Donkey belly is the term used to refer in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to the cloudy sky or sea of clouds that can be seen during many summer days. Clouds that “deceive” in terms of the weather, which is still the warm typical of this season, and which, of course, does not prevent the numerous sports and leisure activities that can be practiced in the city in the open air and, of course, the go to the beach for a walk or take a bath.
It takes that name in clear allusion to the color of the animal’s abdominal fur and consists of an accumulation of low-lying clouds that acts as a natural sunscreen, causing a refreshing thermal sensation. These are exciting in terms of climate, since they make the temperatures not so extreme in summer and thus allow locals and tourists to enjoy these months. The trade winds, which blow from the northeast, are the “culprits” of this accumulation of clouds at low altitude against the areas of the Islands. The city, strategically located in this context, can benefit from this phenomenon, which reduces the effects of the most intense summer heat.
The Gran Canarian palms
In winter, and thanks to the effect of the trade winds, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria maintains the same annual temperature, typical of spring, with clear skies. It is this constant of 22 degrees that has justified the different allusions to the capital of Gran Canaria as the city with the best climate in the world. A more than justified condition, which continues to fascinate many foreigners -or national travelers from the Peninsula- who have even decided to make this square their home.
And it is that, the capital of Gran Canaria has the best climate in the world according to a study by the University of Syracuse (USA), published in 1996 by the magazine Consumer Travel. For this reason it is not uncommon to find in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria during very hot days many visitors staying in the south who escape the heatwave and seek relief in the cultural, leisure or restaurant offer offered by places like the neighborhood de Vegueta or Las Canteras beach, where you can also enjoy this climate equally suitable for the beach, and where you can practice different sports on the sand or in the sea such as surfing or beach volleyball.