Triana

Triana grew up almost simultaneously with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria itself, in the final third of the fifteenth century. Its name most likely echoes the Triana district of Seville, reflecting the large Andalusian population that crossed to the Canaries in the early years after the conquest.

For centuries the neighbourhood was bounded by the Guiniguada ravine to the south, the sea to the east, high ground to the west, and a defensive wall running perpendicular to the sea — built alongside Vegueta's own walls to protect the city from attack. That wall was demolished in the mid-twentieth century to allow urban expansion, but its original line can be traced along today's Calle Bravo Murillo.

During the sixteenth century the neighbourhood consolidated into the roughly grid-based layout that still survives, visible in the streets running perpendicular to the Calle Mayor de Triana. Several small chapels went up in this period — San Telmo, San Sebastián, San Justo, and La Concepción — the last of which became the starting point for the Convent of San Bernardo, founded at the end of that century.

In 1599 the Dutch commander Van der Does invaded and damaged many of the city's religious, military, and private buildings. Reconstruction ran through much of the seventeenth century. The Hospital de San Lázaro moved from outside the city walls to a plot in the orchards of Triana, a site that later became an old people's home and is today the Centro Insular de Cultura. The Convent of Santa Clara also opened during this period, near the Convent of San Francisco, deepening the neighbourhood's already pronounced monastic character.

Triana had long functioned as a fishing and maritime quarter, with the area near the Caleta de San Sebastián (also known as the Charco de los Abades) serving as the city's main passenger and cargo point for nearly four centuries. After the port at La Isleta was built, that seafaring life faded. The Ermita de San Telmo, originally constructed in the early sixteenth century and rebuilt later, is the main physical reminder of those maritime years. Inside, alongside a Mudéjar coffered ceiling and altarpiece, it holds an Immaculate Conception attributed to Alonso Cano, the figure of the Señor de la Burrita that leads the Palm Sunday processions, and the widely venerated Niño del Remedio.

Vegueta received national historic-artistic status in 1973; Triana's historic core was formally recognised in 1993.

The Calle Mayor de Triana is the neighbourhood's main historic street. Other significant buildings include the Ermita de San Telmo, the Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís, the Gabinete Literario, the Teatro Pérez Galdós, and the Teatro Cuyás. The Cabildo de Gran Canaria — the island's governing council — also has its seat in Triana.

Triana is reached on foot by crossing the Puente de Triana, which brings you directly to the Plaza del Altozano. The neighbourhood has a long tradition of ceramic and tile-making; a handful of artisan production shops still operate. The local fashion label DeTriana (detriana.com) sells clothing and accessories designed exclusively in the barrio.

For food, Casa Ruperto — known as Los Pajaritos, at Avenida Santa Cecilia 2 — is a local institution serving fried quail. Las Macetas de Triana on López de Gomara 33 is known for generous serranitos at good prices. Gastrobar Al-Ándalus at Calle Vicente Flores Navarro 18 offers tapas and a wide range of international beers, on the pricier side.

Restaurante San Marco, an Italian with a long-standing reputation, is at Calle Betis 68. Restaurante Samurai, Japanese and reasonably priced for the genre, is at Calle Salado 6. Calle Betis fills with a young crowd at night; La Fundición is a long-established bar, and Sala Boss is a high-end nightclub.