Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a city of the sea connected to nature
Botanical richness, volcanic landscapes, hiking trails and crystal clear waters 8 October, 2025Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital of the island, is a cosmopolitan city that combines urban rhythm with unique natural areas. Volcanic landscapes, botanical gardens and trails open up just a few steps from the centre, allowing you to discover the richness of the archipelago. The city offers a number of places to explore on foot or by bicycle, always in direct contact with the sea and nature.
El Confital: nature in the heart of the city
El Confital, located on the peninsula of La Isleta, is a natural enclave that combines beach and mountain with geological, historical and ethnographic values. It can be reached on foot from Las Canteras beach or from the Las Coloradas neighbourhood.
In the coastal area you can enjoy the sea, the ponds that form at low tide and the views of the city. The routes around the mountain pass through volcanic landscapes and lead to the Cueva de los Canarios, an ancient aboriginal settlement. Remnants of bunkers and trenches recall the enclave’s defensive function.
At the top of the mountain, the Cruz de El Confital is a perfect place to watch the sunset.
Caldera de Bandama
A few kilometres from the centre is the Bandama crater, which arose from an eruption some 5,000 years ago. The area, shared by the municipalities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Brígida and Telde, offers two routes for walking around the crater: one that borders it and another, more difficult, where you can descend inside.
Along the route is the site of the Cuevas de los Canarios, with artificial caves used as agricultural silos by the ancient settlers.
From the Pico de Bandama viewpoint, which can be reached by a road that winds through the vineyards of Tafira Alta, there are panoramic views of the crater and a large part of the northeast of the island.
Guiniguada Ravine
The historic centre of the city is the starting point of the Guiniguada trail, a 7.5 kilometre route to the Viera y Clavijo Botanical Gardens. The route, which can be travelled on foot or by bicycle, passes through banana and fruit plantations, artificial caves dating back to pre-Hispanic times and old hydraulic infrastructures such as mills, irrigation channels and cultivation terraces.
The ravine contains more than 20,000 specimens of 160 plant species, reflecting its ecological and heritage value.
The Viera y Clavijo Canarian Botanical Garden
On the edge of the Guiniguada ravine, this 27-hectare botanical garden shows the plant diversity of the archipelago and Macaronesia. It houses laurel forest, thermophilic forest, Canary Island pine forest and a succulent garden with 2,000 specimens. It also conserves endangered endemic species and palm trees from different continents.
On sunny days, from its stone bridge, the giant lizards of Gran Canaria can be seen.
The Viera y Clavijo Canarian Botanical Garden. Fuente: Turismo Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Routes by the sea
The city offers several coastal tours. One of the busiest starts at the monument El Atlante and, in a 7-kilometre walk, runs along the beach of Las Canteras to the Bay of El Confital. A path that allows you to enjoy all the attractions of these two beaches and discover, with the help of 15 panels and interpretive tables, their geology, biology, history and anecdotes such as the filming of Moby Dick in these waters.
The Las Palmas Bay coastal path runs along a promenade that borders the sea, parallel to the Avenida Marítima, the city’s main artery.
The route, which can be done on foot or by bicycle, starts at the Onda Atlántica flyover, next to the Mercado del Puerto, and runs along the Muelle Sanapú and the Muelle Wilson of the Port of Las Palmas to the Santa Catalina maritime park; it reaches the beach of Las Alcaravaneras and the Muelle Deportivo, crosses the historic district of Vegueta, continues to the seaside district of San Cristóbal and continues to the beach of La Laja, the southern limit of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Las Canteras Beach
Considered one of the best urban beaches in Europe, Las Canteras stretches for 3 kilometres and has been awarded the Q for Tourist Quality.
Its calm waters are due to La Barra, a 100,000-year-old limestone reef that runs parallel to more than half of the beach and acts as a natural breakwater; it is home to an ecosystem with different habitats and a varied endemic sample of marine flora and fauna.
Las Canteras beach offers options for every day: from a quiet swim or a stroll along the shore, to sports activities in and out of the water or family plans. The seafront promenade concentrates the gastronomic and leisure offer. As an added attraction, its sunsets usually offer the silhouette of Tenerife and the imposing figure of Mount Teide on the horizon.