The flow of the sea provides a perfect remedy to the bustle of the city. The traffic, noise and industry that fill the streets are part and parcel of any big city, but on the seashore, such activity seems faraway despite the close proximity of these two very different realities. Las Canteras beach is a perfect place to get away from it all. 3,800 metres in length, this pale sandy beach, with its gentle waters, is an important coastal reference for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and is a perfect beach for swimming, learning to dive, playing football, sunbathing or, simply passing the time with a leisurely walk along the shore. 

What makes Las Canteras so special is that has everything, making it one of the best urban beaches in the world. To begin with, it is set in beautiful natural surroundings. The Santa Catalina isthmus (the joining point between the little island and the rest of Gran Canaria) is made up of a large sandy area with gentle slopes forming beaches of  pale sand on both sides of the Gran Canarian capital. A fossilised sand reef, known as 'La Barra' (the bar) at a distance of 200 metres from the shore stretches along much of the length of the beach and acts as a breakwater, making Las Canteras a magnificent and spacious swimming pool with gentle waters. With a mask and a snorkel, swimmers can explore the sea bed and observe the many algae where thousands of fish share the space with local bathers and holidaymakers. 

But that's not all. Las Canteras is a great place for a host of leisure activities. Being a  urban beach, there is a good variety of restaurants, shops and hotels just a few feet from the shore. Add the climate to this already generous equation and there is little left to say. According to a study by Siracuse University in the USA, the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria enjoys the "best climate in the world", a further incentive to tempt thousands of locals to the beach almost all year round.

Another attractive feature is its spacious coastal promenade. For those who prefer not to walk barefoot in the sand, there is a pleasant promenade right beside the sea. This pedestrian walkway has benches, is well lit at night and runs along most of western coast of the city. A stroll along the promenade is particularly recommended at sunset. On a clear day, it is possible to see the sun setting behind the striking peak of Mount Teide on neighbouring Tenerife. This time in the evening, the sunbathers and swimmers leave the beach and it becomes a lively area for sports activities with young people playing football, volleyball or beach tennis. A drink or a coffee on one of the terraces on the seafront makes an ideal ending to an unforgettable day.