Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, commonly known as Las Palmas, is one of the largest cities inSpain, and is the largest city in the Canary Islands. Las Palmas enjoys a subtropical climate, with mild to warm temperatures throughout the year. According to astudycarried out by Thomas Whitmore, director of research on climatology at Syracuse University in the United States, Las Palmas enjoys "the best climate in the world".
A major cruise-ship port, the city is known for duty-free shopping and for its sandy beaches.