How to meet people in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, from Las Canteras sunsets to a crew of friends

Updated: September 27, 2026 · Hellohood

Las Palmas is a real city first and a beach town second, which is exactly why so many people stay longer than planned. Las Canteras, a long urban beach protected by a natural reef, is the social centre: locals swim before work, surfers paddle out at La Cícer and everyone walks the promenade at sunset. Mild weather all year has made it one of Europe's best-known bases for digital nomads, especially in winter, and the university brings students too. The international crowd is easy to find; making canario friends takes a little more time, some Spanish and a willingness to say yes.

Hellohood puts small plans on a map, like a sunset walk on Las Canteras, a morning surf at La Cícer or tapas in Vegueta, and you join with one tap before a group chat opens. The Las Palmas city chat is handy for questions about buses or beaches, and if you add your trip you can see who else is on the island on your dates. The app is still new here, so if the map looks quiet, start something simple, like coffee on the promenade, and let people nearby join.

Where people meet in Las Palmas

• Paseo de Las Canteras — The promenade along the whole beach, busiest at sunset when people walk, run and sit on the wall; the easiest place in the city to meet someone.
• La Cícer — The surf spot at the southern end of Las Canteras, next to the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, where surf schools and regulars gather in the morning.
• Parque Santa Catalina — The big square near the port, with terraces, events and the heart of the carnival; good for a coffee meetup.
• Plaza de Santa Ana — The square in front of the cathedral in Vegueta, a natural starting point for an evening walk through the old town.
• El Confital — A wild beach on La Isleta with views back over the city, popular for sunset and calmer than Las Canteras.

Neighbourhoods where people hang out in Las Palmas

• Santa Catalina and Las Canteras — The area between the beach and Parque Santa Catalina, packed with cafés, co-working spaces and shared flats, where most newcomers and nomads land.
• Vegueta — The historic quarter around the Catedral de Santa Ana and Casa de Colón, with cobbled streets and terraces that fill up in the evening.
• Triana — The old commercial street and its side lanes next to Vegueta, good for an afternoon wander and a drink on a terrace.
• Guanarteme — The surf neighbourhood at the southern end of Las Canteras, relaxed and local, near the break at La Cícer.
• La Isleta — A working-class peninsula north of the beach with a strong local identity, the path out to El Confital and fewer tourists.

Things to do alone in Las Palmas (that easily turn social)

1. Walk the Paseo de Las Canteras end to end at sunset and stop wherever people are sitting on the wall.
2. Book a surf lesson at La Cícer, where groups are mixed and conversations start in the water.
3. Take your laptop to a café in Santa Catalina, where the next table is often another remote worker.
4. Join a free walking tour of Vegueta and suggest tapas with the group afterwards.
5. Snorkel along La Barra, the reef in front of Las Canteras, and swap tips with people on the sand.

Hostels, pub crawls & the social scene

Social hostels and co-living houses cluster around Las Canteras and Santa Catalina, with a few more in Vegueta and Triana. Many are set up for longer stays, so you meet people who know the city: ask in the common room who is going surfing or heading out for sunset, and join a free walking tour of Vegueta on day one. Shared dinners, beach volleyball and weekend car shares to the mountains are typical ways groups form. Pub crawls run on weekends, but a morning surf lesson or a hike to Roque Nublo with hostel mates works just as well if you do not drink.

Regular things you can just show up to

• Free walking tours — Tip-based tours through Vegueta and Triana, an easy way to meet other travellers in your first days.
• Carnaval de Las Palmas — One of Spain's biggest carnivals, centred on Parque Santa Catalina in February or March, with weeks of outdoor parties in costume.
• Noche de San Juan — On the night of 23 June the city celebrates its founding with a night swim and fireworks over Las Canteras.
• Sunset on Las Canteras — Every evening people gather along the promenade to watch the sun go down behind Gáldar and the Teide on clear days.

Tips for solo travellers & newcomers

• Buses are called guaguas here, and the yellow city buses get you between Vegueta, the beach and Guanarteme easily.
• Las Palmas is generally safe; just keep an eye on your things on the beach and around Parque Santa Catalina late at night.
• Solo female travellers can join women-only plans on Hellohood, and it is always a good idea to meet in public places like the promenade first.
• Spanish helps a lot outside the nomad bubble, and canarios speak a softer, Latin American sounding Spanish that is easy to get used to.
• Dinner is late and nights out start after 11pm, while the beach crowd is up early, so mornings and sunsets are the best social times.

Day trips that are better together

• Dunas de Maspalomas — Take the bus south to the dunes and beaches, a day that is much more fun with a few people from the city.
• Roque Nublo — Drive up to the island's iconic rock in the central mountains, an easy hike that is best shared as a group car trip.
• Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves — A bus along the north coast to natural pools and fish restaurants, ideal for a small group on a sunny Sunday.

Best time to go

Mild all year, with winter the busiest season for nomads and visitors and summer often cloudier in the city than in the island's south.

Plan ideas to start on Hellohood

• Sunset walk on the Paseo de Las Canteras
• Morning surf session at La Cícer
• Tapas evening in Vegueta
• Co-working morning in Santa Catalina
• Car share up to Roque Nublo

How Hellohood works

1. Open the map and see small plans nearby — today, tonight, this weekend.
2. Tap to join: a group chat opens so you can say hi first.
3. Meet in a public place. Or start your own plan in seconds.

FAQ

Is Las Palmas good for solo travellers?

Yes. It is a relaxed, walkable city with a long urban beach, a big international community and plenty of people who arrived alone. Surf lessons, walking tours and the evening promenade make it easy to start conversations, and the weather means you can be outside almost every day of the year.

Is Las Palmas safe to travel alone, also for women?

Las Palmas is generally considered safe, including for women travelling alone. Petty theft on the beach and quiet streets late at night are the main things to watch. Meet new people in public places first, and use women-only plans on Hellohood if you prefer.

Where do solo travellers stay in Las Palmas?

Most stay near Las Canteras and Santa Catalina, close to the beach, cafés and co-working spaces. Vegueta and Triana are more historic and quieter in the evenings, and Guanarteme suits surfers. All are connected by frequent buses.

How do I make friends in Las Palmas as a digital nomad?

Choose a co-working or co-living space with community events, surf at the same spot every morning and show up to recurring things. The nomad scene is welcoming, but if you want local friends, take Spanish classes and join sports or neighbourhood plans where canarios go.

Is there a language exchange in Las Palmas?

With so many students and remote workers, informal language exchanges and tandems are common. A simple way is to post your own plan, for example Spanish and English over coffee on the promenade, and see who joins.

Is Hellohood free?

Yes. No paywall and no ads: joining plans, creating your own, using the Las Palmas city chat and adding trips cost nothing. Your account works everywhere, handy if Tenerife is your next island.

Nearby cities

• Tenerife
• Funchal
• Madrid
• Seville

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