Las Canteras beach
Two miles of sand inside the city, protected by a natural rock bar.
Duration
2 hrs – 5 hrs
Best time
At low tide, in the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Las Canteras is a three-kilometre urban beach in the middle of Las Palmas, and its distinctive feature is the Barra: a bar of volcanic rock parallel to the shore, a hundred or two hundred metres out, which breaks the surface at low tide.
It breaks the Atlantic swell and turns the southern half of the beach into a calm lagoon, where you swim and snorkel in clear water. The northern half, outside its protection, takes the swell and serves the surfers. It is two beaches in one, separated by a geological accident.
Getting there
In the north-west of Las Palmas. City buses from anywhere; the promenade runs the full length of the beach.
What to bring
- Mask and snorkel
- Reef shoes
- Swimsuit
- Board
Rules on site
The northern end, La Cícer, is not protected by the bar: the swell and currents there are real, and it is a surf zone. The bar itself is sharp and covered in sea urchins at low tide.
