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Las Canteras Beach Guide: How To Choose A Spot Featured

Las Canteras beach Las Canteras beach

Las Canteras beach, a 3.5km of golden sand that sweeps down one side of the city, is the jewel of Las Palmas. It's so big that each section has its own name and character. Here're the main areas from north to south.

La Puntilla

La Puntilla at the north tip of Las Canteras beachThe north corner of the beach where the little fishing boats are pulled up by the coconut palm trees. Always calm, always pretty, this is quintessential Las Canteras beach and a great spot for lunch on the promenade. The water is almost always calm and warm, and there are plenty of loungers and parasols to rent. The La Puntilla crowd is a good mix of foreign visitors and locals. 

Choose La Puntilla for its local charm and palm tree shade.

Playa Grande

las palmas propThe widest section of Las Canteras and the one that gets the most visitors, Playa Grande is all about golden sand, blue-and-white parasols and palm trees. 

Playa Grande is so wide that you will always find space for your towel. The waters off Playa Grande are sheltered by the reef and very safe for swimming. It has toilet and facilities, disabled beach access and shops selling international papers. Playa Grande is the most popular part of the beach with tourists because several of the city's big hotels are right by it.

 Choose Playa Grande for its beautiful golden sand, calm waters and amenities. It is perfect for families who want to spend a day lazing around on the beach and be close to shops and restaurants. 

 Playa Chica

playa chica sunsetTiny Playa Chica is a beach within a beach right in the centre of Las Canteras. With no sun loungers, it's a local area. Swim out from Playa Chica towards the reef for some of the best snorkeling in Gran Canaria. The rocks and weed beds are full of colorful wrasse and parrotfish and you may even see moray eels, rays and octopus. 

Choose playa chica for a local feel and for the snorkelling.

La Peña

Las Palmas 1 of 1 3Just round the corner from Playa Chica the beach doesn’t seem to have a name. Instead, it is called “la zona de la Peña de La Vieja”.  La Peña is a big rock that sticks up out of the water just off the beach and is named after the parrotfish that swim around it.  

La Peña has one sun bed concession and some good local restaurants on the promenade. This part of the beach is also great for snorkeling on calm days. At low tide, you can swim all the way out to the reef and snorkel along it. 

Alex says: The sun bed concession on the La Peña section of beach is run by the three legendary Momo brothers. Between them they have save dozens of lives on the beach and from wrecked ships. You can almost always see one of the Momos sitting under a parasol by the sun beds.

 Choose La Peña for a quiet section of the beach that still has plenty of golden sand.

La Cicer 

La Cicer sunsetLa Cicer is the sporty end of Canteras beach with surf schools and lot of people playing beach football and tennis. There is no reef off La Cicer so it almost always has surfable waves. The sand at La Cicer changes colour depending on the tides and the waves. One day it can be golden and completely free of pebbles and the next the sand is black and covered in pebbles. Rent your surfboard in one of the many surf schools just behind the beach. The local surfers are pretty friendly provided you follow the rules; they are posted all along the beachfront of board-shaped signs.

Choose La Cicer if you love surfing or beach sports. 

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Published in Guide to all the beaches on Gran Canaria
Published in Guide to all the beaches on Gran Canaria
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  • Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?
    Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?

    Visitors to Gran Canaria often ask whether it is better to exchange their local currency for euros at home or in Gran Canaria. 

    The answer is that it is almost always better to buy your euros at home than it is to bring pounds to Gran Canaria and use local banks or currency exchanges. This rule of thumb applies all over the world. A currency is almost always cheaper the further away you are from the place you can spend it (because demand for it is lower). 

    Exchange rates are almost always better at home than in Gran Canaria

    You are very likely to get a better exchange rate using a British currency exchange specialist or local bank. Many of these companies will deliver your euros to your home.

    One of the best rates in the UK is often from the post office, especially if you do it well in advance.

    The only way you'll get a better rate in Gran Canaria than at home is if the exchange rate changes while you are travelling and this is rare. 

    You also have to bear in mind that currency exchanges in Gran Canaria are getting rarer and some local banks don't exchange money for non-clients. 

    To Transfer large amouynts of money to Gran Canaria, or to make regular transfers, always use a reputable currency broker such as Currencies Direct. This will save you money on exchange rates and bank charges and is highky secure. 

    The risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria

    Another important factor to consider is the risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria: If it is lost or stolen, there is no way of getting it back. 

    It is much safer to bring a debit or credit card and use local bank ATMs to take out money. These days, a good option is a pre-charged debit card. 

    Cards may be slightly more expensive that carrying cash, unless you seek out a bank card with low commissions, but it is much more secure. 

    Bank ATMs like Bankia, Santander and BBVA often charge lower rates than the ATMs in shopping centres and busy tourist areas.

    Alex Says: Always select the Euro option at ATMs in Gran Canaria because the exchange rate is much better than if you opt for the Local Currency option. The same applies when you pay by card in shops and restaurants.

    See our Gran Canaria Tips section for more nuggets of useful local information.

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