Las Palmas, Grand Canary, Spain

Las Palmas, Grand Canary, Spain

During the night we sailed approximately 4.5 nautical miles to the east of the small islands of Selvagem Pequena (small) and Selvagem Grande (large). After passing these islands, we sailed westerly to Grand Canary, Spain (Gran Canaria). Gran Canaria is located 150 KM (93.2 miles) off the northwestern coast of Africa. It is called a miniature continent because of its different climates and variety of landscapes.

The Puerto de la Luz in Las Palmas is a busy working port with what looked like oilrigs, a refinery, and lots of containers stacked six high. The city of Las Palmas, which is near the port, stretches up into the mountains formed by volcanic rock. It is similar to Funchal but the surrounding mountains are more barren.

When we docked, we were surprised to see the three-masted sailing ship, Lord Nelson, docked next to us. The Lord Nelson is a UK passenger and training ship that enables youth and people with limited mobility to sail aboard a true sailing vessel. The last time we saw the ship was in 2005 at the ceremonies commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar held in Portsmouth, England. The Lord Nelson is much like a Windjammer ship but has been adapted for wheelchairs, etc. Their URL was printed on the side of the ship: www.jst.org.uk.

The Sailing Ship Lord Nelson

From the upper deck of the QE, we had a terrific view of the dockyard. Two Spanish naval vessels were docked nearby. We could hear band music and saw sailors in their white uniforms lining up for some type of ceremony. It made us wistful for the military ceremonies we had participated in.

Spanish Naval Vessels with Las Palmas in the background

Since the downtown area was a long walk from the port, we decided to take the Hop On, Hop Off bus and tour the city. We were amazed at how built up and big the downtown area was for such a small island. The streets are quite narrow with tall buildings (some ten stories high) on both sides of the street and went on for quite a distance. It gave us a sense of being in a maze. However, between the buildings, we frequently had views of the beautiful beaches that border the downtown area.

We passed a number of parks with statues of historic people, including one of (as the recorded tour information said) “Admiral Columbus, who stopped in Gran Canaria before going off to conquer the Americas.”

One of many beautiful parks in Las Palmas

The buildings in Las Palmas are an interesting combination of traditional Spanish and modern styles of architecture, with some clad in ceramic and stone tiles. Many had window shutters to block out the afternoon heat, although the recorded tour information said that Gran Canaria has the best year-round temperature in the world. The recording included the scientific reason for that claim, but I didn’t make note of it. Given that, I can see why many people come here each year to escape the cold, wet winters of England, including our friends who winter in nearby Lanzarote. Agatha Christie is said to have spent time at one of the hotels we passed and created some of her characters there.

We had a terrific view from the open top deck of the tour bus. Unfortunately, it was a hazardous place to sit. A thick tree branch grazed me on the head as we passed under it. My trusty straw hat, which makes me look like a mushroom, cushioned the blow and I wasn’t injured—just a bit shaken. If I had been an inch taller, I could have come away with a serious head injury, or at the very least, black eyes or a broken nose. Not a terrific way to begin a vacation. We would have walked around the ship with everyone giving my husband dirty looks. For the first time I was thankful for my short stature.

Queen Elizabeth Seen from a Las Palmas Park

After we returned to the ship and had lunch, John and I went up to the terrific sports deck on the QE, which is quite large and partially shaded from the intense sun by canvas sails overhead. Since the area was virtually empty, we tried our hand at paddleball, which is played on a small tennis court; English lawn balls; croquet; quoits; and my favorite, shuffleboard. It was nice not having anyone witness our dismal performance. But with practice, we hope to get better.

One Side of the QE Sports Deck

Late afternoon, we set sail again. The pier was empty when the ship pulled away. No grand sendoffs like we saw on the farewell voyage of the QE2, when everyone wanted to see her for the last time and thousands of people came out at every port. However, suddenly in the distance we saw a lone man rapidly pedal his bike to the end of the long pier. He hopped off his bike and started waving and taking pictures. Just when we thought no one cared.

We bid farewell to Grand Canary, without seeing a single canary.