Gran Canaria is an island located in the Atlantic Ocean, belonging
to the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands in Spain. Together
with the islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Graciosa they
form the province of Las Palmas, also made up of the islets of
Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste and Islote
de Lobos. Gran Canaria with an area of 1560.1 km² and an altitude
of 1956 meters with the Morro de la Agujereada, is the third island
of the archipelago in area6 and altitude.
The population of
the island in 2022 was 853,262 inhabitants, making it the second
most populated island in the Canary Islands, although the one with
the highest population density.8 The capital of the island, Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria, is the largest city. populated in the Canary
Islands with 381,223 inhabitants, it is also the capital of the
eastern province (Las Palmas) and of the Autonomous Community of the
Canary Islands, together with Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The city,
founded in 1478, was considered the only de facto capital (without
legal or real meaning) of the Canary Islands until the 17th century.
The population centers adjacent to the capital make up a
metropolitan area of about 680,000 inhabitants, the first in the
Canary Islands. and ninth in Spain. The city has one of the most
important ports in Spain and the European Union, the Puerto de la
Luz y de Las Palmas.
The island is one of the most important
tourist destinations in Spain, approaching five million tourists
annually. In 2012, World Tourism Day was celebrated for the first
time in Spain in the tourist center of Maspalomas. The Las Palmas
Carnival of Gran Canaria, declared a Festival of National Tourist
Interest, is one of the most important events on the island and
enjoys an important national and international projection. Since
2005, an extensive sector of the island and its adjacent marine
border, where its part terrestrial covering 46% (69,000 ha) of the
island territory in its western half, it was declared a Biosphere
Reserve by UNESCO. In 2019, it was declared the first and only
UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gran Canaria and the province of Las
Palmas. , called "Cultural Landscape of the Caído Risco and the
Sacred Mountain Spaces of Gran Canaria", covering an area of 18,000
hectares of the municipalities of Artenara, Tejeda, Gáldar and
Agaete.
Likewise, Gran Canaria has an important historical,
cultural and artistic heritage, among which the Casa de Colón Museum
stands out, which with 165,000 visitors in 2017, is the most popular
museum in the Canary Islands, which commemorates the admiral's
passage around the island before his first trip on the Discovery of
America, or the Cathedral of the Canary Islands, considered the most
important monument of Canarian religious architecture.
The tourist center of the island is on the south coast.
There is a twelve kilometer long sandy beach and the dunes of
Maspalomas. The mountains in the center protect from clouds and trade
winds.
1 Maspalomas . ideal vacation spot for families. There is
a beautiful dune landscape and a 6 km long sandy beach.
2 Playa del
Ingles . large tourist metropolis with beautiful dune beaches. There are
hardly any sights here apart from a church where services are held in
three different languages. In the evening the city changes its face.
Where families used to lie on the beach or go shopping during the day,
young people are now out and about and visit the countless nightclubs,
bars and restaurants in the city.
3 Bahía Feliz
4 San Agustin .
with an impressive dark lava beach, spa services and a golf course.
5
Arguineguin
6 Puerto Rico . a must for water sports enthusiasts! All
known water sports can be found here.
7 Puerto de Mogan
The largest and economically most important places on the island are in
the east. Here you can find traces of the old Canarians, here were the
oldest settlements of the Spaniards. The region also has a lot to offer
in terms of tourism: water sports, surfing and diving are all part of
it.
8 Las Palmas internet (Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las) . The
capital has an international flair and the 3 km long sandy beach is
ideal for relaxing. If you'd rather do something other than just lying
on the beach, this is the place for you, as Las Palmas has museums,
beautiful parks and churches. The Columbus House in the Vegueta district
should also not be missed.
9 Telde internet . second largest city
with an old town center worth seeing.
10 Ingenio . Gorge with former
living caves of the old Canarians.
11 Agüimes. with living caves of
the old Canarians.
The northern island region is
agricultural. It is green and fertile thanks to the trade wind, which
brings cloudy air with it, which is then discharged in the traffic jams
of the caldera mountains. In addition to fruit and vegetables, citrus
fruits, grapes and of course the tasty little Canary bananas are grown.
12 Arucas . large church of black lava rock.
13 Gáldar
14 Moya
15 Teror an idyllic mountain village, place of pilgrimage.
16 Firgas
with the Gran Canaria Islands Route.
17 Santa Maria (Santa Maria de
Guia de Gran Canaria)
The national language is Spanish, but in the Canarian dialect. However, most of the waiters, taxi drivers and most of the hotel staff speak a little German and English, so that communication usually works.
The public holiday calendar is redefined every year by the individual
autonomous regions of Spain. For example, if a public holiday falls on a
Sunday, in some cases the following Monday or the preceding Friday is
also designated as a public holiday. Here are the public holidays that
apply throughout the island:
January 1: Año Nuevo
January 6th:
Epiphany, Los Reyes: On this day the children in Spain get their
Christmas presents, which the Three Kings bring with them. In Las
Palmas, the kings come by ship with their entourage and then ride camels
through the city tossing sweets.
February/ March: Carnaval. The
carnival is celebrated here with nights of dancing and is reminiscent of
the carnival in Rio, of course in small edition. Strongholds here are
Las Palmas, Telde and Maspalomas.
March 19: San Jose
Maundy
Thursday: Jueves Santo
Good Friday April 7, 2023: Viernes Santo
Easter Sunday: Pascua
May 1st: Day of Trabajo
May 30th: Día de las
Islas Canarias, Canary Islands Day
Pentecost Sunday May 28, 2023:
Pentecostés
Corpus Christi: Corpus Christi
Ascension Day May 18,
2023: Ascension del Señor
July 25: Santiago Apostel, Apostle James
August 15: Assumption of Mary: Asunción
September 8th: Island
Holiday, Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Virgen del Pino, patron saint of
the island. Great procession in Teror.
October 12: Day of the
Discovery of America, Día de la Hispanidad
November 1st: All Saints'
Day, Todos los Santos
December 6: Día de la Constitución,
Constitution Day
December 8: Conception of Mary, Immaculada
Concepción
December 25: Christmas, Navidad
On Gran Canaria there is a very dense and well-functioning network of
regular buses, called guaguas, they drive through the city and country
for little money. The blue intercity buses are operated by the Global
company (route network and timetables). The personalized Tarjeta TransGC
value card costs €10 and offers a 20-40% discount depending on the
top-up (min. €15). For seniors over 65 it will be 20% cheaper. Since
2021 it has also been possible to pay contactless (NFC) with a bank card
on the bus.
The yellow buses drive in Las Palmas itself. The
ticket costs €1.40 per trip and is purchased from the bus driver.
A highway, the GC1, stretches from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria across
the southeast of the island to around Puerto Rico. The GC2 motorway
connects Las Palmas with the west of the island, it does not have 4
lanes throughout and ends at Agaete. The GC3 is the western ring road
around Las Palmas, the short GC4 and the GC23 are city highways in the
south and west of Las Palmas.
The use of taxis, rental cars or
scooters is very common. Taxis can be recognized by the SP plaque. Free
taxis have a green sign or the sign "libero".
Cycling, on the
other hand, is less common in Gran Canaria. However, there is the
company Free Motion, which operates several rentals across the island.
There are regular flight and ferry connections to the neighboring
islands
Canarian delicacies include papas arrugadas con mojo (small wrinkled
potatoes boiled in salted water with a garlic sauce), ropa vieja
(chickpea stew), pata de cerdo (baked ham), gofio escaldado (cornmeal
thickened with fish soup), pimientos padron (small peppers, sometimes
hot), morcilla (roasted black pudding with raisins), potaje de berros
(watercress soup), cabrito (goat meat), desserts such as bienmesabe,
leche asada, tunos (peeled cactus fruit). Otherwise any type of
preparation of fish and seafood (salt dough, baked, steamed).
Restaurants with a view
1 Restaurante Las Canadad. View of the green
canyon.
2 Restaurant La Palmita. In Agaete, overlooking the Atlantic.
Nightlife, especially for young people, takes place in Playa Del
Inglés. There everyone will find what they are looking for in bars and
discos. In the south, most of the activity takes place on the seafront
(e.g. Meloneras) or in the shopping centers (Centros Comerciales). These
are full of restaurants of all nationalities, discotheques and small
pubs. You never have to walk far in Las Palmas. Everything can be found
here, both in the port area and in Vegueta.
The largest shopping
center in Playa del Inglés deserves a special mention: the CC Yumbo
Centrum. Families and couples - straight and gay - saunter here in the
evenings. The Yumbo is one of the meeting places for gay tourism. But
don't worry - they only bite when the other wants to be bitten too.
However, if you have a problem with seeing men holding hands, you will
never be able to show consideration for your feelings there. So just
stay away. There are enough alternatives: The "timeless" fraction is
more likely to be found in the south of Playa del Inglés, from old in La
Sandia to ancient in Cita. But what goes well with the many swinger
clubs that are concentrated in these two centers and open their doors to
the experience-oriented public. Teens and twenty-somethings (and those
who count themselves among them) are mostly around the Plaza and Kasbah,
which offer a colorful mix of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Opportunity makes the thief, so normal caution must be exercised as
anywhere in the world, watch out for luggage, handbags and purses, and
don't leave valuables in the car. In the case of particularly cheap
offers, a healthy mistrust is appropriate. What appears to be a gift
could all too easily turn out to be an expensive trap. The safe should
definitely be used in the accommodation as well.
beach flags
You should take the beach flagging, the system is uniform throughout
Spain, seriously, as some beaches are not protected from currents. You
must always be aware that you are often not swimming in a bay but in the
open Atlantic.
Red flag: absolute bathing ban
Yellow flag:
caution is advised; don't leave your children alone in the sea and watch
out for crashing waves. Otherwise it can quickly happen that you end up
under a wave.
Green flag: bathing without hesitation; here you can
let your children, as long as they can swim, go into the water alone
under supervision.
Red Cross flag: if it is hoisted, the lifeguard is
on site and can intervene in an emergency. If the flag is not hoisted,
there is no lifeguard on site.
Corresponding boards in several
languages can be found on the beaches.
Emergency call: 112
On the island there are doctors and
pharmacies (farmacia) with German or English speaking staff, good
clinics in Las Palmas z. B. Hospital Negrin private clinics in the south
with translators: HOSPITEN CLÍNICA ROCA in San Agustín or Hospital San
Roque Maspalomas, which z. B. cooperates with TK.
As a rule,
these private doctors are paid in cash. The money can be claimed from
the health insurance company. In Germany, however, reimbursement is made
up to the amount of the statutory health insurance doctor's rate.
Therefore, it makes more sense to visit the local Centros de Salud
(polyclinics). As in the rest of Spain, the European Insurance Card
(EHIC) applies here. However, you may have to wait longer. Many doctors
only speak Spanish! In larger towns they have a medical emergency
service around the clock.
In pharmacies, over-the-counter
medicines are often significantly cheaper than in Germany.
Vine cultivation in Gran Canaria dates back to the end of the 15th
century, when the first vines arrived from Crete. Already in the 16th
century, Canarian wines, due to their quality and prosperity, began to
be exported to England, Flanders, Hamburg and the New World. Towards the
middle of the century, wine in Gran Canaria plays a fundamental role in
the island economy, becoming the main export product due to the decline
in sugar cane cultivation. However, this privileged situation will soon
be harmed due to the international situation: that is, the war of
succession to the Spanish crown. The English gave preference to
Portuguese wines, thus definitively undermining the production and trade
of Canarian wines practically to this day.
The current Gran
Canaria designation of origin was obtained in January 2006, after the
unification of the two previously existing designations of origin on the
island; DO. Monte Lentiscal and D.O. Gran Canaria, obtained in November
1999 and May 2000 respectively.
Cheese is one of the most consumed products in the archipelago. In
Gran Canaria there is a wide variety of cheeses, usually artisanal, that
depending on the milk or milk mixture used, the rennet with which it is
made and also the time allocated for its production, various Gran
Canaria cheeses are obtained. Counting some of them, in the northwest
region, with a protected designation of origin. These cheeses are
characteristic of the municipalities of Gáldar, Santa María de Guía and
Moya.
Flower cheese: product with designation of origin, which
follows a peculiar system to curdle the milk, using the thistle flower
or fluff, as vegetable rennet, obtaining a very fragile cheese due to
its thin and elastic rind, which may have small cracks. . The paste has
a very creamy texture, almost melting depending on its ripening, with
smells and aromas reminiscent of grasses and sometimes nuts. The bitter
flavor predominates on the palate, with a medium-high persistence, and a
spicy aftertaste may appear.
Half-flower cheese: with designation of
origin, it is made with 50% vegetable rennet and 50% animal rennet. The
texture of the paste is creamy in young cheeses, acquiring firmness with
maturation; Lactic smells and aromas, like fresh butter and vegetable
notes. The flavor and bitter aftertaste is not as intense as flower
cheese, with spicy, burning and astringent sensations appearing in more
mature cheeses.
Guide cheese: also with designation of origin, and
made entirely with animal rennet. Its texture is soft in semi-cured
cheeses, hard in cured ones, and brittle in aged ones. When tasting it,
we will perceive aromas of the lactic family (milk, curd, butter) and
animal (leather, rennet), sometimes appearing notes of the plant family
(dry straw, grasses). The flavor is balanced, slightly salty and acidic
and with a bitter touch. Its spicy and fiery aftertaste stands out,
sometimes also astringent, which intensifies with maturation.
Gran Canaria has various museum venues of different natures that are
under the domain of different institutions. Some of the most notable
are:
The Canarian Museum, located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a
scientific and cultural institution founded in 1879, where collections
of archaeological and ethnographic materials and artistic creations are
preserved, studied and exhibited, along with a Library and Archive
specialized in Canarian themes.
Casa de Colón, located in the
historic neighborhood of Vegueta, this architectural complex, among
which is the former house of the Governors of the Island, visited by
Christopher Columbus during the First Voyage to America (1492), shows
the role of the Canary Islands in the Discovery, as well as paintings
from the 16th to 19th centuries.
CAAM - Atlantic Center of Modern
Art, also located in the historic neighborhood of Vegueta, has as its
mission the interpretation of the historical avant-garde and the most
current manifestations of art. To this end, it maintains a continuous
line of temporary exhibitions, alone or in collaboration with the main
art centers in the world, which include trends and essential artists of
20th century art.
Néstor Museum, located in Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria, exhibits the work of Néstor Martín-Fernández de la Torre
(1887-1938), one of the most prestigious Canarian Symbolist painters,
and one of the most unique of the European movement. Apart from his most
important canvases, they are exhibited; portraits, landscapes; designs
for theater, architecture, crafts, drawings, sketches. The Museum is
part of the architectural complex called Pueblo Canario, which also
includes catering services and shops, in a style called “neo-Canarian”,
made by a brother of the artist, Miguel Martín-Fernández de la Torre.
Elder Museum of Science and Technology, located in the capital of Gran
Canaria, the interactive and educational nature of most of its more than
twenty spaces dedicated to reconstructing and reproducing the great
scientific advances of humanity are part of this interactive scientific
dissemination center. , whose motto is “it is forbidden not to touch”.
Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park, located in Gáldar, this
site offers a museum proposal around one of the most representative
archaeological sites on the island of Gran Canaria. It is an artificial
cave excavated in the volcanic tuff and whose walls are decorated with
friezes of geometric motifs. No less spectacular is the town that has
been discovered around it after more than twenty years of archaeological
excavations.
Guayadeque Museum, located in the Guayadeque ravine,
between Ingenio and Agüimes, in a place of high archaeological value,
where different elements of what is found in said area are shown:
archeology, architecture, geology, fauna, flora and traditions.
Museo
de la Zafra, located in Vecindario, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, this museum
complex shows the history of agriculture in this area of the island,
focusing on tomato cultivation.
Antonio Padrón House-Museum, in the
heart of the city of Gáldar and not far from the Cueva Pintada. The
museum is based in the same house of the Canarian artist, where his
works and other places on the painter's former property are displayed.
Pérez Galdós House-Museum, located in the heart of the city of Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria, is the birthplace of Benito Pérez Galdós, where
he lived until he was nineteen years old. In its rooms, furniture, works
of art, photographs, decorative objects, musical instruments, etc., by
Pérez Galdós are displayed, which give us testimony of the physical
spaces of the novelist's daily environment and place us in the
atmosphere of the 19th century.
Néstor Álamo Museum, the museum of
Don Néstor Álamo, a Canarian musician, is located in the town of Santa
María de Guía.
Museo de la Rama, located in Agaete, is dedicated to
the traditional festival of the "Bajada de la Rama".
Museum of the
history and traditions of Tejeda, the museum is on the outskirts of the
town of Tejeda.
Agüimes History Museum, located in the center of
Agüimes and tells the history of the municipality.
Abraham Cárdenes
Museum, located in Tejeda, where the works of the sculptor Abraham
Cárdenes are exhibited.
Tomás Morales House-Museum, the museum is
located in the town of Moya in the birthplace of the poet Tomás Morales.
Zafra Museum, located in the municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana,
most important aspects of the recent history of the municipality of
Santa Lucía, related to the cultivation and packaging of tomatoes in the
lower area of the municipality.
Most of the monuments that can be seen in Gran Canaria date from
after the time of the conquest, although some sites and places belonging
to the island's aborigines have been preserved (Painted Cave of Gáldar,
the Cenobio de Valerón in Santa María de Guía).
Some notable
monuments are:
The Cathedral of the Canary Islands, located in Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pino,
Patroness of the Diocese of the Canary Islands.
The Basilica of San
Juan Bautista (Telde).
The Parish of San Francisco de Asís (Las
Palmas de Gran Canaria)
The Church of San Juan Bautista (known as the
cathedral of Arucas, despite not being a cathedral).
The Church of
Santiago de Los Caballeros, the only Jacobean headquarters in the Canary
Islands.
Also in the island capital, in the historic neighborhood
of Vegueta, there are monuments to highlight:
The Canarian Museum.
The rectorate of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The
Plaza Mayor of Santa Ana.
The Plaza del Espíritu Santo.
The House
of Columbus.
The hermitage of San Antonio Abad (where Christopher
Columbus prayed before continuing his first voyage to America).
The
Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The
Regental House, next to the town hall (historically the residence of the
Captains General of the islands and the Regents of the Royal Court of
the Canary Islands; currently the headquarters of the Government Chamber
of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands)
Other
buildings of interest are the fortifications:
The castles of La Luz,
Mata, San Francisco and San Cristóbal, all of them in the capital.
The Casa Fuerte de Agaete or Casa Roma (built in 1481 and therefore one
of the oldest Castilian buildings on the island).
The Main Festival of the island is September 8 in honor of the Virgen del Pino in Teror, patron saint of the Diocese of the Canary Islands, which includes the Province of Las Palmas. In this festival, very characteristic and even unique events take place, such as the Lowering of the image of the Virgen del Pino from her Camarín to her processional throne. Another event worth highlighting in the Canary archipelago is the traditional Pilgrimage-Ofrenda that was celebrated on September 7 with the participation of all the municipalities of the island and with a representation from each of the Canary Islands. The Villa Mariana de Teror is also the nerve center of Gran Canaria, manifested in the massive official Pilgrimages held throughout the year, with particular emphasis on the Eve of the Festival of Our Lady of the Pino in which people come from all over the world. The points of the Canary archipelago make pilgrimages to the Villa de Teror.
In Gran Canaria, this Liturgical Festival revolves around the Christ of Telde celebrated every September 14 in the City of Telde.
The most important and characteristic Holy Week on the island of Gran
Canaria is Holy Week in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
On Palm
Sunday, the La Burrita procession takes place, leaving the San Telmo
Parish. In the afternoon, the processional departure with the
Penitential Station in the Cathedral of the Canary Islands of the Royal
and Illustrious Brotherhood and Brotherhood of Nazarenes of Nuestro
Padre Jesús de la Salud and Most Holy Mary of Hope of Vegueta.
On
Holy Tuesday the procession of María Santísima de los Dolores de Triana
takes place, taking place until 2019 on Holy Wednesday coinciding with
the procession of the Holy Meeting of Vegueta, with its Sacramental
Brotherhood and Brotherhood of María Santísima de Los Dolores de Triana,
Our Lady of Angustias and San Telmo, which processions from the Parish
of San Telmo and making the Station of Penance in the San Antonio de
Padua Convent (Franciscans) which is located on Perdomo Street.
On
Holy Wednesday, tradition marks the processional departure from the
Parish of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in the capital neighborhood of
Vegueta, the Royal, Illustrious and Historical Brotherhood of the Holy
Encounter of Christ with the Carrying Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows of
Vegueta Coronada , in which the images of Christ carrying the Cross and
Our Lady of Sorrows of Vegueta Coronada known as "La del Miércoles"
(work of José Luján Pérez), San Juan Evangelista, Santa Verónica and
Santa María Magdalena procession. This Procession of the Meeting makes a
penitential station at the Cathedral of the Canary Islands, after the
official meeting of the thrones in the Plaza de Santa Ana.
On Good
Friday, the streets of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are filled with
religious events and processions that take place fervently throughout
the day. On Good Friday at dawn from the hermitage of the Holy Spirit
the Procession of the Via Crucis takes place with the image of the Holy
Christ of the Good End passing through the streets of the historic
neighborhood of Vegueta.
In the morning from the Cathedral of the
Canary Islands, the Procession of Las Mantillas takes place with the
images of the Holy Christ of the Chapter House and the Dolorosa of Luján
Pérez.
On the afternoon of Good Friday, the Procession of the
Holy Burial takes place, commonly called "Magna Interparroquial", where
the steps of the Parishes of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, San Agustín and
San Francisco de Asís leave. From the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
they process: the Holy Christ the Preacher and Saint Mary Magdalene, the
Holy Christ of the Hail, the Christ with the Cross on His Back, Saint
Veronica and Saint Mary Magdalene, the latter 3 belonging to the Royal,
Illustrious and Historical Brotherhood of the Holy Encounter of Christ
with the Cross on His Back and Our Lady of Sorrows of Vegueta Coronada.
The Virgen de Los Dolores de Vegueta Coronada participates every 5 years
in this procession and is known by the motto “Every 5 Years crosses the
bridge” because in the past the road that today separates the Triana
neighborhood and Vegueta was a ravine through which that passed a
bridge. From the church of San Agustín they process: the Holy Christ of
the True Cross, San Juan Evangelista and Nuestra Señora de los Dolores
also known as La Genovesa. From the Parish of San Francisco de Asís and
the Marian Sanctuary of Our Lady of Solitude procession: the Holy Christ
of Agony in the Garden, the Holy Christ of Humility and Patience known
as the Tears of Saint Peter, the naked Holy Cross with Saint John the
Evangelist and Saint Mary Magdalene, the Holy Sepulcher and Our Lady of
Soledad de la Portería Coronada with its Pontifical and Royal
Archconfraternity. Our Lady of Soledad de la Portería is the most
venerated image of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and enjoys
great devotion from people coming from different parts of the islands.
It is also the only one canonically crowned in the Canary Islands. with
pontifical rank and the only Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the
Diocese of the Canary Islands that has received the canonical coronation
of said rank.
On the night of Good Friday, the so-called Retiro
Procession takes place, which takes place in the church of Santo Domingo
de Guzmán with the image of Our Lady of Sorrows from Vegueta Coronada;
and in the Parish of San Francisco de Asís with the image of Nuestra
Señora de la Soledad de la Portería Coronada, this procession of the
Retiro and Silence of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad being the procession
par excellence of the city.
The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of the most important in the archipelago, as well as that of other municipalities on the island, they are very popular and can be considered one of the most important festivals in Spain.
It is one of the most popular celebrations in the Canary Islands. The
Agaete Festival, with its massive event of the Bajada de la Rama, was
declared of National Tourist Interest in 1972 and since April 2018 it
has been an Asset of Cultural Interest.
On August 5, the Main
Festival of the Villa Marinera is celebrated in honor of Our Lady of the
Snows. On August 4, the Bajada de la Rama takes place, a festive event
with ritual reminiscences of the ancient aborigines, where thousands of
dancers, to the rhythm of one of the two bands of the municipality,
leave from the center of the town to the upper part of it. to take
pieces of Rama and dance with them down to the sanctuary of the Virgin
of the Snows in the port. The festive procession is led by big heads or
papahuevos, made of cardboard and representing popular characters of the
town.
There is no unanimity among historians about the origin of the name
of the island or its adjective. The popular theory is that its
aboriginal name was Tamerán, Tamarán or Tamarant, sometimes translated
as land of palms or more frequently as country of brave men. However,
the pre-Hispanic origin of said toponym has been questioned, since the
name Tamarán appears for the first time in the 19th century, its
presence not being confirmed in any classical source or from the time of
the Conquest, speculating with the possibility of that Canaria is the
Latinized version of the true aboriginal name of the island or of the
ethnic group that inhabited it (Canari). On the other hand, recent
philological studies suggest that the name Tamerán may have a certain
historical authenticity.
It is in chapter xxxii of book VI of the
Natural History written in the first century by the Roman Pliny the
Elder, in the text in which he cites the exploration expeditions ordered
by King Juba II of Mauretania, where the name of Canaria, associated
with one of the Fortunate or Canary Islands, justifying this name by the
abundance of large dogs (canes) existing there. In another context of
his same work, in the first chapter of Book V, Pliny cites the report by
the Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinus about the crossing of the
Atlas mountain range led by him, where the soldier assures that the
forests near it are inhabited by the Canaries, who share their food with
the dogs. Other linguistic studies and Historical records indicate that
the etymological origin of Canaria would be in the anthroponym canarii,
referring to said Berber tribe.
The name Canaria, which with the
conquest and due to the central role of this island at the time, would
possibly be extended, in plural, to the entire archipelago (Canary
Islands), continued to be used to refer to the island for a long time.
However, it coexisted with the name Gran Canaria since the latter
appeared in the 15th century, with both terms being valid for centuries.
Pedro López de Ayala, in his Chronicles of the Kings of Castile,
alludes to Canaria la grande in the text dedicated to the reign of
Enrique III, referring to the year 1393, although its first edition took
place in the 15th century, after the death of its author, who had left
it unfinished. Therefore, it is not discernible whether this name of the
Island actually existed in the year 1393 or was added later by those in
charge of completing the work, well into the 15th century.
This
text is referred to by Professor Francisco Fajardo and says:
As in
this year some sailors from Castile went to the Canary Islands. In this
year (1393), while the king was in Madrid, he heard news that some
people from Seville, and from the coasts of Vizcaya and Guipuzcoa, armed
some ships in Seville, took horses on them, and went to the islands that
are called the Canary Islands. , like other names, they walked in the
sea until they knew it well. And they found the island of Lanzarote,
together with another island called La Graciosa, which lasted twelve
leagues long. Another is the island of Canaria, the large one, which
lasts twenty and two leagues in length, and eight in width. Another is
the island of Hell, which lasts twenty and two leagues in length, and
many in width. On the other hand, the island of La Gomera, which is
eight leagues long, is round. Ten leagues from Gomera there are two
islands, one called Fierro, the other called Palma.
Which is
taken from the Chronicles of the Kings of Castile (volume II, p. 493,
edited in 1780 by Pedro López de Ayala).
The current name of Gran
Canaria appears abundantly documented for the first time in Le Canarien
(The Canary), the French chronicle of the campaign to conquer the
archipelago undertaken by Jean IV de Béthencourt and Gadifer de La
Salle, said name coexisting with the of Canaria throughout the text, the
oldest of whose manuscripts was written between 1404 and 1420. Again, as
the notes written by the original authors of the chronicle are not
available, it is unknown if said name already existed during the
conquest campaign. or was added by the author of the aforementioned
manuscript on the basis of the contemporary name.
In any case,
none of the previous classical sources offer any explanation for the
origin of the adjective Gran or Grande, so there are various currents of
opinion on the matter, some of which are:
That it was an indication
of the strategic, political and economic interest of the Island since
the end of the 14th century.
That it was a tribute from the
conquerors to the bravery shown by the natives in the defense of the
Island against invasion attempts. The historian Fray Juan de Abreu
Galindo is the first to present this hypothesis at the end of the 16th
century, attributing the authorship of the adjective to Jean IV de
Béthencourt, although the French chronicles neither confirm nor deny
this theory which, on the other hand, also contradicts what exhibited in
the Chronicles of the Kings of Castile.
That this qualifier was
imposed on the name of the Island due to an erroneous estimate of its
physical dimensions that implicitly classified it as the largest in the
archipelago – this error appears in Le Canarien–. This theory has been
used controversially by sectors involved in the so-called insular
lawsuit.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the name of Gran Canaria is grancanario, ria. The ancient natives of the island were called Canaries, a name that has continued to be used to refer to the inhabitants of Gran Canaria until a few decades ago (it is still possible to hear, on other islands of the archipelago and in Gran Canaria itself, elderly people advanced users who use it). The Canarian colloquial adjective, ona, is also used, mainly on other islands of the archipelago.
Historically, the island's anthem was the March of the Granadera Canaria Battalion, from 1809, the work of José Palomino. On November 28, 2008, the Plenary Session of the Island Council of Gran Canaria unanimously approved the song "Sombra del Nublo" as the official anthem of Gran Canaria.33 It is the work of the folklorist, musician and historian Néstor Álamo, official chronicler of the island. The board of spokespersons indicated that the Anthem comes to recognize this song's achievement as a "feeling of island identity" and "its status as an authentic popular anthem."
Aboriginal period: unknown a. C.-1483
As with the rest of the
archipelago, the time when its first settlers arrived in Gran Canaria is
unknown. Most archaeologists, however, are inclined to believe that they
arrived in the middle of the first millennium BC, from the nearby
African continent.
First European contacts: 1341-1478
Castilian conquest (1478-1483)
The incorporation of the island into
the Castilian crown was a process that lasted five years and in which
three stages can be distinguished:
Initial stage (June to
December 1478)
On June 24, 1478, the expedition led by Juan Rejón and
Dean Bermúdez, representative of the bishop of Rubicón Juan de Frías,
one of the financiers of the conquest, landed in La Isleta. That day,
together with Guiniguada, Real de Las Palmas was founded. A few days
later, the first confrontation took place near Real, in which the
islanders were defeated. This initial victory gave the Castilians
control of the northeast corner of the island.
Aboriginal
resistance and Castilian divisions (late 1478-1481)
The aboriginal
resistance in the mountainous interior of the island, the lack of men
and material means and the internal disagreements on the conquering
side, constitute the main marks of this period. During this stage Juan
Rejón was dismissed by order of the Catholic Monarchs. His place was
taken by Pedro Fernández de Algaba. Rejón is sent to Seville where he is
forgiven and returned to the island, where he arrests and executes
Algaba. Given Rejón's excess, Pedro de Vera is appointed as the new
governor of the island who arrests his predecessor, putting an end to
the internal conflicts that had lasted until 1481.
End of
Aboriginal resistance and conquest of the island (1481-1483)
Pedro de
Vera, now the undisputed leader of the Castilians, resumed the conquest
of the interior of the island and the Guanartemato of Gáldar. To do so,
he counted on the arrival of new human reinforcements provided by Diego
García de Herrera, who sent a large contingent of Gomeros. Castilian
victories occur in the Battle of Arucas in which the aboriginal leader
Doramas falls. The capture of Tenesor Semidán, guanarteme of Gáldar, by
Alonso Fernández de Lugo, will be a decisive factor for the completion
of the conquest. Tenesor Semidán was sent to Castile, where he was
baptized with the name of Fernando Guanarteme and, after signing the
Letter of Calatayud with Fernando the Catholic, he became a faithful and
valuable ally of the conquerors, whose performance has suffered various
evaluations by analysts. of history: a traitor to the Aboriginal cause
for some, a skilled negotiator who managed to save many lives, for
others. Finally, on April 29, 1483, and next to the Ansite Fortress, the
disparate action of the surrender of some such as Guayarmina Semidán, or
the suicide of others by falling off a cliff, such as that of the
Canarian leader Bentejuí together with the Faycán de Telde, took place.
to the cry of Attis Tirma (for my Earth).
16th century -
formation of colonial Canarian society
Once the conquest has been
carried out, the colonization of the island and a prolonged process of
acculturation of the aboriginal population takes place. A colonial
system is implemented. The Castilian conquerors, who had financed the
conquest, divided up the lands of the island, appropriating the most
favored areas and especially the wells and ravines that served as a
water supply. This will be a key factor throughout the history of Gran
Canaria due to the extensive power held by those who control the water
sources.
At the same time, Portuguese settlers began to arrive,
who took charge of the first sugar mills, as well as Genoese, Flemish
and Aragonese merchants.
For its part, the aboriginal population
was forced to accept the conditions imposed by the conquerors. They were
forced to be baptized and converted to the Christian faith, instigating
them to abandon their customs and religion, which was greatly persecuted
by the Inquisition. Furthermore, the use of the Insulo-Amazigh language
used in Gran Canaria, as well as its own customs, was discriminated
against, as they were not only frowned upon in the new colonial society
but were also persecuted. Despite this, some groups remained in the most
hidden mountains in the interior of the island, preserving their customs
and refusing to be part of the new colonial society that discriminated
against them. They called themselves Inekaren, which means rebels, and
for decades they populated the interior of the island where the
Castilian presence was almost non-existent, dedicating themselves to
agriculture and livestock and oblivious to the social changes that were
happening after the conquest. Many Canarians were persecuted, executed,
deported to places like Madeira or, in the worst cases, enslaved to be
sold in European markets.
However, slavery soon became an
everyday occurrence in the Canary Islands. Until the edict supported by
Queen Isabel of Castile that prohibited the enslavement of both
indigenous Americans and Canarians, they were used as slave labor.
Subsequently, ships began to arrive with a multitude of slaves from the
Gulf of Guinea and North Africa for work on the sugar plantations or for
sale in American lands.
It is in the 16th century that the
current Canarian society begins to take shape as a result of the mixing
between the indigenous population, the European colonizers and the
slaves, forming a stratified society in which at the top were the
Castilian conquerors, who had control of land and water for irrigation.
Next were certain Creole families descended from aboriginal lineages
favorable to the conquest, as well as European settlers dedicated to
trade. One step below were the Canarians forced to leave behind their
language and customs and also groups of Moors and Sephardim who had
emigrated to the island after leaving Spain. At the bottom were the
indigenous rebels and the slaves.
The island of Gran Canaria is the third largest island (almost 1,560
km²), after Tenerife and Fuerteventura, and the third largest island
(after Tenerife and La Palma) of the Canary archipelago. It is located
at 28º north latitude and 15º 35' west longitude. It has been baptized
as a "miniature continent" for the diversity of its climate, its
geography, its flora and its fauna. It has a circular shape with a
mountain massif in the center. Its maximum altitude is Morro de la
Agujereada, with 1956 m above sea level. Some natural monuments also
stand out such as Roque Nublo (1813 m) and Roque Bentayga.
On
June 29, 2005, part of the island of Gran Canaria was declared by UNESCO
as a Biosphere Reserve. The area protected by this declaration
represents 46% of the island territory, in addition to 100,458 hectares
of marine area.
Two geomorphological zones can be distinguished
on the island:
Of more recent formation, where some sedimentary terrain and underwater formation appear. In this area we find terraces and some volcanic cones such as the Montaña de Arucas and the Pico and Caldera de Bandama, as well as other erosion calderas such as Tenteniguada, Temisas and Tirajana. Some plains also extend. The Telde, Guayadeque and Tirajana ravines are located here. At its northeastern end there is a small peninsula called La Isleta, linked to the rest of the island by the Isthmus of Guanarteme, with the beaches of Las Canteras and Las Alcaravaneras on its margins.
It is the oldest part of the island, a fact that can be verified by
the number of ravines that cross it. The center of the island also
belongs to this area, where we find the maximum altitudes. On the other
hand, the Tamadaba massif stands out, with its cliffs. Approximately 14
million years ago, a cataclysm occurred that sank approximately one
fifth of the island territory of that time to the bottom of the sea. As
a result, high and imposing coastal cliffs were formed that reach from
the sea to the summit of the island. of a concave coastal arc that goes
from Punta de Sardina to Punta de La Aldea. The Risco de Faneque, a few
meters from the coast, has an altitude of 1096 meters above sea level,
being the highest cliff in Spain and Europe and one of the highest in
the world. In this area are located the ravines of La Aldea, Agaete,
Arguineguín and Fataga, among others. Also worth highlighting is the
special nature reserve of the Maspalomas Dunes, one of the most
important tourist areas in the Canary Islands, along with the adjacent
Playa del Inglés.
Gran Canaria has 33 environments subject to
different preservation formulas according to the Canary Network of
Protected Natural Spaces, among which the Nublo rural park, the Doramas
Forest, the Azuaje ravine, Tamadaba, Pino Santo, Inagua, etc. stand out.
. The rocks are volcanic rock formations that rise up in the landscape:
the most notable are Roque Nublo, with 1813 m of altitude (symbol of the
island), El Cura (also known as El Fraile), La Rana, El Dedo de Dios,
Bentayga, Roque de Gando, and Peñón Bermejo. Some beaches on the island
are Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, Las Canteras beach, Puerto Rico, La
Laja, San Agustín, etc.
Gran Canaria has a great climatic diversity, due to both the
altitudinal gradient and the effect of the trade winds, which cause
marked landscape differences between windward and leeward, for this
reason, it is called "The Continent in Miniature". The island capital,
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is considered the city with the best climate
in the world according to a study by the University of Syracuse. For its
part, Mogán, in the south of the island, is the place in the European
Union with more clear days.
The Gran Canaria climate makes the
ecological diversity notable: the island has more than one hundred plant
endemisms, as well as another five hundred shared with the rest of the
Canary Islands.
Originally, Gran Canaria was one of the Canary Islands with the
largest forest mass. However, after the conquest of the Canary Islands,
the island suffered a serious process of deforestation as a result of
continuous logging, land distribution and other intensive exploitation.
This caused this forest mass to be reduced to just 56,000 hectares,
making the island the most deforested in the archipelago due to human
action. However, in the 20th century, reforestation work began in the
peak area of the island, recovering part of the lost forest mass.
Currently, as in the other higher Canary Islands, in Gran Canaria
there is also stratification in vegetation floors. It is recommended to
visit the Viera y Clavijo Botanical Garden, or Canary Garden, to observe
a sample of these different levels of vegetation. In Gran Canaria the
following are distinguished:
From 0 to 700 m depending on slope. It is a semi-desert stratum, with
little rainfall. It is characterized by the presence of a xeric thicket
of species of the genus Euphorbia such as cardón, various types of
tabaibas such as sweet tabaiba or wild tabaiba and verodes. Many other
species occur on slopes and mouths of ravines, among which stand out
shrubs that can reach several meters in height such as balos and
tarajales or white tajinastes, widely distributed throughout the island.
In relation to the fauna, invertebrates are very well represented,
with these having the highest percentage of endemisms. On the other
hand, this ecosystem is poor in vertebrate animals, represented by some
reptiles, where it is necessary to mention the giant lizard of Gran
Canaria and birds such as the canary, the apupú or the kestrel.
From 200-500 to 1000 m depending on the orientation. It is an area
with a higher degree of humidity and precipitation, and less sunshine.
It is characterized by thermophilic arborescent species such as palm
trees, dragon trees, wild olive trees, mastic trees, saplings, junipers
and other Macaronesian endemisms such as mocanes and barbusanos, and
exclusively Canary species such as guaidiles. Although it is a highly
anthropized area, there are still good representations of this type of
vegetation in places such as the Cernícalos ravine.
As for
birdlife, we can mention the quail or the common dove and insectivores
such as the canary tit and the robin.
Canary laurel forest
From 500 to 1200 m s. n. m. and in areas
directly influenced by the trade winds. It is a dense, ombre forest with
large trees present in the north of the island, which is made possible
thanks to the water conditions provided by the sea of clouds and its
horizontal rain. The superior plant species that are abundant are
laurels, tiles, viñátigos, barbusanos, and other smaller ones such as
the bicácaro, the cockscomb, and a great variety of ferns. In Gran
Canaria, due to anthropogenic pressure, there are only some protected
pockets of laurel forest and fayal-heath in places such as Los Tilos de
Moya and Brezal de Santa Cristina. These are the remains of an ancient
laurel forest, very extensive in the past, known as the Doramas Forest.
Regarding the mammalian fauna, it is worth highlighting the Osorio
shrew and among the birds we can mention the blackcap, etc.
Fayal-heath
Between 1000 and 1500 m, this strip is somewhat drier and
poorer in species, it is mainly made up of fayas and heather that serve
as protection for more demanding species. The blue tajinaste of Gran
Canaria is present in symbiosis and even replacing the monteverde in
areas with greater sunshine.
In the fauna there is a social
insect that does not go unnoticed, the Canary bumblebee, very present
throughout the island and especially at these levels.
Pinewood
From 600 to 1000-1956 m, depending on the orientation. The Canary
Islands pine occupies large areas, generally open, with specimens of
more than 20 meters, and an almost always scarce undergrowth, rarely
associated with other tree species. There is less influence from the sea
of clouds, and a progressive decrease in precipitation at altitude. The
undergrowth may be made up of fayal-heath on the northern slope; by
yellow broom and labia, at the summit; and by brooms, cistus and vases,
on the southern slope.
The fauna is not very diverse, but there
are two particularly attractive endemic birds such as the blue finch
(Fringilla polatzeki) and the great woodpecker (Dendrocopos major
thanneri).
Main article: Annex: Symbols of the Canary Islands
According to a
law of the Government of the Canary Islands, the natural symbols of Gran
Canaria since 1991 are the Canarian Presa Dog and the Cardón.
The population of the island of Gran Canaria is highly concentrated
unevenly, especially in the capital and adjacent municipalities, that
is, in the eastern part of the island, while in the center and in the
western part the population is rather limited. The island has a census
population of 853,262 inhabitants (2022), the second most populated
island in the Canary Islands, although the first in population density
with 545.12 inhabitants/km. Gran Canaria is also the third most
populated island in Spain after Tenerife and Majorca.
45.5% of
the island's total population lives in its capital, Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria (379,925), the city with the largest population in the
archipelago. The municipalities that follow in population are Telde
(102,647), Santa Lucía de Tirajana (73,863), San Bartolomé de Tirajana
(53,288), Arucas (36,745), Ingenio (29,640) and Agüimes (29,431). As
tourism is the main economic activity of the island, it has a large
floating population.
At the end of the 17th century, Gran Canaria
had 8,000 inhabitants and in the 19th century it had nearly 49,000,
always ranking as the second largest Canary Island in population, after
Tenerife. However, in the 20th century, starting in 1940, it It
multiplied its population by six, becoming the most populated island in
the archipelago until 2002, when Tenerife surpassed it again.
As is the case in the rest of Spain, and according to the most recent
surveys (2019), Gran Canaria society declares itself mostly Catholic,
although the majority is not practicing. However, the growing migratory
flows (tourism, immigration, etc.) They are increasing the number of
followers of other religions on the island such as Islam, Hinduism,
Buddhism, evangelical Christian denominations, Judaism and
African-American religions.
The island has nine archpriests
belonging to the Diocese of the Canary Islands, a diocese based on the
island. The archpriests are Centro-Norte, Ciudad Alta, Gáldar,
Guanarteme-La Isleta, Guiniguada, San Lorenzo, Sureste,
Telde-Valsequillo and Vegueta.
The island is under the patronage
of the Virgen del Pino and San Pedro de Verona. September 8 is a holiday
on the island on the occasion of the festival of the Virgen del Pino.
The great economic engine of the island is tourism, which has given a strong boost to the construction sector. Commercial activity is also notable, particularly around the port area of the capital. There is a small industrial sector, focused mainly on agri-food production, light manufacturing and cement. Agriculture continues to be important in some rural regions, although to a lesser extent than a few years ago.
The island receives more than 4 million tourists annually, being in this respect the second tourist destination of the archipelago. Tourism on the island of Gran Canaria is mainly beach tourism, although in recent years there has been a certain boom in rural tourism. , as well as golf tourism, water sports, hiking, cycling and health. Apart from the capital, the main tourist centers of the island are, San Agustín, with a natural sandy beach 640 m long and 70 wide, Playa del Inglés, the largest tourist center on the island, with a natural beach of 2700 m, Maspalomas, with three ecosystems; The dunes, a large palm grove and the coastal lagoon known as La Charca, constitute the special nature reserve, whose conservation is in danger because the urban development itself prevents its regeneration. Meloneras, located between the Maspalomas Lighthouse and Meloneras beach, is currently the area with the greatest tourist expansion, Puerto Rico, artificial beach created in the 1960s and Puerto de Mogán. All these construction actions have destroyed almost the entire basal floor.
The irrigated plantain and tomato crops stand out, destined for
export. Tomatoes are grown in the southeast and southwest, with large
landowners using sharecropping labor (until a few decades ago, social
conflicts were relatively frequent in this sector). The banana is grown
in the northern area. It is worth highlighting the importance of
agriculture in the western area, with La Aldea de San Nicolás being one
of the main tomato exporting municipalities of the archipelago.
In the midlands, dryland crops of cereals, legumes and potatoes are
grown, all of which are for internal supply. Medium-sized crops have
suffered a great setback in recent decades.