Blog Oficial de Turismo de Gran Canaria

Every knife that Francisco Torres makes is a wholly unique piece, and proof of Gran Canaria’s deep-rooted craftwork tradition.

Every Canary knife tells a story. Some of them can cut short our breath with their steel blades. Rafael Torres Osorio, a resident of Santa María de Guía, in Gran Canaria, forged well deserving fame as an artisan knife-maker, while his son, Francisco Torres Rodríguez, delicately holds up a knife that is able to slit through the patterns of time. “This is the last one my father designed in 1992”, he reveals with emotion and pride etched on his face. The handle, a replica made by himself, is pure silver and goldsmithing genius, a combination of animal horn, precious metals, know-how and patience.

A piece of aromatic reality unfolds before visitors’ eyes at Vegueta Market in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

“That’s just eight euros, madam. I’ll put the fish in two bags and that’ll be easier for you to carry. Have a good day...” Pleasant chit-chat, the wooden model boat hanging from the side and some attractive fresh produce from one of the fish counters begin to provide an insight into Vegueta Market in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as we enter its centuries-old facilities. This area, over and above a colourful display of wonderful wares, opens the door to visitors providing access to a kind of theatre, which, nevertheless, is an authentic piece of aromatic and bustling reality.

The Canary Museum has a surprise in store in the district of Vegueta, where there is an air of a grand scientific world.

There are mummies out there, and not just within the thick walls of the Pyramids of Egypt and in Hollywood films. In the case of Gran Canaria, there some lucky individuals enjoying the privilege of inhabiting number 2, calle Doctor Verneau in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Don’t be alarmed. They don’t live in a private residence, and you won’t bump into them at the bus stop or at the corner coffee shop. This address belongs to the Canary Museum, a century-old institution founded back in 1879, where there is an air of a great scientific world that proliferated all over Europe during the 19th century.