One of the largest parks on the whole of the Canary Islands, Gran Canarias Parque Urbano de San Juan is a particularly appealing location, situated in the Telde area. Covering 135000 square metres, this is the second largest urban park in the whole of the Canary Islands. Since it was finished, it has become the symbol of Telde as a town for the 21st century.

Highlights here include sculptures, walking and cycle trails devoted to Placido Fleitas, an artist from Telde, nature and woodland walks, a playground area for children, a large lake around the San Juan cemetery, open expanses of grass, outdoor concerts and seasonal events.

Opening hours:
Monday - Sunday 10.00 - 22.00

Admission: Free
 

Heading out of Triana is Parque de San Telmo, with its shelter and bandstand, and the bus station, where you can get a bus to anywhere on the island.

This little haven of peace is located in the centre of the big city of Las Palmas, next to Calle Triana, with an abundance of different shops, restaurants and bars. This large park features sitting areas, pathways, mature landscaping with large palm trees and many popular outdoor events and activities, including a number of local fairs. It currently covers 17300 square metres.

Opening hours:
Monday - Sunday 24 hours

Admission: Free
 

In the middle of Las Canteras in the west and the harbour in the east, you find this beautiful park. A lot of the festivities, events and concerts that take place in the city, is located in this park. The carnival (February/march), for example, has it's main stage here, and the park is full of people.

It's a good place to start your sightseeing of Las Palmas, as many tourist buses have their stops here,

In the park you can see a sculpture, placed there by the City, of an old woman feeding the animals. She was actually an old homeless woman living in the park, and her name was Lolita Pluma. Pluma means feather, and she was called like this because she always had plenty of feathers on her from the birds she was feeding.

In the streets around the park are many nice cafés, bars, restaurants and shops. Close to the Elder Museum of Science and Technology, the Parque de Santa Catalina is known for hosting many of the area's most notable carnivals and festivals.

Located next to La Luz and Las Palmas Ports, this park's wide central area is surrounded by the Science Museum, the Elder Building, a playarea for children and a modern tourist office.

Opening hours:
Monday - Sunday 24 hours

Admission: Free
 

Situated on the northern side of Gran Canaria, in the Arucas area, are the Casa y Jardines de la Marquesa, the house and gardens of the Marchioness of Arucas, owned by the person of the same name. Built in the late 19th century, this historic house features beautifully landscaped gardens and contains many outstanding botanical specimens.

However, although the house is lovely, the Romantic gardens are the most attractive feature of this property, and have been declared by the Canary Islands government to be worth conserving because of their aesthetic and botanical interest. This romantic 19th century garden is set in lavish plantations of banana and strelitzia.

There is a grotto, an exotic summer house, statues and many rare plants, and there are examples of tropical and subtropical flora in these gardens.

Opening hours:
Monday - Saturday
09.00 - 13.00 and 14.00 - 18.00

Admission: 5 €
 

Parque Doramas is a beautiful park that lies in the district of Ciudad Jardin, in the middle of Vegueta and Las Canteras. The park is named after the guanche King Doramas, who fought against the Spanish for a long time, but in the end he was killed in Arucas.

After a day walking around in the city it is great to come here and relax. Sit down on one of the many benches, watch the water cascades and the statues, and explore the beautiful plants and flowers that you can find here.

Located in Parque Doramas is Pueblo Canario. This is a copy of a typical Canarian village. The Canarian painter Néstor de la Torre is the man behind this. Everything is artificial, but it is still a nice place to relax, buy souvenirs and local crafts, or look at traditional shows of dancing and singing.

A monument depicting aboriginal people tumbling over a precipice to escape capture symbolizes the resistance of the Guanche chief Doramas, after whom this park was named, against the Spanish invaders.

Doramas Park itself is a sub-tropical paradise in itself worth a visit. Cascading water features, abundant Canarian flora a terrace cafe and generally a world away from the surrounding city. In the centre of the park is THE hotel to be seen at, Hotel Santa Catalina. Dating back to the 1800s the original Canarian style of the building is quite spectacular and there's a nice terrace to sit out on for morning coffee or afternoon tea.