Playa de las Canteras

The city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has several beaches - but the best of all is the Playa de las Canteras.

It's the northern boundary of the city, around 4km (2.5 miles) long, with a paseo or promenade which snakes from the rocky edge of La Isleta to the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Arenas shopping centre and El Rincon. The beach has a series of bays, with sunbathing concentrated at the eastern end, and surfing down by the Auditorio.

It's at its busiest at weekends, and on Sundays you'll find the restaurant terraces along the paseo full of local families enjoying a leisurely lunch.

On weekdays, shop and office workers take advantage of the afternoon siesta to spend a couple of hours in the sun. Though it's not usually quite as hot or as sunny as the beaches on the south coast at Playa del Ingles or Maspalomas, in good weather the Playa de Las Canteras is still a good place to get a tan (and you'll need sun protection).

It's also a very good and safe place to swim, as the bay is protected by a natural reef. There are lifeguards, and you should observe the flags which will tell you when it's safe to swim. There is no nudist area, and there isn't a gay section; but it's a good place to people watch.