Playa del Inglés: a large shopping centre rises on the old Viajes Insular plot
In the south of Gran Canaria, one of the area's longest-discussed developments is finally taking shape. On the old plot of the Viajes Insular travel agency, at the seam between the residential district of San Fernando and touristic Playa del Inglés, a large enclosed shopping centre is planned. The site lies in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, on Avenida de Gáldar, right beside the GC-500 road.
Photo: project rendering (infographic), via Canarias7.
In early August 2026 two machines moved in and began earth-moving works (movimiento de tierras) – the first visible step after years in which the project existed only on paper. The municipality speaks of a 48-million-euro investment and more than 500 jobs. At the same time, caution is warranted: not every figure quoted in the press is settled, and construction started almost two years after the licence was granted.
What is being built on the old travel-agency plot
The plan is for an enclosed complex of more than 60,000 square metres of gross floor area across four levels: ground floor (planta baja), a mezzanine (entreplanta), a half-basement (semisótano) and a basement (sótano). Unlike the open, ageing centres nearby, this is designed as a covered, climate-controlled building.
Its heart is a covered central plaza at street level on Calle Alcalde Enrique Jorge, around which the retail units are arranged. According to reports, a large panoramic roof, panoramic lifts and escalators are planned to connect the levels. The concept thus relies on a format that has so far been largely absent from the south of Gran Canaria.
A plot that lay derelict for more than a decade
The site sits at a sensitive urban point: on the border between San Fernando, home to more local residents, and touristic Playa del Inglés. It is bounded by the GC-500, the immediately neighbouring Centro Comercial Nilo, Avenida de Gáldar and Calle Alcalde Enrique Jorge – a highly visible, well-connected location.
The original Viajes Insular building was demolished in December 2013. After that, the plot stood empty and derelict for years – a conspicuous void in the middle of the urban fabric that drew repeated criticism. Only now, more than twelve years after the demolition, is construction actually getting under way there.
Retail space, a hypermarket and around 860 parking spaces
According to Canarias7, the actual display and sales area (superficie útil de exposición y venta) comes to 23,013 square metres. That figure was requested in 2024 through an application to expand the commercial licence – well above the 14,442 square metres approved back in 2019. The report states the expansion was requested jointly by the companies Tefia S.L., Isla del Paraíso 2000 S.L. and Supermercados Marcial S.L.
A hypermarket of around 6,237 square metres is planned in the basement, according to press reports. For customers, about 860 parking spaces (862 to 864 depending on the document) are to be built across three underground levels. The municipality put the total investment at 48 million euros when it approved the project in 2024; earlier reports had cited around 30 million euros – so the exact sum should be read with care.
520 jobs and the voices from the town hall
According to the municipality, the project is expected to create more than 520 jobs. Of these, around 30 would be direct posts – for example in management, security, cleaning and maintenance – plus around 490 indirect jobs, of which the figures put 110 in the hypermarket and 380 across the individual shops.
The town hall of San Bartolomé de Tirajana voiced clear support. The councillor for urban planning, Davinia Ramírez, called the project "un paso fundamental para el crecimiento económico local" ("a fundamental step for local economic growth"). The deputy mayor (teniente de alcalde) Alejandro Marichal said the development would "marcará un hito en el desarrollo económico y comercial del municipio" ("mark a milestone in the economic and commercial development of the municipality").
Licence in 2024, works in 2026 – and what it means for the neighbouring centres
The timeline shows how slow such projects can be: demolition in December 2013, a first commercial licence in 2019 (14,442 m²), the 2024 expansion request to 23,013 m² together with the municipal green light on 29 September 2024, and the building licence in October 2024 – yet the ground was only broken in early August 2026. The build is put at around two and a half years, so an opening is not expected before roughly 2028/2029. Almost two years thus passed between the licence and the actual start of works.
In market terms, a modern enclosed building with around 23,000 square metres of retail space and a branded-fashion and textile offer that the older centres in Playa del Inglés and San Fernando largely lack would reshape the local competitive landscape. For the area that is an opportunity; for existing sites – from the immediately neighbouring CC Nilo to older complexes such as Cita, Yumbo and Kasbah – it is also added pressure. The project therefore lands squarely in the ongoing debates about renovation, vacancy and valuation at the established centres.
The immediately neighbouring CC Nilo and the existing centres in Playa del Inglés and San Fernando stay open during construction. Access is via the GC-500 and Avenida de Gáldar.
Key facts
- Location: old Viajes Insular plot, Avenida de Gáldar/GC-500, between San Fernando and Playa del Inglés (San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
- Over 60,000 m² of gross floor area across four levels, an enclosed building around a covered plaza (Calle Alcalde Enrique Jorge)
- Sales area 23,013 m² (2024 expansion request, up from 14,442 m² in 2019) – according to Canarias7; hypermarket around 6,237 m² according to press reports
- About 860 parking spaces across three underground levels; investment 48 million euros (2024/2026), earlier reports around 30 million
- More than 520 jobs: around 30 direct plus around 490 indirect (110 in the hypermarket, 380 in the shops)
- Demolition December 2013, building licence October 2024, works began early August 2026, build around 2.5 years (opening around 2028/2029)
FAQ
- Where exactly is the shopping centre being built?
- On the old Viajes Insular plot on Avenida de Gáldar (GC-500), between San Fernando and Playa del Inglés in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, right beside the CC Nilo.
- How big will the complex be?
- More than 60,000 m² of gross floor area across four levels; the actual retail area is 23,013 m² according to Canarias7, including a hypermarket of around 6,237 m² according to press reports.
- How much is being invested and how many jobs are expected?
- The municipality cites 48 million euros and more than 520 jobs (around 30 direct, around 490 indirect). Earlier reports had put the investment at about 30 million euros.
- When is the centre due to open?
- Construction began in early August 2026 with earth-moving works; with a build of around two and a half years, an opening is expected around 2028/2029.
- What does it mean for the existing centres?
- A modern enclosed building with a branded-fashion offer could reshape the local competitive landscape – an opportunity for the area and, at the same time, pressure on older sites such as CC Nilo, Cita, Yumbo and Kasbah.