Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Canary Islands

Gran Canaria is the largest of the seven Canary Islands, which are located 150 km's from the North African coast. The capital, Las Palmas boasts golden beaches near the city, and lush, rugged interior terrain ravines surrounding a beautiful valley.

Las Palmas picturesque Old Town is rich in Spanish culture, historical sites and lovely garden parks. These include archaeological sites and areas relating to the early inhabitants.

The island of Gran Canaria has a long tradition of spectator sports, such as soccer, basketball and motor rallies, in addition to autochthonous sports, such as Canarian wrestling, juego del palo and lateen sailing. It is said that sport is part of the Canarian character.

Things to See & Do

* Crocodile Park
* Holiday World
* Puerto de Mogán - a scenic marina
* Mundo Aborigen - a recreation of early village life.
* View from Bandama - extinct volcano

General information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - Spanish
Land Area - 7447 sq km's
Population - 1,844,000
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time -GMT/UTC plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code - +34

Port Location - The Port of Las Palmas (capital of Gran Canaria) is located in downtown Las Palmas.

Transport Links- Flights travel from Gran Canaria to all of the other islands, also connecting mainland Spain, numerous European locations and a number of international cities.

When travelling around Gran Canaria, renting a car is often the preferred mode of transport, with car hire travel companies available at both Gran Canaria Airport and many of the main resorts. The island's 'Global' bus transport is a particularly inexpensive way to travel around Gran Canaria and taxis are readily available. A selection of ferries and jetfoils travel from Gran Canaria to other neighbouring Canary Islands.