Beachfront Hotels on Las Canteras, Las Palmas
All three beachfront hotels on this page face the same stretch of sand: Las Canteras, the city beach of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, protected by La Barra, a natural reef that keeps much of the water calm. Bull Reina Isabel & Spa sits right on the beach with a rooftop infinity pool and a free spa, Hotel Aloe Canteras is 30 metres from the sand with Atlantic views from most rooms, and Hotel Cristina by Tigotan Las Palmas - Adults Only overlooks the beach with a pool, a gym and an ocean-view restaurant. Between them they cover a four-star spa stay, a simple three-star base and a five-star hotel for adults only.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a real working city with a beach in the middle of it: Las Canteras on one side of the isthmus, the Puerto de La Luz on the other, and the historic Vegueta quarter to the south. Surfers, swimmers and locals on their lunch break share the same sand year-round, which gives the beachfront a lived-in feel rather than a resort one.
Where to stay
Three Ways to Live on Las Canteras
Las Canteras is a beach you live on rather than visit: the Paseo de Las Canteras promenade runs its whole length, lined with bars and restaurants, and the reef makes early swims easy. Staying beachfront here means stepping from the lobby onto the promenade, so the real choice is between facilities, an infinity pool and spa, a sun terrace, or an adults-only pool, and price category.
Bull Reina Isabel & Spa is the most complete beachfront stay on Las Canteras in this list. The four-star hotel has a rooftop infinity pool and a sun terrace looking over the Atlantic, plus a spa and a gym that guests use for free, which is unusual for a city beach hotel. Practical extras help too: free parking, a real advantage on a busy city seafront, and beach essentials such as parasols and loungers provided by the hotel. With an 8.6 score from 2,048 reviews, it is the option I would book for a beach holiday where the rooftop pool and spa fill the hours when the sun is too strong on the sand.
Hotel Aloe Canteras is a three-star hotel 30 metres from Las Canteras Beach, with bright, modern rooms, most of them with Atlantic Ocean views, and a sun terrace that overlooks the beach. Its facilities are simple, an internet corner and vending machines rather than a pool or a restaurant, so the beach and the promenade do the work here. That is no weakness on Las Canteras, where bars and restaurants line the Paseo right outside the door. It shares the top score on this page, 8.6, with the largest record, 2,819 reviews, which makes it a reliable pick for travelers who spend their days in the water and their evenings out.
Hotel Cristina by Tigotan Las Palmas - Adults Only is the five-star choice and the only adults-only hotel on this page. It overlooks Las Canteras Beach, with most rooms opening onto a balcony with views of the city and the beach, an outdoor swimming pool, a gym and a restaurant with ocean views. The listing places it 50 metres from Puerto de La Luz, the city's main port, so ferries and the harbour are as close as the beach. It scores 8.5 from 1,510 reviews. For couples who want a quieter pool deck without children and a restaurant with a sea view, this is the one I would choose.
The beach itself is what ties these three together. Las Canteras runs for roughly three kilometres along the western side of the isthmus, from La Puntilla in the north to the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in the south, and La Barra, the reef offshore, makes snorkeling and calm swims possible on much of it at low tide. The Paseo is busy from morning runners to evening diners, and the old quarter of Vegueta, with its cathedral and the Casa de Colón, is a short bus ride away. Staying beachfront here means you can swim before breakfast and still be in the city for lunch.
I would choose Bull Reina Isabel & Spa for a beachfront stay in Las Palmas, because it sits right on Las Canteras and adds a rooftop infinity pool, a free spa and gym, and beach parasols and loungers, with an 8.6 score from 2,048 reviews. If you travel as a couple and want a calmer pool, Hotel Cristina by Tigotan Las Palmas - Adults Only, adults only with an ocean-view restaurant, is my alternative.
BeachfrontBull Reina Isabel & Spa
BeachfrontHotel Aloe Canteras
BeachfrontHotel Cristina by Tigotan Las Palmas - Adults Only
Local tips
- 1Book Bull Reina Isabel & Spa if you want a rooftop infinity pool, a free spa and parasols and loungers provided for the beach.
- 2Choose Hotel Aloe Canteras for a simple, well-rated base 30 metres from the sand with Atlantic views from most rooms.
- 3Pick Hotel Cristina by Tigotan Las Palmas - Adults Only if you travel as a couple and want an adults-only pool and an ocean-view restaurant.
- 4Swim and snorkel near La Barra at low tide, when the reef shelters the water along much of the beach.
- 5Walk the Paseo de Las Canteras to the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus at sunset for the length of the beach.
- 6Take a bus to Vegueta for the cathedral and the Casa de Colón, the old quarter of the city.