NEW! Las Palmas De Gran Canaria: Port Of The Month

Created by doina. Last modified on 2005-12-01 12:51:25
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Countries: Azores, Barbados, Canary Islands, Cape Verdes, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, St Lucia

It is no coincidence that we designated Las Palmas as our first Port of the Month as Noonsite’s own success owes much to its association with this vibrant port which occupies a strategic position astride maritime lanes linking three continents.

It is just over five hundred years since Las Palmas welcomed its most famous visitor when Christopher Columbus stopped here in the early stages of his momentous voyage that led his fleet of three ships to what is now known as America. While in Las Palmas, the smallest ship, the Niña, had its lateen rig changed to square sails, while La Pinta was beached and had its rudder repaired. From this modest beginning, Las Palmas grew into a busy port providing visiting ships of all types and sizes a full range of repair facilities. Thousands of vessels: container ships, tankers, bulk carriers, passenger ships and fishing boats call at Las Palmas every year, and although this commercial traffic is the lifeblood of the huge harbour, sailing yachts are just as welcome. The largest marina in the Canaries, Muelle Deportivo, provides a “home from home” for sailors onboard the over one thousand foreign yachts that call here every year.

Over the years, the excellent facilities of Las Palmas have attracted a number of international sailing events, best known among them the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). On Sunday 20th November, an ARC fleet of 224 yachts took the start of this annual event that finishes in the island of St Lucia in the Caribbean. This year’s start was marked by a host of celebrations to mark the twentieth ARC which in the two decades since its first edition has grown into the largest trans-ocean event in the world. The continuing popularity of the ARC among the local canarios was best summed up by a former president of the Las Palmas Port Authority who once said: “in the past we had four seasons, now we have five: spring, summer, autumn, winter and the ARC!”

The ARC’s development and success have been matched by a steady improvement in the marina’s infrastructure that are of benefit not just to participants in the ARC but to all yachts and sailors who stop here. Located at the southern end of the large commercial harbour, the marina is now protected on all sides by massive breakwaters. Visiting yachts are usually directed to the pontoons on the marina’s northern side where a number of vacant spaces are always kept for visitors. Immediately to the north of the marina, off Las Caravaneras beach, is a well-protected anchorage that is used by sailors who prefer to stay at anchor.

A number of marine related businesses now operate in the marina: a full service boatyard with its own travelift, two chandleries, sailmaker, mini-market, pharmacy, bars, restaurants as well as the usual services of a fuel station, showers and laundry. There is plenty for sailors to enjoy in the newly opened Sotavento commercial centre in the heart of the marina with its restaurants, terrace bars and boutiques.

Further repair and service facilities are available around the commercial port, making Las Palmas an ideal place to prepare a boat for a long passage. Provisioning is of an equally high quality with many well-stocked supermarkets and several fresh produce markets. As the Canaries are a duty-free area, all goods, both locally produced and imported, are considerable cheaper than in mainland Spain.

Members of reputable yacht clubs may use the excellent facilities of Real Club Nautico located close to the north of the marina. This is one of Spain’s top yacht clubs and a racing record second to none, with several world, Olympic and European champions, mostly in dinghy and Olympic classes, among its members. Las Palmas is also the base of a traditional class of sailing boat, the Vela Latina Canaria, which are raced regularly during the summer months. Besides sailing, Las Palmas is home to the oldest golf club in Spain, while the local football team plays in Spain’s Primera Liga so football aficionados have the chance to see some of the most famous Spanish clubs play here.

Important as the port and its related facilities may be, Las Palmas is a lot more than just the port. The town of just over half a million inhabitants straddles a peninsula that is flanked on both sides by beautiful sandy beaches. Las Canteras beach that fronts the city is used all year round as it is protected by a long reef that runs parallel to the shore. The calm waters never fall below 18°C thanks to the influence of the Canaries current, a continuation of the Gulf Stream.

Las Palmas is made up of two distinctive halves, the more commercial northern quarters, called El Puerto, and, to the south of the marina, the old quarters called La Vegueta. The latter has several buildings that go right back to the time of Columbus including a well-endowed museum called Casa de Colon (House of Columbus) where the great navigator is reputed to have stayed while his ships were being repaired in the nearby bay.

A fast motorway links Las Palmas with the airport, south coast and the many tourist resorts that every year attract hundreds of thousands of tourists to their sandy beaches and permanent sunshine. Several marinas have also been built along this well-sheltered coast and are increasingly used by North European sailors as a permanent base. Away from the bustling south and less than one hour from Las Palmas, the mountainous interior of the island is a true oasis of tranquility where small villages nestle in valleys overshadowed by massive peaks. All this, plus a wonderful climate that knows no extremes, it is no wonder that the inhabitants of Las Palmas consider themselves to have been truly blessed with a quality of life that is among the best in the world.

For full details of Las Palmas facilities, visit www.noonsite.com/Countries/CanaryIslands/LasPalmasdeGranCanaria

Next month's port: Phuket, Thailand