Triana

The district of Triana, together with La Vegueta one of the oldest districts of the city, has turned into Las Palmas’ main commercial centre  – especially since the Calle Mayor, Triana’s main street, became a pedestrian zone – with a multitude of shops, ranging from tiny old-fashioned shops to big chain and department stores and upmarket boutiques.


In contrast to the Vegueta quarter, which – because of its narrow streets and older buildings – gives more a middle-aged feudalistic impression, the Triana quarter is visibly marked by the bourgeoisie as mainly local, Andalusian, English, Maltese and Danish merchant families settled in this area. This is also the reason why the main street, Calle Mayor, which crosses the whole district, shows all the architectural styles of the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th century. In spite of a stretch of modernist houses in the beginning of the Calle Mayor this entire street was declared national historic monument.


In the south of Triana, almost opposite the Mercado Publico, you will find the Teatro Pérez Galdós, named after the famous writer, a bit neglected from the outside but with opulent interior decorations and an auditorium for 1400 spectators. Today this theatre is the best in Las Palmas and one of the best in the Canary Islands. Nearby, at the corner of Calle Cano/Calle Peregrina streets is the Casa Museo de Pérez Galdós.


On continuing our visit through Triana, close to the Casa Museo de Pérez Galdós, we come across a charming little square, the Plazoleta de Cairasco, at the northern end of which the splendid art-nouveau style Gabinete Literario is located, a building that – originally constructed in 1842 as a theatre and turned into a club in 1894 – now houses a literary society as well as a restaurant/café with a nice, shady terrace. Furthermore to be found in this corner of the city, where much of its cultural life takes place, is the grand building of the Centro de Iniciativas Culturales (Centre of Cultural Initiatives – commonly known as CICCA) and the Hotel Madrid, one of the oldest of Las Palmas, where meals and drinks are served under palm trees till late at night.


To the side of this small square runs the Alameda de Colón, where at the northern end, near a bust of Columbus, you will find the whitewashed, colonial-style Iglesia de San Francisco, which has three naves, a white marble floor, the typical Mudéjar-ceiling and a few art-historical statues by Luján Pérez. Destroyed by a fire in 1599 caused by the attack of Dutch pirates, this church was rebuilt during the 17^th century and then became a parochial church after the monks had been ejected (as they were throughout Spain in 1821).

In the north of the Triana district lies Las Palmas' most appealing park, the Parque San Telmo, which cannot be missed, as it is here where you will find the city' s main underground bus terminal and a major taxi station. There are shady palm trees, benches, a children' s playground and a bandstand at the centre. Other attractions are a magnificent art-nouveau kiosk, splendidly decorated with multicoloured, gleaming tiles, where you can enjoy a cold drink under towering trees, and the small late baroque Ermita de San Telmo chapel, dedicated to sailors and fisherman. Nearby is the Gobierno Militar (Military Headquarters) where General Franco launched the Spanish Civil War in 1936, a plaque marking the spot where he announced his rebellion.