Las Palmas city's first 100 years of history were violent and bloody. And several of the city's most famous attackers shared grisly fates. The curse of Las Palmas sent them to early graves.

Published in History

The Risco Caido archaeological site in Gran Canaria is Spain's official nomination for World Heritage Status. It now goes forward for consideration by the WHO's head honchos.

Published in News

Sir Francis Drake, along with his cousin and fellow privateer (legal pirate) John Hawkins, attacked Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1595 but failed to breach the city's makeshift defences. 

Published in History

Before Columbus 'discovered' America and decades before Hernán Cortez and Francisco Pizarro were even born, the Spanish Conquistador emerged from the blood and dust of the 1478 Battle For Las Palmas. 

Published in History

We see these mistakes in guidebooks, blogs and the press all the time and we say ENOUGH!

Published in Guide

Everyone that visits Las Palmas stops in old town Vegueta and admires the stone carvings and massive doorway of the Casa de Colón museum; The house where Columbus stayed on his way to discover America. But is is what it seems?

Published in History

Archaeologists have just discovered an ancient Canarii (Guanche) village, including a rare, two-storey structure, at Ansite up in the mountains of southeast Gran Canaria

Published in News

The Beatles' 10-day holiday in Tenerife is famous thanks to Astrid Kirchner's candid photographs, but we think they spent one day in Gran Canaria as well. Here's why...

Published in History

La Vegueta was the original Las Palmas and hasn't changed much since Columbus visited, except the bits that the Dutch burned down.

Published in Las Palmas

The neo-Canarian visitor centre at the top of the Pico de Bandama volcano hides a secret from Spain's time as a military dictatorship.

Published in Tip of the day

From late night erotic dances to a military governor with a masonic secret: Here's the history behind how Gran Canaria became Gay Canaria.

 

Published in Guide

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Tip of the day

  • The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!
    The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!

    If there is one thing we hate it is visitors being tricked in Gran Canaria. In the past we've warned about overcharging at Gran Canaria chemists, and rip off electronics shops in resorts. 

    In this Tip Of The Day we return to the island's chemists or rather, to the island's fake chemists.

    A chemist in Gran Canaria is called a Farmacia and always has a green cross sign. Farmacias are the only place tobuy medicine in Spain, even basics like paracetamol.

    However, there is another kind of shop in Gran Canaria that looks and sounds like a chemist but doesn't sell medicine. This is the Parafarmacia and it also uses a green cross sign.

    A parafarmacia is a herbal medicine shop that is not allowed to sell any normal medicine such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antibiotics. 

    Instead, parafarmacias sell herbal alternatives to medicine but don't have to prove that they work and they can charge whatever they want.

    We recently heard from a visitor to Gran Canaria who went into a parafarmacia and was charged 40 euros for a herbal alternative to Ibuprofen. It was only when they read the label that they realised what had happened. 

    To locate a genuine farmacia, see this website and search within your municipio (Puerto Rico is in Mogán, Playa del Inglés is in San Bartolomé de Tirajana). At weekends and on fiesta days many farmacias close but there is always one open, known as the farmacia de guardia, in each municipio.

    Search for the nearest one to you with this tool

    Lex Says: To keep costs down, see this article for the way to ask for generic medicine rather than expensive branded alternatives. 

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