Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - Docking
Las Palmas Docking
Anchorages
During “ARC Season”, the Las Palmas Port Authority set up a temporary anchorage area exclusively for small craft for one month (October 25 to November 25 in 2024), to cater for an expected high number of boats heading across the Atlantic. See this News item for more information.
Las Alcaravaneras Beach:
It is forbidden to anchor at the entrance of Las Palmas Marina, off Las Alcaravaneras Beach, from the 15th of March until the 15th of September, for more than 24 hours.
Many yachts anchor off the beach behind the north breakwater of the marina, often with stern lines to the northern marina breakwater. This anchorage can get very busy with over 60 yachts at anchor trying to avoid each other. However, it is well sheltered with good holding in 5 – 8 meters on a sandy bottom.
The port makes a small charge for this anchorage of 1 Euro per day. For this you get a magnetic card allowing access to the marina’s washroom. The fee is also applied if you just anchor outside the marina. See Fees for more details.
During the busy season (October/November/December), it is likely you will be asked to anchor north of the marina to wait until a berth is available in the marina. This will require regular trips to the port/marina office to check your status on the waiting list. See comments via the speech bubble icon, for more details.
See Restrictions for rules on anchoring in the Canaries.
Las Palmas Marina
The marina here is administered by the Port Authority and therefore does not have the same level of services as a private marina. See this map for the marina layout. Advance bookings are not possible. However, it is recommended to notify the marina of your expected arrival. This can be made by calling the marina or e-mail them at marina@palmasport.es .
The reception dock is located on the port side immediately past the marina entrance. The port/marina office is also located here. The office uses a ticket system during busy times and waiting times can be very long. Allow half a day to check-in, including waiting time.
The fuel dock is just beyond the reception dock further into the marina on the port side.
A floating pontoon along the main quay makes docking easier. Larger yachts normally come stern-to the main quay after picking up a mooring buoy or dropping their own anchor.
Yachts under 18 meters tie up to one of the visitors’ pontoons along the northern breakwater. There are water and electricity to all berths.
There are shower blocks close to all pontoons; magnetic cards for these and the pontoon gates can be obtained from the port/marina office for a small charge.
For stays longer than 6 months, discounts are available.
Berthing in October/November and the ARC:
During October, yachts in transit are allowed to stay in the marina for 3-5 days (space permitting). Longer stays are not permitted as the marina can not risk yachts being left in the marina and the owners vacating their boats (which has happened in the past).
All available marina space is needed during November for the ARC. Prior to the start of the ARC rally in November, all yachts that do not have a long-term contract will be requested to leave the marina. Permanent berth holders (more than 6 months) do not have to leave the marina.
Note however that yachts requesting berthing in advance by e-mail have been refused, although turning up on spec may result in a few days being given.
Marina Security:
There is a magnetic card system for the pontoon gates/showers; yachts are only given access to their own pontoons. A comprehensive CCTV system is in operation, as well as regular patrols by the Port Police.
It is important to remember, however, that this is a public marina and non-sailors are frequently around the pontoons, although the magnetic card system does help to restrict access. There have been reports of burglaries at night while the crew is sleeping, in particular, deck gear and bicycles, etc. being stolen, so it is best to adopt the policy of locking your front door at night and not leaving anything of value visible on the deck or in the cockpit.
Rubbish/Garbage and Recycling
Most items can be recycled in Gran Canaria and there are containers positioned around the marina:
- Yellow containers are for milk cartons, aluminum cans, tetrapak, etc.;
- Blue/grey containers are for cardboard & paper;
- Gas bottle and oil recycling containers are situated near the fuel dock and there is an oil recycling facility (for oils and used contaminated containers) next to the boatyard in the northern part of the marina.
- Some glass bottle containers are also in the marina.
- All other refuse should be securely tied in plastic bags and placed in the dark green containers near every pontoon.
Last updated: September 2024
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Related to following destinations: Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Port Navigation
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About LP, I forgot to mention about matriculation tax, we have had an unpleasant customs visit , the guys asked me a lot of questions to know when we flew to the islands, how many time we stayed here and here. They wanted me to write in spanish on an official Agencia Tributaria paper. Their explanations were not very clear about this bloody tax. I asked them: is n’t better to look for drug dealers and so on than create pressure on yacht owners who let gently a lot of euros in their economy with yacht maintenance, restaurants, supermarkets and so on?
So liveaboards, no vat yachts, beware, Mr Sanchez’s bureaucracy is hunting “wealthy” tourists…
As well, we have decided to go to Portugal, considering our 183 days credit will end soon…I do not want to flirt with this spanish disaster considering my 60′ explorer trawler….
Last but not least, they mentionned my MMSI number on the carbon paper….
Hello,
I would like to add an info about the matriculation tax. As mentionned below, I have been desapointed to learn I should not stay more than 183 days in the sunny canarias islands without flirting with a possible disaster: become de facto a spanish resident and … pay the matriculation tax on my boat.
I spoke this morning with a very exquisite lady in the Customs headquarter in Las Palmas. She gave me a different answer than what is explained by X or Y on the pontoons or marinas offices. Two situations must be taken in consideration:
1 you have sold everything in your country, you have no more house or official adress , so you are a real liveaboard. That means you are no more a fiscal resident in your country. More than 183 days in Spain, you are now a resident and must pay if you do not organize in time your status all import tax ( as matriculation tax on yachts)
2 you still pay taxes on your income and you own or rent properties in your country, you still keep an adress where you declare your profits or benefices to your administration. Good news! I f you provide a Certificat de residence fiscal ( sorry in french) to Agencia Tributaria ( aduanas dept) ,you will be authorized to enjoy your yacht in Spain more than 183 days in a year.You must bring it or post it with infos concerning owner(s) and yacht.
Sorry for my broken english, end of the day…
Excellent accueil de Las Palmas Marina, à joindre en approche sur le 11 VHF. Vrai professionnalisme et grande courtoisie des marins, formalités d’accueil sans perte de temps et avec le sourire malgré les masques au bureau du port!
Les tarifs sont plus que compétitifs et la ville offre évidemment de très nombreuses ressources sans oublier la petite plage devant le mouillage d’attente.
M/V Balder VIII
février 2021
Rude staff, expensive, clearly spoiled by ARC.
I paid €29.78 for one night stay for my 25 ft monohull. The staff got offended when I complained the price and suggested me to move to some other place if I don’t like it (after I have told them I had a mechanical problem). The worst marina I have ever seen.
I received exelecent service in the Rolnautic boat yard in Las Palmas. I discovered a leak in the rubber seal on my stern tube 2 days before the start of the ARC + 2018. I went to the boatyard at 9 am. They sent a mechanic to by boat at 11am It was lifted at 2pm and back in the water at 6 that evening. Job Done. The charge was reasonable and I made the start line for the ARC Coulnt praise Rolnautic enough
Conor
Yacht – Porto Salgado
With regards to getting gas bottles filled at the DISA plant (see https://www.noonsite.com/Countries/CanaryIslands/LasPalmasdeGranCanaria/DISA for directions) we’ve had variable success with them this week.
On the first visit they said that they can only fill two cylinders per customer, not three as shown on the Noonsite page. We returned the next day to fill our third cylinder and was told that it was ‘impossible’ as it had the ‘wrong valve’. It had exactly the same valve as the cylinders they’d filled the day before.
Friends on another boat have had a similarly random experience. The excuse that they got was that it wasn’t possible to see the hydraulic test date despite the fact that it was clearly visible and their bottle was 4 years ‘newer’ than the ones that we managed to get filled.
I guess it depends on who picks up the bottles on the day you visit. The RolNautic chandlers are able to fill some bottles, but they’re eye-wateringly expensive.
On approach to the port (1/4/18) we could not get an answer on the radio and when we arrived were told there were no spaces but we could stay overnight on the visitor’s pontoon. This was also the response to some friends and appears to be there first response to most visitors. The following morning we were allocated a mooring and so were our friends. At this point, the service we received was professional and welcoming (thank you, Fernando).
The price for our catamaran (80.42m2) was good in comparison to other marinas on the Islands, 11.67 per day, water and electric very reasonable an worked out on the length of stay.
The berth was well maintained with good access to electricity and water. Laundry is expensive 8 Euros for a 5kg wash.
Alisios sailing was very helpful in getting some bits for us but failed to tell us of the shipping charges which more than doubled the price of our goods making them stupidly expensive. Rolanautic (in the marina complex) were good for most chandlery items and pleasant service.
My cycles were stolen from the pontoon, it seems that bike theft is big business in the marina alone with begging. The marina sent us to the port police in the main port, a long walk. They did follow it up with a visit but it is such a regular occurrence I suspect they-they were just following protocol.
Overall nice place to visit: No does not always mean no, nail everything down and buyer beware.
I was in Las Palmas in January 2017 and the marina had no space for a 10m yacht. I spent 4 days at the waiting pier and was finally asked to leave or go to the anchorage. My repairs were not completed, but my boat was seaworthy, so I left.
Puerto de Las Nieves – albeit small – was much more accommodating, and I could finish everything there.
Fast forward to April 2017 and my visit of the islands is complete, so I was looking for a place where I could leave my boat for 3 months (April, May and June, maybe July). I sent (the marina) many emails with no answers, and many phone calls were not returned. Finally, I decided to just show up.
They told me they would give me a spot for 3 months, but I would have to stay on board, which defeated the purpose. They could not find a spot for a 10m yacht for 3 months during low season in spite of all the free space!
Although the staff is friendly, this port is the most disorganised port I’ve seen. I feel it takes months of advance planning to have a spot there. Or maybe they just don’t care.
Plastimo liferafts can be serviced in Las Palmas check out oceanproducts.es They speak good English and are happy for their work to be watched.
We are on the pontoon next to the reception. For a week now we have been complaining that the showers in the building close by, just east of the CEPSA fuel dock has no hot water. Yesterday, just after midday we got hold of the marina manager who promised the problem had been fixed and that we just had to wait for the boiler to warm up. Still this morning no hot water.
When we once again reported the problem in the marina office the person knew nothing of the mater. It seems as if you can report a problem an infinite number of times but a written notice is soon ignored.
Warning: the statement above that it is difficult to obtain a place in the marina only before the ARC is not true anymore. Even in mid-December, the marina is completely full and yachts are requested to anchor north of the marina to wait for a place. Unfortunately, there is currently no working reservation system, even yachts that report having a reservation are requested to anchor. Communication with the marina is very poor.
None of the telephone numbers that are listed here nor on the marina’s website were picked up although we tried many times over several days. So the only option is to sail here and wait for an unknown amount of time. There seems to be a waiting list, but the marina’s staff does not answer VHF calls regularly, so even finding out one’s place on the waiting list is difficult. Such poor organization took us by surprise for the biggest marina in the Canary Islands.
We asked Alisios Sailing Center if it’s possible to repair our 3 sails (main, Genoa and cutter). They said we have first to bring our sails to them. Before they can not say if it’s possible to do that kind of repairs (very usual repairs in my opinion).
They couldn’t say us a date it will be finished. So we said we will bring our sails one by one so they could start with the repairs on our cutter sail so that we could still do our sailing trip to La Gomera with the remaining sails.
After our trip, we visited the shop (No phone call was made to us that it is repaired). In the shop, they said the sail was repaired and asked us to pay the bill. I looked at our sail and couldn’t really spot out the repairs where repairs were needed in our opinion, so I asked kindly if they can show me the repairs they made.
Unwilling they tried to find the spots. They found some indeed, big patches of repairs, where I didn’t know of any damaged spots. Next time I go to the sailmaker, I ask him to open these patches, to see what’s under these patches.
When I asked if it’s not possible to repair the spots I wanted to get repaired, they answered very annoyed that it’s difficult and they have to open a big seam. And if their sewing machine brokes down, it takes a long time to repair the machine.
I just thought “Yes ok, as a sailmaker you have to open a seam from time to time. And if my sewing machine broke down all the time as a sailmaker, I would buy me a second one and don’t make their problem customers one.”
I just stopped any further repairs on my two other sails. When talking to others on the pontoons, they said they know of others having no good experiences.
In my opinion, they don’t want to fix the problem of the customers, they just look if they can earn some little money on little repairs. Wouldnt have been a problem if they just have honestly said that to me before they start any repairs.
Avoid the boatyard here. Questionable charges will appear on your final bill and they will not release the boat until they are paid. No negotiation and the manager Carlos is quite rude. Charges for labour even during siesta. Others on our pontoon have had similar experiences – I guess they think we are all passing through and won’t see us again anyway. Suggest you try Real Nautico instead. You have been warned.
This comment was posted elsewhere on the site – 26 October 2015:
I can confirm that the DISA plant in Gran Canaria does refill propane bottles/tanks. We have a 6 kg Calor bottle/tank from the UK. They filled it with no adaptor needed. Take the highway from the Muelle Deportivo towards the airport, about 17 km.
Take the Salinetas exit. There is an IKEA Almacen, which is the second IKEA on the way to the airport. Go past that and take a right on the second roundabout, in front of the Mercadora supermarket. The entrance to the DISA plant is on your left. They also filled smaller propane bottles from Croatia with no adaptor required.
First ponton from entrance “T” is Very busy because of swell entering in marina
This charge was for Light Dues. See http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/CanaryIslands?rc=Formalities#Fees for more details. As Light Dues are charged every 30 days, it does make short stays expensive.
Posted on behalf of Direct Yacht Deliveries:
We just got charged €200 (44ft catamaran) by the authorities for stopping off in LasPalmas for 2 nights. This was not the berthing fee. Our other boat visited Tenerife and was not charged.
Marina internet is now via a paid service, approx 10 euro a week, cheaper for longer. Laundry open 24 hours. Oct 2014