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Gran Canaria's pre-hispanic history is beginning to emerge and is becoming more accessible to visitors (the painted Guanche caves to the north in Galdar are very popular with visitors). Many holidaymakers come to Gran Canaria for the great holiday party atmosphere, the sun and the beaches, but what you might not know is that more Guanche, or Tamaran/Canarios (as the original settlers on the island were called) artefacts and burial remains have been found here on Gran Canaria than many of the other Canary Islands, including many caves. Columbus features heavily on Gran Canaria, as he does in general on the Canaries and elsewhere in Spanish Colonialist territory! How Columbus touched the Canary Islands is well explored in the Casa Colon Museum in Las Palmas. There is no doubt that many Canarios were with him on his voyages into the new world.
The starting point to learn more on Tamaran history is one of the highlight musuems in the archipelago, The Museo Canario in Las Palmas is almost entirely focused on the aboriginal inhabitants of Gran Canaria and the rest of the Canaries, exploring how they lived, communicated, social networks, skilled crafted ceramics, dwellings and so on. This museum really is the central point for learning about the history of the original settlers on the Canary Islands, alongside a pick at Jose Lusi Concepcion's excellent little book 'The Guanches - Survivors and Their Descendants' which you can purchase at most cultural centres and museums across the Canaries, and here at this museum.
When Spanish invadors arrived on Gran Canaria in 1477 at the behest of the Catholic King and Queen of Castile they discovered that Gran Canaria was ruled by two guanartems or kings - Doramas in Tede and the southern area of Gran Canaria, and Thenesor Semidan to the north based in Galdar. One of the strongest resistance to Spanish colonialists was here in Gran Canaria - it was long and drawn out, and Doramas' courage is particularly celebrated. He was eventually killed by Pedro de Vera, and this event marked the beginning of the end.
The conquest really took off in 1478 when a Spanish legion led by Juan Rejon landed on the island. The ruthless Pedro de Vera took over the conquest and despite strong counterattack by the Canarios, Gran Canaria was soon colonised. Take the Grand Tour into the mountainous interior and north of Gran Canaria and many tour guides will make reference to the original settlers flinging themselves off these cliffs to their deaths, rather than be sold into slavery.
At the Museum Canario in Las Palmas you can learn more on the elaborate funeral rites and complex social organisation of the original settlers. The museum has a particularly good collection of patterned shapes and sign makers used by the settlers, a large number of mummies - the ancient Canarians consderved corpses in an elaborate way, much like the Egyptians, using a process of desiccation of the flesh followed by wrapping the body in a shroud usually made of rush matting or pelt. (see the Museo Canario weblink right for more details).
Casa de Colon, Colon, 1, 35001 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tel: 928 312 373/312 384. Open from 9am to 1900/7pm Mon-Fri, and 9am to 15.00/3pm Saturdays and Sundays. Columbus claims abound in Las Palmas, as they appear to do across the Canaries and across the world in old Spanish colonial territory. Bless his cotton, Columbus certainly got about! The Casa Colon Museum is worth a look perhaps most for the building itself which is a superb example of typical Canarian architectue with two patios frontage and typical wooden balconies. Columbus is supposed to have passed by here in 1492 (it's certainly a bit dubious that he ever stayed here and what you see is in fact the old home of Las Palmas governers of the period). Four floors of exhibits guide you through the voyages of Columbus in the usual celbratory style. For the sombre reality of colonialism it's a good idea to visit the Museo Canario alongside the Cas Colon.
El Museo Canario, C/Dr. Verneau, 2 (Vegueta), 35001 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Tel: 928 336800. (see their weblink right for opening times). For original settler/Canarios history this is the hotspot museum across all the Canary Islands. The Museo Canario has a magnificent collection of ancient Canarios ceramics, communicative shapes and signs, burial corpses demonstrating the elaborate burial rites of the Canarios and it explores in-depth how they lived and offers information on various Guanche important sites across the Canary Islands, with a focus on Gran Canaria. A superb and unmissible museum.
CAAM, C/Los Balcones, 11. 35001 las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Tel: 902 31 18 24. Open from 10am to 9pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 10am to 2pm Sundays. Las Palmas is superb on contemporary art. Head for the Museum of Modern Art in the Vegueta historic district of Las Palmas. Here is a superb collection including work by Cesar Manrique and various other Canarian and international artists. Exhibitions are changing, and often display work by international artists (such as recently the surreal work of Arnulf Rainer and Dieter Roth) usually with some links to the Canary Islands. Highly recommended, and well worth a visit (free to enter) if you're in Las Palmas
Cathedral De Santa Ana & Museo Diocesano, Calle Obispo Codina 13, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 33 14 30. Admission is free, open from 10am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. An iconic feature which gives the city of Las Palmas an edge, much like Palma de Mallorca, is it's Cathedral - Santa Ana with in-house Museo Diocesano. The architectural style of this particular cathedral - Atlantic Gothic in the interior, and neoclassical facades on the exterior. The melting pot of architectural styles in Santa Ana Cathedral are partly to do with how long it took to build. Commencing in the early 15th century, the cathedral wasn't finished until 350 years later! The adjacent Museo Diocesano has a sinister history - it was once the home of the inquisition here in Las Palmas. Now it displays religious and art and artefacts, plus has numerous archives and documents. You can also take a trip up the cathedral's tower.
Las Palmas is a cultural and attraction hotspot across the Canaries, and other museums and attractions include various architectural gems in the Vegueta and Triana areas to the south of the city. Many are located around the Santa Ana Cathedral, but other sites spread into Triana. Gabinete Literario historical building on Plazoleta Cairasco, Casa Museuo De Perez Galdos, Calle Cano 6, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 36 69 76. The building is the one time home of celebrated Canarian writer Perez Galdos. Open 9am to 7pm Mondays to Fridays. Entrance is free, but tour guides are in Spanish so knowledge of a little Spanish will help you here. Incidently, there are a number of tourist information kiosks around Vegueta and Triana, a good central one being in the Plaza de Las Ranas. You can get excellent free maps at these of the historic area of Las Palmas to help you enjoy all this area has to offer.
Parque San Temo includes the Iglesia de San Telmo church, then move on to the Ciudad Jardin and Parque Doramas and was actually designed by the British in the late 19th century. A major attraction, often offered by Gran Canaria excursion tour companies, is a trip to the Pueblo Canario in Las Palmas. It's a little Canarian village scenario on the edge of Parque Doramas designed by the artist Nesto Martin Fernandez de la Torre and constructed by the artist's brother in the 1930s. See also the Museo Nesto Art Gallery at Puerblo Canario, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 24 51 35. Open from 10am to 8pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 10.30am to 2.30pm on Sundays.
The central area around Santa Catalina is popular shopping territory, but also your route to Las Palmas' stunning beach Las Canteras. The promenade which lines the 3km of golden sands that are Las Canteras Beach offer a choice of chic restaurants, bars and cafes. For urban beaches, bars and restaurants you don't get much better than this and Las Palmas' superb beach is another features which gives this city and edge!
Other sites and scenes around Las Palmas include the Museo Elder De La Ciencia y La Technologica - the Museum of Science and Technology, Parque Santa Catalina s/n, Las Palmas. Tel: 928 01 18 28. Open 11am to 9pm during the summer months. See this museums weblink to the right for more details - it's a fab website! Also in this area is the 16th century fort, the Castillo de la Luz, and like other forts around the Canary Islands it was originally built to see off pirates. Now it often displays art work. Also, if you like Botanical Gardens, head about 9km to the southwest of the city to the Jardin Botanico Canario Viera y Clavijo - it's an enormous botanical garden spread over about 27 hectares displaying a huge selection of Canarian flora and other species from around the world. Tel: 928 35 36 04. Again it's FREE to enter! (see the Botanical Garden website to the right).
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