Santa Brigida: Gran Canaria Hill Town With A Pretty Market

Santa Brigida view from the church square Santa Brigida view from the church square

Santa Brigida town was used by the British as their summer Hill Station when they controlled the coal trade in Las Palmas port in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Nowadays it a quiet residential town with a great weekend market (and a great wine stall) and a couple of excellent restaurants.

 

 

 

The main highlights of Santa Brigida are the cobbled streets and old houses surrounding the church and the view up to the cumbres from the church square. The old town only takes about 15 minutes to see but has serious charm and a couple of lovely tapas bars.

If you visit Santa Brigida at the weekend, visit the cute little market. The stalls sell a good range of local fruit and veg and the wine stall is excellent, especially for Gran Canaria wines from the local Monte area. Produce prices at the market are higher than at San Mateo and San Lorenzo as it gets the Las Palmas yuppie crowd.

For local craft beer head into the town's open farm ( entrance in the market car park). There's a restaurant in an old farmhouse that does its own beer as well as traditional food and plenty of animals on the short walk through the farm.

Next door to the market is the Casa del Vino restaurant with its lovely outdoor courtyard. The food here is excellent and it does a good range of local wines by the glass; it's the only restaurant on the island that only serves Gran Canaria wine. The Casa del Vino itelf is a ine museum and shop that stocks many of the island's best wines and also sells several by the glass. 

Otherwise walk into town and stop at Mallow cafe ( a local institution) for churros or the lunchtime paella. From Mallow follow the cobbles to the church and the town's original streets. The palm-studded view up to the Cumbres from the square shows just how Green Gran Canaria is once you get above sea level.

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Tip of the day

  • Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?
    Exchange Money In Gran Canaria Or At Home?

    Visitors to Gran Canaria often ask whether it is better to exchange their local currency for euros at home or in Gran Canaria. 

    The answer is that it is almost always better to buy your euros at home than it is to bring pounds to Gran Canaria and use local banks or currency exchanges. This rule of thumb applies all over the world. A currency is almost always cheaper the further away you are from the place you can spend it (because demand for it is lower). 

    Exchange rates are almost always better at home than in Gran Canaria

    You are very likely to get a better exchange rate using a British currency exchange specialist or local bank. Many of these companies will deliver your euros to your home.

    One of the best rates in the UK is often from the post office, especially if you do it well in advance.

    The only way you'll get a better rate in Gran Canaria than at home is if the exchange rate changes while you are travelling and this is rare. 

    You also have to bear in mind that currency exchanges in Gran Canaria are getting rarer and some local banks don't exchange money for non-clients. 

    To Transfer large amouynts of money to Gran Canaria, or to make regular transfers, always use a reputable currency broker such as Currencies Direct. This will save you money on exchange rates and bank charges and is highky secure. 

    The risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria

    Another important factor to consider is the risk of bringing cash to Gran Canaria: If it is lost or stolen, there is no way of getting it back. 

    It is much safer to bring a debit or credit card and use local bank ATMs to take out money. These days, a good option is a pre-charged debit card. 

    Cards may be slightly more expensive that carrying cash, unless you seek out a bank card with low commissions, but it is much more secure. 

    Bank ATMs like Bankia, Santander and BBVA often charge lower rates than the ATMs in shopping centres and busy tourist areas.

    Alex Says: Always select the Euro option at ATMs in Gran Canaria because the exchange rate is much better than if you opt for the Local Currency option. The same applies when you pay by card in shops and restaurants.

    See our Gran Canaria Tips section for more nuggets of useful local information.

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