As the largest city in the Canaries, Las Palmas is much more than the classic island cocktail of sun, sea and sand you might expect. With roots in the 15th century, it's got history in spades and lots of attractive architecture, as well as plenty of nightlife, shopping, dining and culture to keep its 350,000 residents entertained.
Situated between two bays on the northeastern tip of Gran Canaria, the city also boasts two long beaches, Playa de las Canteras to the west, and Playa de Las Alcaravaneras to the east.
One great selling point for those who want to give the package holiday masses a miss, is that this is about as far away as you can get from the major resorts along the southern, sunnier shores of the island. If, on the other hand, you're going to Gran Canaria on a resort holiday yourself, you've got a great day trip or two to the capital to look forward to.
In Las Palmas's oldest districts of Vegueta and Triana, among shopping boulevards lined with restored buildings, you'll find the 16th-century Catedral de Santa Ana and a number of good museums. North of the harbour, on protruding La Isleta island, is the 15th-century Castille de la Luz, also well worth a visit.
There's a lot to explore on the rest of the island, too. Arucas, across a gorge to the west of the capital, is another richly historical city, its centrepiece (and the island's architectural jewel) being the splendid Church of San Juan Bautista.
If you hire a car, head for the beautiful mountain village of Fataga, the picturesque fishing port of Puerto de Mógan, and the volcanic crater town of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
On the south coast, don't miss the vast Maspalomas Dunes, which roll seemingly endlessly towards the sea¿ concealing sunbathers (with or without clothing) among them.
Print >