive volcanic site and the third largest of its kind on earth! Incidentally, the last volcanic erruption in the islands was in La Palma, 1971.
The sub-tropical climate of Gran Canaria remains constant all year round. Rainfall levels of 10 inches per annum (much of it falling in the month of January!) alter only in the northern part of the island which often receives up to a further 10 inches of rain throughout the year. Crops grown here include bananas, oranges, coffee, dates, sugarcane and tobacco whilst banana plantations thrive the most here. The local fishing industry all around the island is also thriving all year round whilst during the winter months the tomato crop along with the cultivation of various flowers is also growing in popularity. The origional inhabitants of the Canaries were the Guanche and the "Canarios", an aboriginal people (the current locals are still known as "Canarios). They were followed by a multitude of nationals, from the Romans (40bc), then the Arabs (999), in the 13th and 14th centuries came the Geonese, Majorcan, Portuguese and French conquerors. 1404 saw the first Spanish conquest and in 1479, the "Treaty of Alcácovas" declared Spanish sovereignty over the islands. It was then that the building of Real de las Tres Palmas was started in earnest, the city of Las Palmas (the island's capital and largest city in the Canary Islands) itself being founded 24th June, 1478. Christopher Columbus replenished all four of his westbound fleets here before continuing to the Americas and in 1936, General Francisco "Franco" made these islands the base from which he began his Nationalist revolt. Fortunately for many, from the 1950s onwards the main use of the Canaries has been as a tourist haven. In addition to the influx of tourists, Franco's death in 1973 caused a movement of more than 15,000 people from EL Aaiún in the Western Sahara. The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly through the present day with the local population of Gran Canaria standing at approximately 800,000 inhabitants.
Until 1968, Puerto Rico would have looked similar to the picture here. The entire resort, including its beach, is man made. Blasting into the mountain began in 1968 and construction in 1969, beginning with the park and the beach. Whilst on the outskirts of the resort, some construction still continues, like the new beach that's being created at "Armadores", the main resort is now well and truly established (& completed!) Playa del Ingles isn't much more than 10 years older than Puerto Rico and followed a similar route in construction and developement. I've found a photo from the 1960s
Neither Playa del Ingles' nor Puerto Rico's construction didn't begin in earnest until the 1960s we have no historical monuments or museums. These are almost all found in the north of the island, nearer to the city and port of Las Palmas where museums and monuments go back to the times of Christopher Columbus and before. Las Palmas Museums & Galleries |
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