Literary Holidays

Posts Tagged ‘Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’

The Canary Islands were then a source of dispute between Spain and other European powers. The most severe attack took place in 1599 when a Dutch fleet of 74 ships and 12,000 men, attacked the capital, Las Palmas. The Dutch then laid siege to the city, but eventually gave up the siege of Las Palmas and withdrew.

Another notable attack occurred on the 25th July 1797, when a British fleet under the future Admiral Lord Nelson attacked Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The British were repulsed losing almost 400 men. It was in this battle that Nelson lost his right arm.

The rivalry between the elites of the cities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife for the capital of the islands led to the division of the archipelago into two provinces in 1927. This has not lain to rest the rivalry between the two cities, which continues to this day.

The Canary Island’s geographical position means that there are generally good winds for sailing. Make use of Car Hire Canaries to explore the island better. The North Easterly trades that once took Columbus to America funnel through the islands creating what are known as wind acceleration zones and this means that even with fairly light prevailing winds there is still enough wind for a great.

On Fuerteventura there is a small marina with haul-out and some repair facilities as well as fuel at El Castillo and limited repair facilities in the capital Puerto Rosario. Other harbours include Corralejo and Morro.