In this post we will tell you about many things that you can visit in Gran Canaria: beautiful cities and villages with colonial architecture and an interesting cuisine, as well as sacred mountains in impressive lunar landscapes and unique forests. It’s not only warm beaches all year round!
All of the Canary Islands are of volcanic origin, but all are different from each other. Gran Canaria is actually two in one: the South is very dry and always sunny, while the North has subtropical laurel forests and its capital, Las Palmas, enjoys a microclimate with cloudy summers and a constant pleasant temperature all year long.
Despite its name, Gran Canaria is actually the third largest island of the archipelago, after Tenerife and Fuerteventura, and the second in terms of population. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is, however, the most populated city in the Canaries and ranks 9th in Spain.
The Romans called the island Canaria – probably because there were many dogs (meaning “island of dogs”) there, or maybe because that’s how they knew their inhabitants. By the end of the Middle Ages, this name was used for the whole archipelago and the island started being known as Gran Canaria.
At the end of the 15th c. Castile conquered Gran Canaria, and incorporated it as the rest of the Canaries.
The Canary Islands enjoyed a large trade autonomy within Castile, as they were exempt from the kingdom’s monopoly managed from Seville. The islands had a very intense commerce with America and England.
Getting there
Gran Canaria airport (LPA) has many connections to many European cities, especially in Spain, Britain and Germany.
The airport is located on the East coast of the island, roughly halfway between Las Palmas (its capital) and its main touristic beaches on the South.
You can use this search form to find the best flight deals to Gran Canaria from your airport.
If you are planning to go to several islands, you can arrive in Gran Canaria by ferry from Tenerife (1h45 approx.) or by plane – regional airline Binter flies from all the Canaries.
Moving around
Renting a car is the most convenient way to move around Gran Canaria. Fuel is cheaper here than in Europe, by the way.
Local companies Cabrera Medina and CICAR have a very good reputation buy we went for the best deal – and found it thanks to rentalcars.com with Avis (at a better price than in the company’s website, with full coverage insurance).
We think the best is always to check all the options. You can use our rentalcars.com search form to find the best deals of international companies. All have an office in the airport.
If you are not willing to drive a car, you can travel anywhere in the island with interurban buses run by Global. In their website you can find all the information about routes and timetables.
We prefer to explore on our own, but if you don’t have a car, there are some great tours. In getyourguide.com you can find many tours and activities in the island departing from Las Palmas or the Southern coast.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
If you travel to Gran Canaria, you have to visit its capital. That’s why we have written a specific Las Palmas city guide, with walking routes to discover its historical quarters of Vegueta and Triana, our foody experiences, and Playa de las Canteras, one of the best beaches in the island.
Follow this link to read our city guide to Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria.
Quickly after the conquest of the Canary Islands the colonial city of Real de las Tres Palmas was developed to host the main administrative and religious institutions of the Canaries. Today, this is the neigbourhood of Vegueta in Las Palmas.
Since then, it became de facto the capital of the archipelago, as well as a frequent stage of voyages between mainland Spain and America.
North Coast
- Arucas
- Pre-hispanic granary “Cenobio de Valerón”
- Painted Cave (Gáldar)
- Agaete
Arucas
Arucas is 15 km away from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria by motorway. It is a town famous for its rhum distillery (Arehucas) and its impressive neo-Gothic church of St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista). Locals usually call it the Arucas Cathedral, you will understand why.
If you drive to Arucas, you can park free of charge in the municipal parking, next to the church.
The building of “the Cathedral”, or church of St. John the Baptist, started in 1909 and was designed by Catalan architect Manuel Vega. After its consecration, the beautiful bell tower was built. This is the work of Rafael Massanet, who designed many art nouveau buildings in Las Palmas.
It is a bit weird to find such a building in an island that barely had time for Gothic architecture (European presence started at the end of the 15th c.). It looks like the oldest bulding in the island… but if you look closely, you can find some art nouveau detail. Anyway, it is certainly a very elegant building.
The interior preserves some artworks from the primitive church of the 16th c. as well as Neo-Gothic stained glass windows of French manufacture.
Once in Arucas, it is worth walking around its town centre, down to Plaza de la Constitución, where the town hall is located. On your way there, check out a typical courtyard from the Canaries in the Culture House (Casa de la Cultura).
Don’t leave Arucas yet – there is another interesting sight around: Hacienda del Buen Suceso.
This is a hotel just outside the town that has its own banana trees plantation. The area is full of banana trees that you can see from the road. There, you can enter one of them at take some photos!
It is around 15 min walking from Arucas town centre, but if you decide to drive there, don’t trust Google Maps, unless you are willing to take a banana tree tour through narrow roads (which is actually fun).
Arucas is the starting point of several secondary roads that will allow you to explore the interior of the island, such as: GC-43 to Teror and GC-300 to Firgas and the Laurel forest Tilos de Moya (GC-350).
For now, we will continue driving on the motorway…
Gáldar: "Cueva Pintada" (Painted Cave)
Gáldar is located 20 km West of Arucas. Its highlight is the Cueva Pintada (Painted Cave), one of the most important archaeological sites in the Canary Islands.
It is a cave painted in all its length by the pre-hispanic inhabitants of Gran Canaria, some time between the 11th and 13th c. They used red and white pigments to create different geometric patterns.
It was discovered by chance in the 19th c., but after some international interest it was widely forgotten. At that time archaeology in Spain was virtually non-existent.
By 1970 things had changed and the owner of the land ceded it to the municipality under the condition that the cave be protected and opened to public visitors.
The guided tour to the Painted Cave site and museum is 1h30 long. It starts with a video explaining a bit of history of the pre-hispanic inhabitants of the island and its conquest by Castile.
Then, there are is a small museum with objects found in the archaelogical site.
One of the most interesting characters in the period of the conquest of Gran Canaria was Arminda, whose story is similar to Pocahontas’ – she was the daughter of the last pre-hispanic king of Agáldar, and married a Castilian gentleman after the conquest.
Her name was changed to Catalina de Guzmán, and ended being one of the main sugarcane landowners in the island.
Finally, you enter the site itself. There, you will see some houses from the ancient dwellers of Gran Canaria and even some newer pavements. 4 pre-hispanic houses have been reproduced so the visitor can have a glimpse of how this people lived. They are round dwellings, with relatively high ceilings and beds on both sides of a central space.
The real highlight of the visit is the Cueva Pintada itself. It is a pity that photography is not allowed – but understandable, as its preservation has been under threat.
When the cave was opened to the public, half of the painting was lost in only 10 years! An investigation revealed this was due to the concrete cover that was built to protect it, as it limited air ventilation.
Probably the most interesting thing about this cave is that no-one knows – and probably will never know – the meaning of these geometric symbols. Some suggest the cave was the King’s reception hall and the symbols are some kind of “coat of arms” of the rulers or powerful families, others interpret it as a calendar…
If you cannot go to Gáldar, there is a full reproduction of the Cueva Pintada in the Canary Islands Museum (Museo Canario) in Las Palmas.
We also wanted to visit the pre-hispanic granary known as Cenobio (Monastery) de Valerón. Its current name was given by 19th-century romantics, who made up a story about a nunnery where young pre-hispanic virgin women were kept until marriage. During our trip in Gran Canaria, it was still closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
If you want to learn more about the ancient inhabitants of Gran Canaria, you can also visit Cuatro Puertas archaeological site, near Telde.
Agaete
Agaete is located on the North-West of Gran Canaria. It actually consists of two settlements: the village of Agaete and the – more famous – Puerto de las Nieves.
The ferry terminal to go to Tenerife is also located here.
One of the most important fortresses for the conquest of Gran Canaria was established in Agaete. After the Canaries were incorporated into Castile, it became an important sugarcane producing centre.
The village has a typical architecture from the island. You can also visit the “Garden of Flowers” (Jardín de las Flores), a small botanical garden created from a private collection of a local wealthy family who collected seeds from their voyages and planted them in their cottage.
Puerto de las Nieves (which translates as “Snow Harbour”) is actually where people go when they go to Agaete. It is a typical fishing village with white houses. Don’t miss its church, Ermita de las Nieves, built in the 16th c. and enlarged in the 19th c. Its location between the sea and the volcanic rocks makes it very picturesque.
This coastal village also has a beach from with you can see the “Finger of God” (Dedo de Dios), a natural monument that looked like a hand with a finger pointing to the sky, beloved by the locals. In 2015, a storm damaged the hand, which lost its finger.
On the other side of Agaete harbour there are some natural pools where you can enjoy a bath looking at the volcanic coast.
Leaving the coast behind...
Tilos de Moya Natural Park
Tilos de Moya Natural Park is the best preserved Laurel forest (or laurisilva) in Gran Canaria. This is a kind of subtropical rainforest existing in the Canary Islands and Madeira.
Its most common plants are of the laurel family (Lauraceae). And one of the most common trees in this forest is the til or tilo (Ocotea foetens) – hence the name of the natural park.
You will arrive at the information centre of the natural park a few kilometres after leaving the village of Moya.
Once there, you can take a circular path that will allow you to learn what a laurisilva forest is in approximately 30 minutes.
For real hikers (not us), there are some other paths to explore the forest further.
In antiquity, most of Gran Canaria was covered by laurisilva forests.
However, the sugar industry developed in the island after the Castilian conquest provoked a massive deforestation: sugarcane production needs land and a lot of heat – and wood was the fuel back then.
If you are there around lunch time, you can eat at Restaurante Los Tilos. They offer traditional cuisine and grill at great prices.
Teror
Teror is certainly one of the most beautiful villages in Gran Canaria. It is 15 km uphill from Arucas, through the GC-43 road. You can really tell the difference in altitude!
Teror developed as a main Catholic centre in the island from the 16th c. as it is believed that the Virgin showed up on a pine around there – thus Our Lady of the Pine (Virgen del Pino) became the patronness of all Gran Canaria.
Maybe this is why some of the most powerful families of the island chose to settle in Teror.
If you drive to Teror, you can park your car for free very close to the pedestrain town centre.
Then, walk through its main street (calle Real de la Plaza). It has beautiful colourful mansions, some with typical balconies from the Canaries.
The main street opens in a square, where you will find the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pine, final destination of the most important religious procession in Gran Canaria.
The current temple was built in the 18th c. Its classicist façade has the typical colours in the island: white with details of “blue” local volcanic stone.
The most original part of the basilica are its gargoyles: there are 5 on each side, all different, showing fantastic characters, well-suited for a horror film. They give a pagan touch to this church. The dome is also quite bizarre, with that exterior staircase.
Walk behind the church to see the episcopal palace and, on the other side, the modern auditorium.
One of the food specialties of Gran Canaria originates in Teror: chorizo de Teror.
Journey to the centre of Gran Canaria
Roque Nublo
If you only have one day to visit the interior of Gran Canaria, you should go up to its heart – Roque Nublo, and the picturesque village of Tejeda.
Roque Nublo (“clouded rock”) is a 67-metre tall volcanic rock that stands on a mountain in the centre of Gran Canaria, at 1800 metres above sea level.
It was a sacred rock for the pre-hispanic dwellers of Gran Canaria, and nowadays it is still the symbol of the island.
It will take you approximately the same time (1 hour) from anywhere in the island, once you abandon the motorway.
As we stayed in the South, we took the GC-60 road, that takes you through a rocky desert past the villages of Fataga and San Bartolomé. If you drive from the North, you will enjoy instead a greener landscape dominated by laurisilva forests.
The roads to reach the centre of Gran Canaria are so narrow that lanes are not marked and have innumerable curves, but the pavement is in really good shape. Road signalling is very good, so you won’t really need a GPS nor Google Maps.
It is astonishing how the landscape changes when leaving the coast from the South. When you start driving uphill through the winding road a rocky desert appears, dotted by some cacti and palm trees.
First, you will arrive to a mountain pass called “Degollada de La Yegua”, where there is a nice viewpoint. The road then goes down before turning uphill and reaching Fataga, a typical island village.
Later, you will arrive in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the municipal town to which most of the main beaches and resorts of the South belong. This village is also locally known as Tunte. In Gran Canaria, when people want to say a place is far away, they say “that’s in Tunte“… and there are still 20 minutes to go to reach Roque Nublo.
When the road arrives in the hamlet of Ayacata, take a right towards Roque Nublo. There is a small parking lot where you can park your car and hike to the most famous mountain in the island. There, there is a stall where you can buy some drinks and sandwiches of Teror chorizo or cheese that may help you reach the peak.
It is a short hike (around 45 mins), but you should take comfortable shoes as the path is quite rocky. It is true that it is not difficult and there are many families with kids, but it is not just a pleasant stroll in the woods as many reviews suggest (and we chose a really hot day to do it…)
Anyway, if you are not willing to hike up to Roque Nublo, you can still see it from several viewpoints on the road.
At the end of the path, you will not only be able to see the famous Roque Nublo but also enjoy a beautiful panoramic view.
Once you arrive, you will understand why it was a sacred site in pre-hispanic times. It is most magical on a cloudy day, standing amidst a sea of clouds.
Tejeda
The next stop is Tejeda, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. In order to arrive there, you should go back to Ayacata and continue through the GC-60 (around 15 km overall). Don’t get confused between Tejeda and Cruz de Tejeda, our next stop 7 km further.
Tejeda is village of white houses perched on the mountain. It doesn’t really have any singular monument, but it is certainly a very picturesque place, with its narrow streets and Canary balconies in complete harmony with the stunning nature.
In the main street of Tejeda you will find ice cream shop Lalexe. It is becoming famous in the island thanks to their creative flavours with local products.
We tried manga (Canary mango), lemon & prickly pear, gofio… all fresh and delicious. One of their most original flavours is white chocolate & pine cones – it is very unique, smoked, but it can be overwhelming.
Cruz de Tejeda
Cruz de Tejeda is an amazing location where a Parador was built. Paradores is a Spanish public company that manages hotels in historical buildings (contributing to their preservation) and in unique locations, like this one.
Parador de Cruz de Tejeda is a modern building, following traditional architecture, in an amazing setting. The view from its swimming pool and its terrace will leave you speechless!
It is certainly a beautiful place to stay for a couple of nights, although not so convenient if you want to go to the beach or around the island. Anyway, it is always a great idea to have a coffee in its beautiful terrace or eat in their restaurant (Paradores always have good restaurants with local ingredients, although a bit expensive).
Viewpoint of Pico del Pozo de las Nieves
We finish our mountain road trip at Mirador del Pozo del Pico de las Nieves translates as the “Viewpoint of the Well of the Snow Peak” – it also sounds funny in Spanish, but its name probably means that water from the mountain snow was collected here.
Anyway, it was a beautiful and romantic ending to finish a day discovering the mountains of Gran Canaria.
The landscape is wonderful, but the best is seeing the sun setting over a sea of clouds and Roque Nublo, standing proud.
We have to admit that some locals who knew the place said it was not the best sunset there, but we still found it beautiful.
If you are staying by the coast, waiting for the sunset there entails driving back through winding mountain roads at night. It is not so bad as it sounds, as roads are in perfect conditions and they have reflectors to drive safely at night.
If you prefer going back with daylight, it is always a good idea to drive back through a different road – it won’t take you much longer and you can enjoy other landscapes.
South Coast
If you are looking for sunny beaches, you should go to the South of Gran Canaria. The mountains stop the clouds from getting there (and make them stay around Las Palmas), so good weather is guaranteed nearly every day.
If you want to know the best beaches in Gran Canaria follow this link.
But it’s not only about beach and sun – there are a couple of things in the South coast of Gran Canaria that you can’t miss when you go there. We’ll tell you now!
Maspalomas Dunes
On the Southernmost point of Gran Canaria, there is a bay that stretches out to the sea – and it makes the wind behave in an optimal way to form dunes.
Maspalomas Dunes (Dunas de Maspalomas) are one of the most beautiful natural landscapes of Gran Canaria. It is a unique dune system in the Canary Islands of approximately 400 hectares.
The Maspalomas Dunes Natural Park includes a lagoon called Charca de Maspalomas – you will see it when you go to the Maspalomas Beach, probably the best of the island.
The dunes are located in the intersection of Maspalomas Beach and Playa del Inglés – these beaches, along with the dunes, form an impressive L-shaped beach, nearly 6 km long overall!
You can reach the dunes from both of the beaches that border them.
However, the best way to admire and explore the dunes is entering the site from the passageway that goes through Hotel Riu Palace Maspalomas.
There you will find the Maspalomas Dunes information centre, a beautiful panoramic boulevard… or you can start walking directly on the dunes! We think the latter is best choice.
The best time to photograph the dunes is at sunset. The dunes move slowly but steadily, so each time they will be slightly different!
Puerto de Mogán
Puerto de Mogán is the most beautiful fishing village in Gran Canaria. Do not mistake it for Mogán, seat of the municipality, in the island interior.
Its white houses with details of different colours, its neat streets full of flowers and its location between the sea and the volcanic rock make it the most picturesque village in the South of Gran Canaria, otherwise dominated by holiday towns for tourists desperate for some sun.
There are many restaurants here where you can have some good fresh fish.
We went more something more modern and ate at Mi Vida, a great choice in such a touristy village. We shared some tapas, including classics like papas con mojo, and more modern ones like the Teror chorizo balls or morcilla filo pastry bags.
It also has a small but cosy beach where you can take a bath after wandering through its streets.
Beaches
As we have already stated, the South of Gran Canaria is the most popular area to go to the beach, thanks to its warm temperatures and clear skies all year long.
We have written a post about the 3 beaches you shouldn’t miss when you are in Gran Canaria.
This was all we had time to explore in one week in Gran Canaria.
We have to admit that we were not astonished by its beaches, in part because they are excessively oriented to cheap tourism. However, the island has a lot more to offer: colonial and modern architecture, a mysterious history and an incredible range of landscapes that really make it a “miniature continent”.
What to eat in Gran Canaria
The cuisine of the Canary Islands is a mixture of Spanish cuisine and that of all the peoples that have settled and traded with the island: it gets a bit from North Africa, a lot from the Caribbean and something from India too.
Nowadays, most food products from mainland Spain are available in Gran Canaria, but it was not always the case. Some of these are highly appreciated and mixed with their beautiful tropical fruits and vegetables and amazing cheeses.
Of course, the island has some great local fish: tuna, cherne, vieja and Saharan squid are especially popular. The best places for fresh fish and seafood are the fishing village, like Agaete or Mogán, as well as Las Palmas.
The most famous fruit crop in the Canary Islands are bananas – in Spain most people eat theirs, not Latin American ones.
But there are many more fruits. In Las Palmas Vegueta Market we had some taste of tropical fruits that you would never find so fresh in Europe.
We were also lucky to be there during the manga season, and we bought really delicious ones in a village market.
Mangas are the autochtonous variety of mangoes from the Canary Islands. They are pretty much like regular mangoes, but without fibres and really tasty.
Once incorporated into Castile, the Canary Islands started growing sugarcane intensively, but it declined when it was introduced in America – those new lands were more productive.
Bananas and tomatoes were introduced in Gran Canaria by the English in the 18th centuries, and soon became very important crops in the island.
Something that many people don’t know is that the Canary Islands have fantastic cheese, and many different varieties of it. The best are probably those from Fuerteventura – goat cheese is the most common, but there is also cow and sheep milk cheese, and mixtures of all of them.
If you are lucky enough to find queso herreño (from the island of El Hierro), don’t miss the opportunity to try it – grill with some honey, it is great for breakfast!
A specialty of Gran Canaria is Chorizo de Teror: this is not like a normal chorizo, but has a much softer consistency (like that of a sobrasada from Majorca). It is made from autochtonous black pigs. You have to try it when you go to Gran Canaria!
Black pork fresh meat is also delicious, featured in many restaurants (as well as the amazing Iberian pork).
Lamb and goat meat are also very popular in Gran Canaria, especially in mountain villages like Tejeda. They are usually cooked roasted or fried.
Traditional dishes from the Canary Islands
The most famous dish from the Canary Islands are boiled potatoes with mojo sauce (papas arrugadas con mojo).
Potatoes are boiled in salty water, making their skin wrinkled (arrugada). Small potatoes are used, and black potatoes are considered the best – but are not easy to find.
They are served with mojo, a family of sauces based on local chili peppers (red or green, delivering red or green mojo), olive oil, garlic and spices. Each family prepares mojo in a different way, and each restaurant too – and there are many variations (with or without tomato, green mojo with coriander…)
Red mojo is usually spicy, while green is mild. Green mojo goes great with fish too. We tried our favourite papas con mojo in Triciclo in Las Palmas: red mojo with dried tomatoes and green mojo with pistachios.
The photo is from Mi Vida, in Puerto de Mogán.
Another classic from the Canary Islands is gofio. This is roasted grain flour (typically wheat or maize). It has been a staple of the Canary Islands even before the Castilian conquest!
The traditional way of eating it is mixed with water and salt to make a kind of porridge. Nowadays it is usually cooked with broth for more flavour.
The photo below is from El Almendro, in Tejeda, a grill restaurant with a great view of the mountains!
There is also a traditional sweet made from gofio, called peya, which is usually consumed in festivals.
Lately it has been introduced as an ingredient for ice creams and many other desserts.
To know more, check out the food section of our Las Palmas city guide! We have to admit that there was where we ate the best food in Gran Canaria.
