Las Canteras beach and shopping center Las Arenas
It is highly recommended to visit Las Palmas. This fascinating city in the north eastern corner of the island, stretches 11 kilometres along the ocean. Beach tourism is mainly concentrated on the three-kilometre-long white sandy beach "Las Canteras", or the beach "Las Alcaravaneras" (100 m wide) next to the largest marina in the Canary Islands. The promenade of Las Canteras is perfect for relaxing on one of the many terraces. At the end of the boulevard (in the north) is the Las Arenas shopping centre situated. A versatile shopping centre with all the well-known (Spanish) fashion houses and also Primark is located here.
Parque Santa Catalina / park
On the other side of the boulevard, near the harbour, is the square "Parque Santa Catalina", which is mainly visited by locals and here is always something to do. If you continue walking from the international port "Puerto de la Luz", with the port on your right, you will reach the fortress "Castillo de la Luz". It was built in 1494 and from here the port was defended against pirates and privateers. Eventually without success, the city was captured in 1599, plundered and set on fire!
Vegueta
The old town of "Vegueta" is well worth a visit, here are buildings where many aspects of Canarian architecture can be found: large patios with decorative stonework and beautiful wooden ceilings. The pedestrian squares such as Plaza del Pilar Nuevo, Plaza Santo Domingo, Plaza del Espíritu Santo, with its elegantly carved fountain, and the wooden balconies and ancient streets make it worthwhile to leave the beach for a few hours.
Triana & Mesa y Lopez
Nearby is "Triana", another very nice district. The Italian-style Teatro Pérez Galdós is one of the most striking buildings in the city. Meeting places in the Triana district are the Plaza Hurtado de Mendoza and the Plaza de Cairasco, where two remarkable buildings are located: Hotel Madrid and the literary cabinet, both built in neoclassical style with modernist elements. Triana also has a nice shopping street. Many large businesses are located in old buildings. So even if you're not planning on buying anything, it's still worth it to have a look inside.
In the famous shopping street "Mesa y Lopez" you can find the most exclusive shops of Gran Canaria and also the Spanish department store El Corte Ingles, you can have a really nice day of shopping here.
In Triana and Mesa y Lopez they still use the siesta, so at noon most shops here are closed between 1.30 pm and 4.30 pm. El Corte Inglés is open all day.
Public Transport to Las Palmas
Las Palmas is about 55 km from Playa del Inglés. You can go by public transport (bus no. 30 from the south) or you can go by (rental) car.