Las Palmas Holidays
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Las Palmas holidays – The perfect city break beach holiday combination
Las Palmas is unique among holiday destinations on Gran Canaria. This hugely appealing island capital combines terrific beaches with all the pleasures of a good city break. The atmosphere is entirely different from resorts like Puerto Rico and Playa del Ingles. This is a thriving Spanish city with an attractive old town, Canarian restaurants, authentic tapas bars and a nightlife scene that is not dominated by foreign visitors. Those rushing to the south coast resorts miss out on superb city beaches with wide-ranging appeal. Spacious beaches are great for older children and teenagers. Long pedestrian promenades are always enjoyably busy with genuine Spanish life. You will find great parks, historic buildings, stylish shopping, good museums and the best cultural scene in the Canary Islands. The sensational parades of the three week carnival celebrations are famous throughout Spain. A very enjoyable destination offering a good deal more variety than a typical resort based around tourist hotels.
When to go to Las Palmas
Holidays to Las Palmas are rewarding at any time. Las Palmas beaches are much less dependent on foreign visitors for atmosphere. City residents are out enjoying the beaches and promenades all year long so you never have that low-season feeling. Cultural highlights include a film festival in March, a jazz festival in July and a WOMAD music festival in November. A wonderfully full-on city fiesta on June 24. The Las Palmas Carnival is one of the finest you will find outside of Rio. Three weeks of amazing processions and non-stop street parties. Usually around February but check dates http://lpacarnaval.com. A lively summer atmosphere too.
The weather in Las Palmas
The Canary Islands have by far the most reliable best beach holiday weather in Europe. Few city beaches worldwide can compete with Las Palmas in terms of sunshine. It only rains 21 days a year! And even then the sun soon reappears. Winters are much warmer and sunnier than mainland Spain. January and February see an average 6 hours a day of bright sunshine and temperatures around 21º. Spring is an absolute delight. Summer sees day after day of uninterrupted sunshine without excessive heat. Average highs in August are a perfect 27º. Lovely evening temperatures of around 20º are ideal for the city’s countless pavement cafes and restaurant terraces.
Getting the best deal to Las Palmas
If you book early you will usually secure the best price. Early booking will also ensure a wider choice of accommodation options. Leave it late in July and August and you may find many of the best-rated hotels are fully booked or more expensive. Most Spaniards holiday at this time and tend to book very early. Money saving late last-minute holidays and bargain late deals may turn up but cannot be guaranteed. The cheapest package holidays to Las Palmas are often found between New Year and Easter and between October and Christmas. Keep an eye on our current best deals.
Airport and transport need to know
Getting to Las Palmas could not be easier. The 20 minute transfer is the shortest on Gran Canaria About €30 (₤25) in a metered taxi. Regular buses make the trip for less than €3. A hire car is useful for touring the island but Las Palmas city centre is often congested. A motorway heads south to resorts like Maspalomas and San Agustin. Do take care if driving on narrow mountain roads. Drive on the right. Las Palmas is the hub for an excellent bus service to all the major resorts and attractions. City taxis are plentiful and cheap by UK standards.
Plenty of flights all year round from London; Birmingham and Manchester. Airlines like Ryanair and Thomas Cook provide economical flights from regional airports like Cardiff, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Glasgow and Bristol. Flight time is about 4 hours 15 minutes. Gran Canaria Airport (LPA), also known as Las Palmas Airport, is a modern airport with a few shops, cafes and restaurants.
The best beaches in Las Palmas
Gran Canaria has excellent family beaches with well-maintained facilities and easy access to hotels. All major resorts have plenty of toilets and showers plus an area with sunbeds. Relaxing seafront promenades are usually free of cars. Affordable bars and restaurants are a short distance from the beach. Gran Canaria provides everything except the wilderness beaches of islands like Fuerteventura.
Las Palmas city beaches are among the most spectacular on Gran Canaria but remain amazingly under visited by UK holidaymakers, who tend to rush south to the more tourist-oriented beaches in the south. A series of superb sandy beaches are connected by miles of pedestrian promenades. Ideal for a long seafront stroll combined with a morning coffee or an early evening drink. The beach scene here is far more authentically Spanish than UK favourites like Puerto Rico. You have the island’s best choice of authentic restaurants close at hand. Lots of sports facilities too.
Las Canteras beach is a fabulous 3km stretch of sand with wonderfully calm water protected by a natural offshore barrier. A great beach for sunbathing and relaxed swimming. Las Alcaravaneras beach offers another incredibly spacious swathe of soft golden sand. A great spot for beach games.
For a scenic natural beach try Playa Confital. This beautiful spot is amazingly quiet despite being easily accessed from the city centre. A popular nudist beach. La Laja Beach also remains unspoilt. A great favourite with surfers but also has areas for swimming.
For a complete contrast you could take the bus down to the famous tourist resorts of the south. Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas are both tremendous fun for a day, with bars and restaurants catering to a predominantly British crowd. The area also has a cluster of theme parks and water parks.
Interested in Las Palmas holidays? Take a look at our latest deals below or call our friendly sales staff on 020 8239 8000.
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