What to see in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1, 2 or 3 days

Before you go: which days each place closes

You do not need to book much in advance, but do plan around closing days:

• Monday: the CAAM is closed.
• Tuesday: from 20 October 2026, the Casa de Colón closes on Tuesdays (official website).
• Sunday: Santa Ana Cathedral only opens for services, with no tourist visit, and the Vegueta Market is closed. On the plus side, the Casa de Colón is free and Teror holds its market.

In the Canary Islands a bus is called a guagua. Within the city you ride the yellow Guaguas Municipales; to the airport and other towns on the island, the Global buses.

Flying in? All the options are in our airport to Las Palmas guide. For concerts, theatre or UD Las Palmas matches during your stay, check the Las Palmas events calendar. Travelling in December or January? See also our Christmas in Las Palmas guide.

Day 1: Vegueta and Triana

Morning (about 3 hours). Start at Santa Ana Cathedral, on the square of the same name. Tourist visits run Monday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 16:00 (last entry half an hour before). A standard ticket costs €8 and includes the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, which opens onto the Orange Tree Courtyard (official website).

A few minutes' walk away is the Casa de Colón, the museum that recalls Christopher Columbus's stop in the city on his first voyage to the Americas. A standard ticket costs €4 and under-18s go free. From 20 October 2026 it opens Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 to 18:00; no entry in the last half hour. You can buy tickets online on its website.

If you have time, look into the Vegueta Market, open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 14:00 and Saturday 8:00 to 14:30 (official website).

Afternoon. Cross the road that separates the two districts, where the Guiniguada ravine once ran, into Triana. Calle Mayor de Triana is the traditional shopping street, with modernist façades, and it ends at San Telmo park, with its modernist kiosk and chapel. Head back to Vegueta for the CAAM, the Atlantic Centre of Modern Art: free, Tuesday to Saturday until 21:00 (official website).

If you would rather go with a guide, Vegueta and Triana are also covered by guided walking tours.

Day 2: Las Canteras, Santa Catalina and the Castillo de la Luz

Getting there. From Triana, line 1 of Guaguas Municipales (Teatro-Puerto) leaves from the Teatro Pérez Galdós, passes San Telmo and stops at Tomás Miller (Las Canteras beach) and at the Castillo de La Luz. A single ticket costs €1.40, paid to the driver (Guaguas Municipales). The Tomás Miller stop has been temporarily moved since 25 September 2026: check the notice on the line page.

Morning. Spend it at Las Canteras. According to the City Council, the beach is 3,100 metres long and is sheltered by La Barra, a reef running parallel to the shore about 200 metres out that acts as a natural breakwater, which is why the water is usually calm except in the surfing area. A promenade runs from end to end, from the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus to La Puntilla (City Council). Sunloungers and parasols are for hire from 9:00 to 17:00.

Midday. Head to Santa Catalina park, by the Puerto de la Luz, the hub of the area, with the Miller and Elder buildings (now the Science and Technology Museum) from its port past.

Afternoon. Carry on through La Isleta to the Castillo de la Luz, a 16th-century fortress that now houses the Martín Chirino Foundation. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 14:00. On Wednesdays there is a free guided tour at 16:00 in English and 17:00 in Spanish, except in August (official website). City lines 1, 2, 12, 24, 33 and 47 stop outside.

Sunset. Go back to Las Canteras: the beach faces the ocean to the west and is the place in the city to watch the sun go down. Each day's time is on our Las Palmas events calendar.

If you are staying a few days, Las Canteras and Santa Catalina make a good base: look for a place to stay near the beach.

Day 3: a bus trip to Teror

Teror is an inland town whose historic centre, full of wooden balconies, surrounds the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pino, patron saint of the Diocese of the Canary Islands. Behind the basilica you can visit the museum and the Virgin's dressing room (camarín), with her robes and jewels; a joint ticket costs €2 (Teror Tourism).

Getting there. Global's line 216 leaves from San Telmo bus station (bay 18) (official timetable):

At weekends the last bus back leaves Teror at 17:00, so keep an eye on the time. Global takes cash and contactless bank cards on board (Global).

Best on a Sunday. Every Sunday the area around the basilica fills with the Teror market, one of the oldest on the island, with around a hundred stalls selling Teror chorizo, black pudding, sweets, cheese and bread (Teror Town Council). The shops in the historic centre open that day too.

If you would rather explore on your own and combine Teror with other northern towns in one day, a hire car gives you more flexibility than the bus.

If you stay in the city, the alternative is the Museo Canario in Vegueta: the largest collection of archaeological remains of Gran Canaria's prehistoric population. It opens Monday to Friday 10:00 to 20:00 and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 14:00, and a standard non-resident ticket costs €6 (official website).

What to do if it rains

It does not rain much in Las Palmas, but when it does you have the Cathedral and its museum, the Casa de Colón, the CAAM, the Museo Canario, the Vegueta Market (mornings) and the Castillo de la Luz under cover. Save Las Canteras and Teror for a dry day.

The Pérez Galdós House Museum, on Calle Cano in Triana, is temporarily closed for building work until further notice (official website).

Two ways to save money

1. Use the free days. According to the official websites:

All the free hours, day by day, are on our free museums in Las Palmas page.

2. LIVE tourist card. If you will ride city buses a lot, Guaguas Municipales sells an unlimited-travel card: €5 for 24 hours and €12 for 72 hours, from first use. Buy it at their offices, in the GuaguasLPA app or on their website. It is valid only on Guaguas Municipales lines. With a single ticket at €1.40, it pays off from the fourth ride in a day.