Playa de Las Alcaravaneras

Las Alcaravaneras stretches along the eastern shore of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, between the city and the harbour water. It is a golden-sand beach roughly 550 metres long and close to 100 metres wide, the capital's second largest after Las Canteras. The shelter of the port keeps the sea almost flat, without the swell of the open Atlantic, and that calm explains its character: this is not where the city goes on holiday, it is where the city goes swimming. The promenade behind the sand, with its terraces and small businesses, belongs to everyday Las Palmas as much as the beach itself.

Access from the centre is straightforward on foot or by bus, and there is parking nearby. The beach has showers, toilets, adapted access and supervision, along with volleyball, basketball and beach football courts that fill up in the afternoons. Because the bay is sheltered, the water stays mild and without strong currents, which suits children and regular swimmers alike. Be clear about what this is: a city beach with the port in view. Anyone after an untouched stretch of sand should look elsewhere, but anyone curious about how the capital spends its afternoons has come to the right place.