Air Quality and Environmental Health in Las Palmas: A Vintage Picker's Slightly Worried Thoughts
okay, so. las palmas. it's…complicated. right now, it feels like someone’s left a damp towel on your face, but not in a bad way? it’s that humid, pre-storm kinda air. you can smell the ocean, which is good, but also…something else. i’m a vintage clothes picker, right? i spend my life sifting through old fabrics, and my lungs are kinda precious cargo. i’ve been here for about six months, hunting for treasures, and the air quality has been on my mind.
let’s be real, i didn’t come here for pristine air. i came for the stuff. the markets, the little shops tucked away in *Vegueta, the potential for finding a 1960s Pucci dress for, like, twenty euros. but you start noticing things. like, why does my throat feel scratchy after a day of digging through boxes? i’ve been doing some (very casual, mostly panicked) research. apparently, the canaries, generally, have pretty good air quality, but las palmas…it’s a bit of a hotspot for calima. that’s basically dust blown over from the sahara. it turns everything orange and makes you feel like you’re breathing sand. it’s not constant, thankfully, but it happens. a lot.
and then there’s the traffic. it’s not new york levels of insane, but it’s…present. especially around Playa de las Canteras. i overheard someone at a bar - a local, seemed pretty clued in - saying that the city is trying to encourage more cycling, but it’s an uphill battle. literally and figuratively. they’re building more bike lanes, which is cool, but everyone still seems to prefer zipping around in their little cars. i checked out this subreddit about Las Palmas (https://www.reddit.com/r/LasPalmas/) and there's a lot of discussion about the bus system being pretty good, though. i haven’t tried it much, honestly, i like the freedom of wandering.
so, what does the data say? well, according to some sites i stumbled upon, the average PM2.5 level (those tiny, nasty particles) in las palmas is around 15 micrograms per cubic meter. that’s…not great. the world health organization recommends under 5. it fluctuates, obviously, depending on the calima and the wind. i found this site with real-time data (https://www.iqair.com/spain/las-palmas-de-gran-canaria) which is kinda terrifying to look at sometimes.
rent-wise, it’s still pretty reasonable. i’m paying around €700 a month for a small apartment near Triana, which is…okay. it’s not fancy, but it’s close to the shops and the markets. i’ve heard prices are creeping up, though, especially in the more touristy areas. a friend of mine is looking for a place near Maspalomas* and she’s saying it’s a nightmare. apparently, it’s all airbnbs and overpriced studios. you can check out some reviews on Yelp (https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=apartments&find_loc=Las+Palmas+de+Gran+Canaria%2C+Spain).
look, i’m not saying las palmas is a polluted wasteland. it’s beautiful! the beaches are amazing, the food is incredible (seriously, the tapas are life-changing), and the people are generally lovely. but it’s not perfect. and if you’re sensitive to air quality, or you have respiratory issues, it’s something to be aware of. i’ve started carrying a little mask with me, just in case. it’s not exactly a fashion statement, but it’s better than coughing up a lung. oh, and tenerife is just a short flight away if you need a break from the dust. i’ve heard the air is cleaner there. i also saw a review on TripAdvisor (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Las_Palmas_de_Gran_Canaria_Gran_Canaria_Canary_Islands.html) that said the local hospitals are good, which is…reassuring, i guess.
anyway, back to the vintage hunting. wish me luck (and clean lungs).
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/bursa-housing-market-where-digital-nomads-crash-or-invest-spoiler-its-complicated
- https://topiclo.com/post/what-is-nashville-famous-for-icons-history-and-legends
- https://topiclo.com/post/samara-secrets-a-dancers-unfiltered-guide
- https://topiclo.com/post/shopping-in-belo-horizonte-local-chaos-luxury-traps-and-the-weird-inbetween
- https://topiclo.com/post/10-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-slapping-paint-on-bucharest-walls