Castillo de Mata

The original round tower lay hidden inside the later fort until an archaeological dig uncovered it in 2002, and the museum is built around it. Walkways lead inside and outside the walls, past the old masonry and the tower, and up onto the ramparts, which look out over the rooftops of Triana.

The displays follow two threads: the castle's own history and archaeology, and the city's long relationship with the sea. The upper floor has held exhibitions of its own — a century-old film of Las Palmas street life, material on the poet Alonso Quesada, rooms of paintings from before and after 1900.

The fort also has a part in the city's religious calendar. When the Virgen del Pino comes down from her basilica in Teror, the official welcome to Las Palmas takes place here, beside Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pino.

• The exhibits lean towards the city and its port; the castle's own story gets less space than the building suggests.
• Read up on the 1599 Dutch attack before you go: the walls and the tower make far more sense with it in mind.
• The upper floor has shown exhibitions unrelated to the fort, so it is worth asking what is on.
• There are clean toilets inside, including a wheelchair-accessible one.
• Two tourist information offices sit about 430 m away in a straight line.

Castillo de Mata stands where the old city wall of Las Palmas ended, at the northern edge of Triana and beside Plaza de Nuestra Señora del Pino. The nearest bus stop, Carretera de Mata (Plaza del Pino), is about 75 m away in a straight line; a second stop, Primero de Mayo, 35, lies about 110 m away. Drivers have a paid car park at Subida de Mata, about 80 m from the castle. The car park closer still is private, so do not count on it.

Best: a weekday morning.

Avoid: Sundays and afternoons.

The museum opens only in the morning and stays shut on Sundays, so an afternoon walk up to the gate finds it closed. Much of the visit is indoors, which makes it a fair choice for a grey or wet morning in the city.