The Pirates of Gran Canaria
Van der Does's attack and the port fortifications
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1599, Dutch admiral Van der Does attacked Las Palmas with 73 ships. The city held — but not without leaving behind secrets.
When Holland sent 73 ships against a city of stone
On 26 June 1599, a Dutch fleet of 73 ships and 8,000 men appeared off Las Palmas. Admiral Pieter van der Does hoped to seize the city, plunder its riches and cut the Spanish route to the Americas. For three weeks, the city held out with a laughably small garrison. The battle marked Las Palmas forever: reinforced fortifications, watchtowers, and a distrust of the sea still visible in the orientation of Vegueta's streets.
A game, a guided tour and a city guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living city guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding step by step as you walk.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
« "The Dutch had 73 ships. The Canarians had stone and fury. Guess who won." »— — The battle of 1599 remains the largest pirate attack in Canarian history
The Battle of Las Palmas
Van der Does's attack was part of the Eighty Years' War between the United Provinces and Spain. Las Palmas, a strategic lock on the route to the Indies, was the ideal target. On 26 June 1599, the fleet appeared on the horizon. The 8,000 Dutch soldiers landed on Las Canteras beach and advanced toward Vegueta.
Resistance was organised around the Castillo de la Luz and the barricades of Triana. Governor Antonio Pamochamoso led the defence with fewer than 400 men. Street fighting in Vegueta was fierce — the Dutch set fire to Santa Ana Cathedral but could not break through the final barricades. After three weeks of siege, Van der Does withdrew, having lost over 2,000 men.
After the attack, Las Palmas erected new fortifications: the Castillo de Mata, the tower of San Pedro Mártir, walls along the coastline. These defences, hastily built with the island's volcanic stone, are still visible today — and some hide inscriptions the chroniclers never recorded.
The Route
5 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
War & corsairs
Relive the greatest naval battle of the Canaries
Fortifications
From the Castillo de la Luz to the Castillo de Mata
Epic narrative
400 defenders against 8,000 invaders
Military codes
Decipher the messages of the 1599 defenders
73 ships. 8,000 soldiers. And a city that refused to fall.
Your mission begins at the Castillo de la Luz
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
Vous avez joué à les pirates de gran canaria? Rendez-vous dans l'email reçu après votre partie pour laisser un avis vérifié.
Your turn to play
Relive the 1599 attack and discover the secrets the defenders of Las Palmas carved into the volcanic stone.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
Other escape games in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Vegueta & Triana
See all games in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Vegueta & Triana→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Other escape games in Espagne
View Espagne→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Explore other cities in Espagne
Tenerife
4 trails through historic towns
Fuerteventura
Betancuria and the Norman conquest
Lanzarote
Volcanic landscapes and Manrique legacy
Mérida
Rome in Spain: theater, bridge and temples
Cáceres
UNESCO medieval city and noble families
Trujillo
Cradle of Conquistadors, a medieval city in Extremadura.