Casa de Colón is a museum in the former governor’s house in the heart of Las Palmas, where in 1492 Christopher Columbus gathered his strength and repaired his ship before his fateful voyage to America.
Casa de Colón in the heart of the capital, Las Palmas, is a must for every history lover. Although the name suggests otherwise, Christopher Columbus never owned this house. It was the residence of the governor – the most powerful man in the city and directly answerable to Queen Isabella of Castile.
The house is in the oldest and most photogenic quarter, Vegueta, just behind Santa Ana Cathedral, and is one of the finest examples of Canarian architecture with its iconic balconies.
€4
A museum of discoveries and a library
A replica of Columbus’s cabin and naval cannons
In 1492 Columbus had an ambitious plan – to find a new route to India by sailing west. Fate and technical problems with the Pinta, however, forced him to stop on Gran Canaria, in the port of Las Palmas. It was here that the governor received him in his house, and Columbus stayed for several weeks to restock and repair his ship.
From here he then set sail into the unknown, and a few months later, instead of reaching India, he shocked the world by discovering America. Right here, on the threshold of the governor’s house, the first lines of a new chapter of world history were written.
“Columbus’s house” does sound more tempting than “the house of the governor of the time, who put Columbus up here”, don’t you agree?
Today the building is divided into two key parts. An extensive library is a centre of knowledge about the links between the Canary Islands and the New World. The museum of discoveries has an exhibition full of old maps, navigation instruments and models of the ships that changed the world.
You will walk through the courtyards where Columbus himself walked more than 500 years ago.
A faithful replica of Columbus’s cabin and real naval cannons.
€4 – you can easily combine your visit with a walk around the Vegueta quarter and Santa Ana Cathedral.
Las Palmas is a great base for exploring the north of the island – with Las Canteras city beach and the historic Vegueta quarter.
He never owned the house. It was the residence of the governor, who put Columbus up in 1492 when he spent several weeks here repairing the Pinta and restocking.
Admission is €4.
Old maps, navigation instruments, ship models, a replica of Columbus’s cabin and real naval cannons. There is also an extensive library.
In the Vegueta quarter of Las Palmas, just behind Santa Ana Cathedral.
Casa de Colón is more than a museum – it is a gateway to the era when Las Palmas was the last stop before the history of the New World began.
