Culture has always been a very interesting option that complements the tourist spirit that the island has as the main label for tourism. However, the museums in Gran Canaria have an exceptional cultural offer, providing knowledge about Canarian history and art.
A land full of history and tradition where, thanks to an extraordinary archaeological and conservation work, the culture of the archipelago has positioned itself in the showcase of tourist interests of the island.
You will be able to know first-hand the sites that reveal the customs of the culture of the Canarian aborigines, tribes that lived in Gran Canaria before the conquest and that had knowledge of astronomy, hunting and fishing techniques of their own.
They were also great warriors who resisted for decades with strategies and tenacity the advance of the conquerors who had better weapons and more troops. They were the authors of the famous "pintaderas", the paintings they left in the caves that reflect the ideology and fables of a culture still alive in the Canarian people.
In the history of the Canary Islands art is also of special importance, as it has been an autonomous community where artistic and architectural styles unique in the world converge, such as the colonial style that many villages have not only in Gran Canaria, but in the rest of the archipelago.
An architecture built with a sober character where stone and lacquered wood are in charge of dressing and giving strength to the main buildings and old houses of the island, where grey, white and brown are the colors that reign among the localities that maintain this style as unique as significant.
All this together with the cultural transition that the island underwent in the centuries after the conquest, something that can be seen in many museums in Gran Canaria, where we can also discover pictorial works and modern sculptures.
Culture, history and science go hand in hand in this museum offer proposed by several municipalities of the island, so that you know the history, art and knowledge that has existed for years in an archipelago full of wisdom.
Museums in Gran Canaria
The island's cultural offer can be found in places easy to reach, as they are mainly towns with added interests, such as the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria where most of the museums are located.
It is also possible to find them in inland towns such as Valsequillo, Tejeda or Teror, where we can mainly find ethnographic pieces that show us part of the traditional customs of the villages of Gran Canaria.
Below we will reveal a list of the most representative museums with the greatest tourist interest in Gran Canaria, exciting options if you are enjoying a holiday on the island.
Cueva Pintada Archaeological Museum and Park - Gáldar
The Cueva Pintada is a recreation of one of the most important sites of the pre-colonial culture of Gran Canaria. Here you can fully immerse yourself in the habitat of the Canarian aborigines and the customs that made up their daily lives.
You will discover the cave art that represents the way of life and religion that these tribes practice, with geometric shapes painted on the walls of a cave excavated in the volcanic tuff. One of the museums in Gran Canaria with more information on pre-Hispanic culture, located in the city of Gáldar to the north of the island.
A locality with a lot of history, that goes from the first Castilian settlements to the discovery, more than a century ago, of this site in which vestiges of the aboriginal houses have also been discovered.
Elder Science and Technology Museum - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The Elder Science and Technology Museum is a very interesting option to enjoy with children or family, since the attractions and most of its exhibitions are interactive.
A concept that tries to convey the message that science is very funny, something that this museum achieves by far, because you won’t cease to be amazed and have a great time while you learn.
Atlantic Center of Modern Art - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
If you are an art lover, this museum has a very interesting catalog of exhibitions and modernist pieces that attract year after year passionate visitors of this artistic style.
In addition, works by renowned artists are constantly on display, including talks and events closely linked to the avant-garde, modern art and photography.
One of the most important exhibitions that this center has carried out was the photographic collection of Robert Capa, a famous and iconic war photographer who managed to immortalize a large part of the most representative images of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War.
The Canarian Museum - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
A very interesting option to get to know the pre-Hispanic and colonial culture of the Canary Islands is the Canarian Museum. Located in the old quarter of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, specifically in the Vegueta neighbourhood, this center is dedicated to the conservation and exhibition of archaeological, cultural and literary pieces that structure the history of the Canary Islands.
Discover one of the largest historical collections of the archipelago by visiting this museum, which is part of the heritage and the commitment of many institutions to preserve the culture and collective history of the Canary Islands.
Néstor Museum - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
For all painting enthusiasts, this museum is one of the best options on the island to enjoy the work of one of the most iconic painters it has given: Néstor de la Torre.
This museum is the result of the set of his works of diverse themes, with some of them really standing out like his Poema del Mar (Poem of the Sea) and his unfinished Poema de la Tierra (Poem of the Earth), both of symbolist style with the light and control that characterized the painter.
Located in the middle of the Doramas Park in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, this old house was conceived by Néstor de la Torre himself and created and conditioned by his brother, Miguel de la Torre, so that after the artist’s premature death all his legacy would be exhibited for the people of Gran Canaria.
One of the best options to visit all of these museums in Gran Canaria is to stay in the best hotels on the island. For this reason, you will enjoy not only its wide cultural offer, but also the tourist side.
- Mirador Maspalomas is a dynamic hotel that provides a plus in all the services needed to have a great holiday, with a very interesting value for money. Ideal for staying with friends and enjoy the fun and pleasant features offered by this hotel located in the south of Gran Canaria. You can reach the capital in half an hour, so you don’t miss any of the museums we have recommended.
- Don Gregory is the ideal option to rest and have a few days marked by personal enrichment with spa services, massages and relax thanks to the excellent Wellness Center and a renovated Nordic style that make it a real corner of peace. A hotel that will allow you to rest and refresh your mind so that you can enjoy the culture and art offered by the museums in Gran Canaria.
- Maspalomas Resort and Suites & Villas are two ideal options to enjoy with the family thanks to their excellent bungalows, where you will enjoy all the privacy offered by this village in the middle of paradise and stroll through its lush gardens surrounded by palm groves and swimming pools ideal for fun and relax. With incredible features and services for all audiences, such as Mundo Duni, where the hotel mascot will give moments of fun to the little ones.
The perfect accommodation to finish a day discovering the legends of the Gran Canarian aboriginal warriors or taking part in fun scientific experiments. Visit the best museums in Gran Canaria and get to know the impressive cultural offer that the island has to offer. A really interesting option, so that you can have fun while learning about Canarian culture and history during your holidays.
