The warm waters surrounding Las Palmas provide perfect conditions for all kinds of water sports for holidaymakers to enjoy, including sailing and boating. Many of the resorts have their own tennis courts and golf courses, or have contracts with others so that holidaymakers can play when they so desire. Whale watching is another popular activity and tickets can be bought from companies taking tourists out on boats for the day.

Spanish is the official language, but English is widely understood in areas frequented by tourists. Catalan, Galician and Basque are spoken in the relevant areas.

Spain's official currency is the Euro (EUR). One Euro is divided into 100 cents. Money can be exchanged at bureaux de change and major hotels, but banks give the best rates. All major credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted at most hotels, restaurants, and shops. ATMs are widespread and are generally the cheapest and most convenient method of obtaining money.

Las Palmas is very developed and is not the best place for holiday makers looking for a picturesque holiday resort.

Holidaymakers looking for a fun night out in Las Palmas should head to Plaza de España, in the Mesa y Lopez district, which is usually packed until the early hours of the morning. The Heineken is where most locals start their evening and the Rum Museum is a good place to sample rum cocktails. Hip-swaying salsa music, live bands, cover bands, jazz, or anything else can be found in Las Palmas. There is even has a casino where a spot of gambling can be done and visitors can take in a few shows.

Las Palmas' top-rate restaurants catering to holidaymakers include La Buena Vida, El Novillo Precoz, Buenos Aires Grill and Tobarne Macabeo. There are plenty of seaside restaurants to choose from, as well as numerous tapas bars where travellers can eat and mingle with the locals, experiencing true Canarian cuisine. Since Las Palmas is not completely dominated by tourists, prices are up to 50 percent less than on other parts of the island. Plaza Santa Catalina is a must; diners can enjoy the warm evenings in one of the many open-air restaurants.

There are numerous shopping centres for holidaymakers to enjoy in Las Palmas such as El Corte Ingles in Mesa y Lopez, which is Spain's largest national department store. It is 13 floors of shops, in total, housed in two buildings. Las Arenas in Las Canteras is another great shopping mall, a favourite with tourists as is Centro Comercial Las Arenas. A street market is well worth a visit where most gift and souvenir shopping can be done.

Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). The Canary Islands: GMT (GMT +1 in summer).