Gran Canaria
[8] In the medieval period, after over a century of European incursions and attempts at conquest, the island was conquered on 29 April 1483, by the Crown of Castile, under Queen Isabella I.[11] A more plausible assumption is that the island's name derives from the people Canario or Canarii living near the Atlas mountain range.The Autoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canaria (Gran Canaria Transport Authority, TGC) manages the network and operates a number of bus stations across the island, including San Telmo and Santa Catalina bus stations in Las Palmas, Maspalomas and Galdar.The most important ports in the island are the Port of Las Palmas (Puerto de la Luz), in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Arguineguín, which exports cement from a large factory; and Arinaga, located in the main industrial zone of Canaries and one of the major ones of Spain.[38][39] Gran Canaria agriculture is unique among the Canaries islands in that it was traditionally dominated by plantations, with much of these being grains as well as sugarcane, rather than by stock-breeding.[40] The caves of Valerón (a property of cultural interest in the "archaeological site" category) in the municipality of Santa María de Guía bears testimony of it by being the largest pre-Hispanic collective granary of the Canaries.This island is called a "miniature continent" due to the different climates and variety of landscapes found, with long beaches and dunes of white sand, contrasting with green ravines and picturesque villages.The island possesses 32 Natural Protected Spaces,[44] notably the Rural Park of Nublo, The Doramas Jungle, the Azuaje Ravine, Tamadaba, Pino Santo, etc.Resorts are concentrated in the central eastern part of the southern coast in the Maspalomas area, which includes the towns of San Agustín, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras.Playa del Ingles is home to the Yumbo Centre,[45] which was opened in 1982 and has almost 200 shops, including bars, restaurants, cafes, fashion boutiques, electronic outlets and jewellery stores.Other attractions include Cocodrilos Park, Roque Nublo (an 80 m monolith), Cenobio de Valerón with more than 350 storage cavities, Painted cave of Galdar the most important archaeological park in Canary Islands, or the botanical gardens Jardín Canario (in Tafira Alta) and Cactualdea (in La Aldea de San Nicolás).It was the first stop of Christopher Columbus' expedition on his way back from the Americas,[47] a commemoration of which is the Hermitage of San Antonio Abad, where the navigator prayed, and the Casa de Colón.Other attractions in the capital city include the Museo Canario (the most important archaeology museum in the archipelago), the cathedral and the Plaza del Espíritu Santo.In Teror the shrine of Virgen del Pino ("Virgin of the Pine"), patron saint of Gran Canaria, can be found.The district also includes the most renowned scuba diving area on the island: the marine reserve at the playa de El Cabrón just outside the town of Arinaga.In Gáldar and its surroundings there is also a banana-growing plain and some remarkable archaeological remains,[48] such as the Painted cave of Galdar or the cenobio de Valerón's communal silos, ancient tombs (among which the necropolis of Maipés), and the port of Sardina del Norte (one of the island's ports where, as in Las Palmas', Christopher Columbus used to get supplies for his ships).Maspalomas Station, located in the south of the island, took part in a number of space missions including the Apollo 11 Moon landings and Skylab.The island is also home to UD Las Palmas – a football club playing in La Liga at the Estadio de Gran Canaria, with a capacity of 32,392.
Grand Canary (novel)Grand Canary (film)MacaronesiaAutonomous CommunityCanary IslandsProvinceLas PalmasLas Palmas de Gran CanariaarchipelagoNorthwest AfricaMorro de la AgujereadaantiquityCanariimedieval periodCrown of CastileQueen Isabella IAbencharaJuan RejónCastilianChristopher ColumbusPort of Las PalmasSanta Cruz de TenerifeconversosTenerife airport disasterMauretaniaAtlas mountain rangeJean de BéthencourtTenerifeFuerteventuravolcanicfissure ventsPico de las NievesMiocenealkali basalttrachytesphonolitesperalkalinepyroclastic flowsKöppen climate classificationhot desert climate (BWh)microclimatesprecipitationrelative humiditysunshine hoursAgencia Estatal de MeteorologíadeforestationreforestationProvince of Las PalmasSpanish provinceCabildo insular de Gran CanariamunicipalitiesAgaeteAgüimesArtenaraArucasFirgasGáldarIngenioMogánLa Aldea de San NicolásSan Bartolomé de TirajanaSanta BrígidaSanta Lucía de TirajanaSanta María de Guía de Gran CanariaTejedaVallesecoValsequillo de Gran CanariaVega de San MateoAutoridad Única del Transporte de Gran Canariacontactlesselectronic ticketGran Canaria AirportPuerto de la LuzArguineguíncementArinagaTrasmediterráneaCádizPort of Las NievesFred Olsen ExpresscatamaranTren de Gran CanariaGran Canaria Cabildosugarcanecaves of Valerónproperty of cultural interestSanta María de GuíaPuerto de MogánMaspalomas LighthouseRoque NubloBiosphere ReserveUNESCOPalmitos ParkMaspalomasSan AgustínPlaya del InglésMelonerasMaspalomas DunesPuerto RicoCenobio de ValerónPainted cave of GaldarJardín CanarioEl Dedo de DiosPuerto de las Nievestropical storm DeltaRoque BentaygaLas Canteras beachcarnavalVirgen del PinoGuayadeque ravineMunicipality of MogánList of animal and plant symbols of the Canary IslandsCanary MastiffEuphorbia canariensisPlaya de las CanterasDunas de MaspalomasCanary Islands Network for Protected Natural Areasnature reservesnatural parksPilanconesnatural monumentsBarranco de Guayadequeprotected landscapessites of scientific interestPhalmuterQuevedo (rapper)