Culturally speaking, Gran Canaria is synonymous with the blending of cultures. This attribute of the island is the legacy of its long history as a port of call for travellers, having been a society that is open to everything that arrives to its shores from beyond the seas. The march of time through the islands has left behind an extremely valuable archaeological, artistic, architectural and ethnographic heritage, which bears witness to the cultural evolvement of our island community.
This historic heritage, the legacy of the island's own identity, has been enriched and accompanied by multifarious manifestations of art and culture, which has endowed the island with certain unique traits that would be difficult to find in any other territory of such a limited extent.

Most of the monuments that can be seen in Gran Canaria date from after the period of conquest, although certain arqueological sites and areas relating to the early inhabitants of the islands have been successfully preserved (such as the painted caves named Cuevas Pintadas de Gáldar and the Cenobio or convent de Valerón).

In addition to the archaeological and artistic manifestations that date from the various early and contemporary moments in the history of this island, which are spread out across the entire length and breadth of the island, Gran Canaria also boasts a broad and varied calendar of cultural activities that take place throughout the year.

Even the most discerning public will be delighted by the current cultural life of the islands, which includes concerts, international music and cinema festivals, exhibitions and conference cycles that feature speakers of international renown.

One such cultural event that deserves special mention is the internationally famed Canary Islands Music Festival, which takes place at the start of each year, this being the only music festival in the whole of Europe that is held in winter. Practically all the main figures in the music world have participated in this festival, this being the arena for many a debut.