The corner of Gran Canaria that Jennifer Lopez fell in love with: historic neighborhoods that look like 'Spanish Havana'
Jennifer Lopez will be hitting Spain this summer with her 'Up All Night' tour, which will take her to cities like Pontevedra, Cádiz, Málaga, Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao, but the Puerto Rican actress and singer has already toured the country years ago. In 2022, the star traveled to the Canary Islands to film the Netflix movie The Mother , one of the streaming platform's most successful films in recent years.
Part of the film is set in Havana, although the production team didn't travel to the Caribbean country to film the scenes, but instead traveled to the Atlantic archipelago... specifically, to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This wonderful island city is reminiscent of the Cuban capital, with its colonial-style buildings and neighborhoods giving the city a unique spirit. It's no surprise then that both Jennifer Lopez and her then-partner, Ben Affleck, strolled and enjoyed the most beautiful spots in the Canary Islands metropolis.
Jennifer Lopez: filming in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
One of the Palma locations where Jennifer Lopez filmed scenes for The Mother was the Gabinete Literario, one of the city's architectural gems. This impressive mid-19th-century modernist building has a beautiful facade that leaves all visitors in awe, but its surroundings are equally beautiful: Caraisco Square and its palm trees accentuate the Havana feel that fascinated the film crew.
This majestic building is nestled in the Triana neighborhood, whose streets and fascinating buildings have been declared a Site of Cultural Interest, and is undoubtedly one of the city's most beautiful areas. Equally beautiful is the Vegueta neighborhood, located on the other side of the GC-5 and boasting a striking colonial appearance . It's no wonder many compare it to Cuba and its vibrant enclaves, as exploring its streets is like crossing the Atlantic.
The Triana neighborhood is known for being one of the Canary Islands' greatest examples of modernist architecture, not only for the Gabinete Literario (Literary Cabinet), but also for other fascinating buildings. Also noteworthy is the splendid Pérez Galdós Theater, one of the most beautiful in all of Spain, which emphasizes the colonial character of this area of the city, where the narrow streets and squares are full of life.
On the other hand, the Vegueta neighborhood, declared a Historic-Artistic Site more than five decades ago, is home to many of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's architectural wonders, such as the spectacular 16th-century Santa Iglesia Catedral-Basilica de Canarias , located in the beautiful Plaza de Santa Ana, or the Casa de Colón, which dates from the same period and is an ideal research center for discovering more about the history of the Canary Islands.
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