Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and one of Spain's largest cities, with around 400,000 people. Most visitors staying in the southern resorts never bother making the 50-kilometre trip north, which is their loss.
The old quarter of Vegueta is the place to start. The Catedral de Santa Ana anchors a grid of 16th-century streets lined with balconied mansions. The Museo Canario on nearby Calle Doctor Verneau has the best collection of pre-Hispanic Guanche artefacts on the island — skulls, pottery, and the mummified remains of the original inhabitants. Columbus lodged here in 1492 before sailing west; the Casa de Colón museum occupies his supposed quarters.
Playa de Las Canteras runs for three kilometres along the city's Atlantic side, backed by a promenade of restaurants and bars rather than hotel towers. It is a proper urban beach used by locals throughout the year. The reef offshore creates calm swimming conditions even on windier days.
Food and drink cost noticeably less than in the southern resorts. Tapas bars in Vegueta and around the port area draw a local crowd. Plaza Santa Catalina, near the port, is good for an evening drink at one of the outdoor café terraces.