Vegueta Gran Canaria

The Cathedral of Santa Ana stands near the spot Juan Rejon chose to found the Ciudad Real de las Palmas, the Royal City of the Palms, on 24 June, 1478. A few palms still flourish in the Plaza de Santa Ana, where children play among the pigeons and pensioners sit chatting on the benches. Two groups of bronze dogs, representing the animals after which the island is named (according to one theory) stand opposite the cathedral entrance. The great explorer Christopher Columbus stayed in the house behind the cathedral now called the Casa de Colon. The church where he prayed before setting off on his voyages of discovery, the Ermita de San Antonio Abad, is also in the Vegueta, just behind the Casa de Colon.

The Vegueta is a place of surprising and delightful smaller squares among them the Plaza del Espiritu Santo and Plaza de Santo Domingo. Stern mansions line the streets, often decorated with traditional pine balconies for instance, C/de los Balcones, C/Leon y Joven, C/Herreria and Mendizabal. The Montesdeoca restaurant, in the street of the same name is a revelation both architecturally and for its outstanding Canarian food. Do not miss the excellent Museo Canario for a glimpse of the life of early aboriginal people of Gran Canaria. For modern life, a trip to the oldest of the city's markets, the Mercado Municipal, is highly recommended.