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Hi fromĀ Las Palmas!
You might think winter inĀ Gran CanariaĀ is all bikinis and sunshine, but the weather can still be unpredictable.
My morning runs onĀ Playa del InglĆ©sĀ beach have recently been disrupted by strong winds, which blow sand from the famous dunes right into my mouth. Grinding grains in between your teeth while jogging is not so fun, but I did find my cotton COVID-era mask handy for the purpose. Passers-by, hiding their mouths behind scarves and shirts, watchedĀ me with what I interpreted as an “oh, what a genius idea!” look.
Well, besides general weather forecasts, I started consulting specialized wind and tide apps for my activities on the island. The good news is that one always seems to be able to find a shelter somewhere.
Just after the New Year, the capital of theĀ Canary IslandsĀ was calling with sunshine, so off we went. People enjoyed the main beach ofĀ Las Palmas de Gran CanariaĀ despite the quite big waves hitting overĀ La BarraĀ reef. You can check out the atmosphere inĀ this short video.
Okay, waves were not as rogue as that one that hit a megaship in early December,Ā swallowing 50 containers!
Still, climate change is real – aĀ recent studyĀ has shown that sea levels around the archipelago have risen 10 centimeters over the past three decades. Scientists believe that, by 2050,Ā the shoreline in Las Palmas will rise 36 centimeters in comparison to mid-2000 levels.
The change might affect even things we nowadays take for granted. For instance, from December to January,Ā Playa de las CanterasĀ hostsĀ BelĆ©n de Arena, the world’s largest nativity scene sculpted from sand. Follow the link if you want to see whatĀ BethlehemĀ looks like in the interpretation of sand artists.
I’ve already written aboutĀ GĆ”ldar‘s nativity routes, where the Christmas miracle can be presented in anything from clay to beach stones. Gran Canaria loves to do holidays differently, so visiting the sand-madeĀ manger with babyĀ JesusĀ just after some suntanning on the beach is not just normal, but also practical.
Well, evenĀ Pope Leo XIVĀ announced the other day that he would be visiting the archipelagoĀ later this year. His visit won’tĀ be a tourist one (do popes even have swimsuits?), but to show his support for migrants.
TheĀ Atlantic routeĀ to the Canary Islands is one of the most dangerous in the whole world – in 2025,Ā 1,906 people lost their livesĀ while trying to reach these shores in inflatable boats or wooden rafts, searching for a haven, similar to what the Holy Family was doingĀ two millennia ago.
Not everyone looking at the Spanish beach sees a promised holiday land, where one is bothered by days being too sunny, or too windy,Ā or too… Some travelers to Gran Canaria only seek a better life, so desperately that they are prepared to riskĀ it.
Sadly, just like in the case ofĀ BelĆ©n de Arena’s artworks, some of us don’t getĀ to witness the miracle. One day, a promised salvation, the other – just grains of sand sipping through our hands.
Have a safe week,
Ivan KraljĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Pipeaway.com
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