Casa de Colón

The Casa de Colón is a museum in the Vegueta quarter of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, housed in the historic residence of the island's early governors on Calle Colón. The house dates from the late 15th century and was extended in the 16th, and tradition links it to Christopher Columbus, who stopped in Gran Canaria in August 1492 to repair the Pinta's rudder before sailing west across the Atlantic. The building is a striking example of Canarian colonial architecture, with whitewashed walls, carved wooden balconies and coffered ceilings, stone portals and shaded courtyards with fountains. After rehabilitation in the 20th century it opened as a museum and has since been expanded with additional galleries. The exhibition is thematic and broadly chronological. It covers pre-Columbian America, Columbus's four voyages, the history of Atlantic navigation, and the long relationship between the Canary Islands and the Americas. Displays include maps and charts, navigational instruments, ship models, period furniture, pre-Columbian ceramics and a collection of paintings from the 16th century onward. A reconstruction of a ship's cabin gives a sense of onboard life. The museum also keeps a research library on Atlantic history and stages temporary exhibitions and cultural events in its courtyards. Because the building is a historic monument adapted over centuries, the visit is a sequence of connected rooms and patios rather than a single gallery. Information panels are available in Spanish and English. At around EUR 4 for admission, it is good value, and it sits within a few minutes' walk of the cathedral, El Museo Canario and the Plaza de Santa Ana. Mornings are usually the quietest time, and the courtyards are especially pleasant for a pause between galleries. Sunday opening hours are shorter than during the week.