What's the digital nomad scene like in (Las Palmas de) Gran Canaria

Question

Hi,
so I’ve heard many great things about the Canary Islands but only from people who are not digital nomads. I’ve been on Tenerife in February 2011 and 2012, but only as a tourist (and with a student budget living at a friends house, so very different experience) and I saw a lot of old people. People say the same about Gran Canaria, especially in the winter, since a lot of the German and British retirees overwinter there.
Everything I read about especially the biggest city Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is more or less about the city, the food, the beaches, the weather, the nature and so on but less about the people. I know I’d have to learn Spanish to speak to the locals (and I want to). I want to go somewhere at beginning of next year and LPA is on the top of my list. After my Tenerife experience and everything I read I’m sure I will like the location itself but it’s never fun if you’re somewhere alone for too long. Maybe the people who live(d) there can share their experiences about the digital nomad scene, or more specifically:  How about the international crowd, are there a lot of people from say … mid 20s to mid 30s that are meeting up regularly for leisure (not work/tech related meetups)?

repat · Accepted Answer

Thanks for sharing your experiences 
@ani I just said 20s-30s because that’s my age group and we tend to have similar backgrounds and interests but I don’t really care about the age. You’re right, it’s about not becoming old while still young, or at any age for that matter 
In some nomad “hot spots” like Chiang Mai or Berlin I’m sure it’s possible to find lots of likeminded people, I just wasn’t so sure about LPA.
@lognaturel, 400k inhabitants is indeed a bigger city but doesn’t really say much about the (international) communities e.g. in coworking spaces/meetups and what they’re up to. E.g. I’ve found that in Berlin nearly all (tech-) meetups are in English whereas in other German cities like Hamburg they are in German. I also don’t have a problem just hangig out with locals though, but I’ve heard from many many places (podcasts, blogs, my own experiences on mainland Spain) that if you want to stay there a little longer you should/have to learn spanish because a lot of the locals speak only little English, apart from the touristic places, where you could get by with English or even German

ani_goes_tweet · Answer

Agaete in Gran Canaria - though you’d have to hop on the bus and go to Moya for the surfing,and maybe Sardinia, which is even closer.  (Actually I don’t know much about the surfing other than what I hear other people say - but it does seem like every other person on Gran Canaria surfs…) Agaete is a beautiful little town at the foot of a soaring cliff, with some of the most wonderful hiking, if you’re into that.
I suspect you’re looking for a quiet place with a good surfing beach rather than a place with surfing nearby, so someone else may have a better suggestion. (I’m quite keen on moving from Las Palmas to Agaete, which is why it comes to mind.)

ani_goes_tweet · Answer

I’m back in Las Palmas for the second time (I was first here from November 2015 to April 2016) and I can say that Las Palmas is very different to the south of the island, where pensioners really do seem to predominate. Las Palmas, on the other hand, tends to be very youthful (note that I understand ‘youthful’ to mean ‘not retired’, and I include myself (50 y.o.) in this youthful group - some people do allow themselves to become old while still young, but this isn’t very common among nomads…). Not only is Las Palmas youthful, it’s the most sociable place I’ve lived so far. Yesterday evening I was at a language exchange - a very sociable gathering but also with a purpose, obviously. My co-working office organises social events. There are loads of social events organised through Las Palmas’s active network of meetup groups. There are also lots of social activities publicised on Facebook. If you like hiking, there are senderismo groups you might want to join/follow, and there are plenty of other Facebook pages with information about other types of events. I’m unaware of events strictly for the young, though - I find Las Palmas refreshingly non-ageist!

purplespatula · Answer

I met a nomad last year who is awesome and has made Las Palmas his base for a few years. He really likes it and has said good things about the community. As @ani says, there are lots of coworking spaces and meetup groups there. Keep in mind it’s one is one of Spain’s largest cities, not just some small island town! I expect there are many local people who speak great English as you’ll find across the country. My husband and I (30s) are very likely to head there in November.

raisononline · Answer

Can anyone suggest a place to go in the Canaries that is quiet with a beach to surf on. I’m not too keen on large cities, nor large developed coastal areas for second-home retirees.
Suggestions appreciated.

purplespatula · Answer

We’ve had a wonderful 1.5 months in Las Palmas! We’ve met many Canarians who speak fluent English, especially in the tech industry. We’ve met a number of “partial nomads” who have their base here most of the year but travel for 3-5 months.
There are lots of cool local companies based here so it’s easy to meet tech people if that’s your thing. There are interesting things going on all the time organized by locals, expats and nomads. Aside from tech and nomad meetups, I’ve enjoyed going to language exchanges and meeting people that way. We hope to come back and stay close to Las Canteras beach again!

Nomad List

What's the digital nomad scene like in (Las Palmas de) Gran Canaria

Suggested topics

What features would you like to see on Nomad List?

Any nomads in Arizona, US?

Holà ! What's the internet / wifi situation in Sayulita ?

How to find accomodation in Las Palmas, Canary Islands

Are there any digital nomads in the Islands e.g Bermuda, Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis?

Best place in Portugal near cool nomads, good surf, and a great cowork spot

Tax advisor for permanent nomads?

How to get into the digital nomad lifestyle?

What's the best thing to do with your phone/ your phone number when travelling?

What is the best online insurance for digital nomads ?

What's the best SIM card you can get for traveling to Spain?

Any nomads working on startups?

Any Ph.D students dissertating while a digital nomad?

Does international health insurance for digital nomads exist?

What is the gender split on NomadList?

How do you invest internationally as a nomad?

I dream of being a digital nomad? How do I do it?

Are there any nomad meetups in Osaka?

How do digital nomads pay tax?

Are there nomad families here and how do you choose your next destination?