Las Palmas
The largest city in the Canary Islands, Spain, the historic city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, was founded on the 24th June 1478 by the Spanish conquistadors under Juan Rejón. Las Palmas developed into a significant port and was well used by ships sailing around the African coast and also those visiting the Americas. Used as a stopping off point for Christopher Columbus, before heading for La Gomera and onto the 1st of his American voyages. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria boasts a fantastic museum, named after the famous explorer, the Casa Colón contains models and artefacts relating to Columbus and his voyages and exploits. The fabulous Catedral de Santa Ana was begun in 1497 and took over 400 years to finish, the Neo-Classical façade hides Gothic vaults. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is situated in the fertile north of the island and experiences a humid climate, which is not as hot as the desert-like south of the island, making Las Palmas weather more pleasant in the summer months and whilst remaining mild during the winter. A couple of interesting towns worth visiting near to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are Teror, the religious capital of the island and Moya, a pretty little town dominated by its huge church. Las Palmas Map.