Las Canteras beach: the jewel of Las Palmas

Of all the beacheson the island of Gran Canaria, there's one that stands out above all others. A real jewel of the island, a treasure of incalculable natural value that is located in the heart of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: the beach Las Canteras.

Each one of the residents of the largest and most important city in the archipelago are lucky enough to be able to enjoy this unique beach thanks to the good weather for a good part of the year.

Here, you can do any kind of activity that beach lovers can imagine: snorkelling, surfing, bodyboarding, playing volleyball, beach football or any other sport you can think of.

In addition to enjoying all these plans, Las Canteras offers endless options for enjoying a day at the beach, a pleasant stroll or finishing off a day of shopping in the surrounding area by tasting the best Canarian food in the restaurants along the seafront promenade.

In the following lines, we're going to introduce you to the best urban beach in Europe. We'll tell you what you can do there, how to get around, and what this marvel of nature has to offer.

Las Canteras Beach: the natural jewel of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Located in the northeast of Gran Canaria, on the north coast of the capital, is one of the most important beaches in Spain and one of the largest urban beaches in Europe. Its name in Spanish comes from the fact that stones and rocks were quarried in the area for the construction of the surrounding area.

Las Canteras Beach is approximately 3 kilometres long, ideal for long, relaxing strollsalong its golden sand, which sometimes turns dark, or along its avenue where you can find cafés and restaurants where you can try the wide and rich variety of traditional dishes.

At Las Canteras, you'll always find the Blue Flag that distinguishes the best beaches, those that strictly comply with the criteria of excellence in water quality, environmental regulations, availability of sanitary and safety infrastructures.

In the same way, Las Canteras is a beach that has all the servicesthat are necessary for a great day at the beach:

• Sun loungers and parasols for hire.
• Access for people with physical disabilities.
• Car park.
• Showers.
• Children's playgrounds.
• Areas for practising sports.
• Restaurant areas.

La Barra: a nature reserve in the heart of the city

It's one of the icons of Las Canteras. It's a natural barrier that acts as a wave breaker in the middle of the water. La Barra is quite a rocky formation that shelters hundreds and hundreds of aquatic species in its seabed.

Many people, when the tide is low or completely low, come swimmingor even venture to take a canoeto reach it. You can walkon the rocky surface, as long as you do so safely, and enjoy spectacular views of the bay of Playa de las Canteras.

It's also an ideal spot for surfers. Reaching La Barra and going past it, there's a small area where, if the tides allow it, you can enjoy one of the best waves on the whole island.

However, the great natural attraction of La Barra is the divingand snorkelling. Thanks to the protection provided to the beach, a kind of natural pool is formed in the bay, without waves, where you can enjoy the seabed.

La Cicer: the water sports area

We move on to the opposite side of Las Canteras, its wildest and craziest area: La Cicer. This is a real sanctuaryfor surferswho come to the city every year in search of the best waves and the best weather.

This part of the beach isn't protected by any natural or artificial barrier such as the Barra, making it a place where the waves are ideal for surfingor bodyboarding.

However, we must warn you that, if you decide to take a swimin this area, be specially careful and never go alone. The currentsof the Cicer are usually quite strong, and you can get caught in them, making it difficult to get out of the water, which can cause major damage.

In this area of Las Canteras beach, you can find places where you can eat, such as the legendary Ca'Ñoño where you can try one of the house specialities, the squid sandwich.

La Puntilla: the beach's most family-friendly setting

We reach the eastern part of the beach, the one closest to the Confital area: La Puntilla. This is the place where you'll find practically all the restaurantswhere you can taste the best fresh fish and seafood on the island.

It's also the busiest part of the beach, as this is the main meeting point for familiesand friendswho, in summer and at weekends, get together to spend a day at the beach.

Also, when the most magical time of the year arrives, La Puntilla hosts the largest open-air nativity scene in Europe, the Belén de Arena de las Canteras, built by the best sculptors in the world who bring to life the most iconic figures of the nativity scene.

Las Canteras Beach: the best-kept treasure of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

There's little more we can say about this marvel that nature has given to all the people of Gran Canaria. It's an immense fortune to be able to enjoy this urban beach 365 days a year and all that it has to offer, above all in terms of nature.

It's one of the most important natural heritage sites on the island, above all for its diversityof marine species, for the geological elements that make it up and for being one of the best areas for sportssuch as surfingand bodyboarding.

For this reason, it must be cared for and conserved in order to be able to continue enjoying this beach and so that those who come to visit the city can fully enjoy this spot.

Ultimately, if you’re going to be in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, you must visit Las Canteras and discover the greatest urban natural treasure of the Canary Islands.

Did you like this article? Share it!