Las Palmas de Gran Canaria holds surprising stories behind its facades. From the origin of its colourful cliffs to the visit of Christopher Columbus, the Gran Canarian capital reveals its authentic character.
The colourful houses that climb the cliffs of San Juan, San Roque, San Nicolás, San José, and San Francisco did not originate from an aesthetic plan. Their origin is much more practical: they were painted with the remnants of the paints used to coat the hulls of ships in the port.
This is one of the five curious stories that the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria offers to those who look at it with the eyes of a local, not a tourist. The colourful landscape, now a must-see for photographers from around the world, emerged from the utilisation of naval leftovers.
The Original Name and Columbus's Visit
Few know that the Gran Canarian capital was not always called that. Its first name was 'El Real de las Tres Palmas', due to the palm trees of the military camp next to the Guiniguada ravine where the Castilians settled in 1478. It was not until 1940 that it adopted its current name.
Every June, the Foundational Festivals commemorate that June 24, 1478, when Captain Juan Rejón founded the city. The Vegueta neighbourhood, declared a National Historic-Artistic Site, was the urban seed that later spread towards Triana and the cliffs.
The navigator Christopher Columbus stopped in Las Palmas during his journey to America to repair the caravel 'La Pinta'. He stayed at the Governor's house, now part of the Casa de Colón Museum.
This colonial-style museum promotes the historical relationship between the Canary Islands and the American continent. Columbus was not the only notable figure to dock in the city, but his visit left a mark on one of the most visited cultural centres in the capital.
The Port and the Trade of Cambulloneros
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has always looked to the sea. Due to its location, the trade winds blow from east to west, and the port was built in that direction to facilitate the departure of sailing ships and protect them from the Atlantic waves. This orientation remains today: the city looks north towards Las Canteras beach and east towards the Port of Las Palmas.
As a port city, it generated unique trades. The most curious is that of cambullonero: people who exchanged or provided services to the arriving ships. Bartering crafts or food for watches, radios, or medicines was common.
The cambulloneros competed to reach the ships first with their boats, and from that speed, the origin of the Canarian lateen sail was born, now a deeply rooted sport and tradition in the capital.
For the local of Las Palmas, these stories are not just tourist anecdotes: they explain why their streets have that colour, why the port is where it is, and why the lateen sail is a hallmark of identity. Anyone strolling through Vegueta or sitting at Las Canteras can now look with different eyes.
The next time a visitor asks why the houses on the cliffs are so cheerful, they already know the answer: it was not design, it was naval recycling. And perhaps, with a bit of luck, a modern cambullonero will tell them how trade is done at the port.
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