18 best places to see on a route through the island of Gran Canaria

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Landscape of the interior of the island of Gran Canaria from Artenara

While Tenerife I have known her well for many years, I recognize that Gran Canaria, the other big island of Canary Islands. It has been in recent times when I have known her more thoroughly.

A getaway to the city ​​of Las Palmas and the most recent trip to Gran Canaria on the occasion of the celebration of International Cheese Forum, has allowed me to finish discovering the main tourist attractions of the island.

The Gran Canaria Island since the 60s of the last century it has become one of the main destinations of international tourism that reaches Spain.

Arucas in Gran Canaria

Specifically, this tourism has this Canary Island as one of the best places to enjoy the sun and the beach throughout the year, taking advantage of a climate so benign that even in winter it allows you to go with a short sleeve.

What to see and do in Gran Canaria

But I can tell you that Gran Canaria It has other major tourist and cultural attractions, in addition to wellness and health tourism.

Good example is its capital, a true cultural destination with places like its historical Vegueta neighborhood, and also a destination with great atmosphere and numerous leisure activities throughout the year.

But also other villages and scenic places in the interior of the island, which deserve to be known during a trip to Gran Canaria.

Next we are going to propose the best places to see in Gran Canaria, as well as visits that deepen traditions, such as cave houses, and gastronomy, such as cheese or wine making.

Roque Nublo inside Gran Canaria

Route by car through the north of Gran Canaria

For them we suggest a car route towards the mountainous interior of the island that starts in The Gran Canarian palms, then down the northwest towards the coast.

From the route we also make a variant that goes from the interior to the south to reach Maspalomas and to the most tourist enclaves of the island.

Or vice versa, is the way to make a excursion inside the island of Gran Canaria from your holiday stay in one of its most popular beach enclaves, such as the aforementioned Maspalomas.

Also, for your trip you will find these pages useful where you can book hotel in Gran Canaria, or where can you rent the car for your route on the island.

Maspalomas in Gran Canaria

The Gran Canarian palms

If you are on vacation in the beach area of ​​the south of Gran Canaria, you must book at least one day to make a excursion to the capital of the island and see its main attractions, especially cultural.

In this regard, the Highlights of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria focus on the historical Vegueta neighborhood, where, among other places, you can visit the Columbus House wave Cathedral.

But you must also walk around the next one Triana neighborhood to see their modernist buildings and other emblematic ones like the Literary Cabinet or the Pérez Galdós Theater.

It is also worth going through the Ciudad Jardín residential area, with samples of rationalist architecture, or enjoy the outdoor concerts held in the Doramas Park.

Columbus House in Vegueta in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Or visit also the historical enclave of castle of light, which dates back to the time of the founding of the city, and which currently houses theMuseum dedicated to the canarian sculptorMartin Chirino.

Bandama boiler

Already on the outskirts of the city of Las Palmas, on the route inland and in the south direction, it is worth going up to the Bandama boiler, from where you will have spectacular panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.

It is an ancient volcano on whose top a viewpoint has been located.

San Juan Winery in Santa Brígida

Getting off the boiler you have the opportunity to visit a winery in the Finca El Monacalwhere can you meet how wines are made in Gran Canaria.

San Juan winery in Santa Brígida in Gran Canaria

It's about the San Juan Winery, which is managed by the fifth family generation carrying out a artisanal winemaking process.

He was producing wines in the most traditional way until 2006, and has recently resumed the activity with the elaboration of organic wine under the brand Monkish, with a very limited and exclusive production for now.

The farm occupies 25 hectares, although for now the vineyards in production only occupy 2.5 hectares.

With vines on trellis with an age of 30 years, these vineyards offer all the native varieties of grapes from the Canary Islands, the black listán, negramoll, malmsey Y muscatel.

In the Guided visits which take place from Monday to Friday, at 10.30 and 12.30, you will walk through the vineyards and see the traditional wineries that have been used until recently, the winery and a small museum with traditional machinery and tools.

Church of San Juan Bautista in Arucas in Gran Canaria

Arucas in Gran Canaria

Also inland, but just 17 kilometers west of the island capital, you findArucas, a town that will surprise you with its great neo-Gothic church, which they call it Cathedral, but it is not a cathedral but a parish church.

Built from 1909, when you see the church of San Juan de Bautista you will understand why they call her Cathedral.

In Arucas You can also see some street with colorful and striking facades, and prominent buildings such as the Town Hall and that of the Inheritance of Waters of Arucas and Firgas.

And do not forget to walk through its municipal park to see its large dragon trees.

Firgas in Gran Canaria

Firgas in Gran Canaria

20 minutes from Arucas you findFirgas, and are the reasons that will take you to visit this town in the interior of Gran Canaria.

A few years ago, with the aim of capturing the interest of tourists visiting the island, the mayor had the initiative to make the main street of the town pedestrian and install a decoration inspired by the Seville Spain Square.

This decoration is completed with seven ceramic sets dedicated to each of the Canary Islands.

And, on the other hand, in Firgas you find a lookout from which you have spectacular panoramic views of the capital and the north of the island.

Landscape of the Caldera de Baldama in Gran Canaria

Cruz de Tejeda viewpoint

But if it's a viewpoint, in your route through the interior of Gran Canaria you must arrive at Cruz de Tejeda viewpoint, located in a strategic point of the center of the island.

From this viewpoint you have spectacular panoramic views of the mountainous landscape known as the Boiler of Tejeda, the result of a volcanic collapse produced millions of years ago.

In this geographical point there is also the National Parador de Cruz de Tejeda, and it is a very tourist place where a market is established every day where local artisans offer their products.

Artenara in Gran Canaria

Already going down to the northwest, we find one of the most prominent corners of this area of ​​the Boiler of Tejeda, the town of Artenara.

Cave house in Artenara in Gran Canaria

Located on the side of a rocky mountain, Artenara still shows us the traditional cave houses.

This is the town of Gran Canaria located at a higher height, and itsUnamuno viewpoint you can see panoramic views of the Barranco Grande, and see the Roques Nublo and Bentayga, geological icons of the island.

In Artenara you can also see the Matthias church, whose origins date back to the seventeenth century, although the current building is much more recent, as its towers and interior decoration were completed during the last twentieth century.

And it should also be noted the Chapel of the Cuevita, place of prayer in a typical cave where the image of a Virgin.

Artenara Ethnographic Museum

A place we want to highlight in Artenara is the ethnographic museum, curious and small corner where you can deepen the knowledge of the traditional lifestyle in the cave houses.

Views from a cave house of the Ethnographic Museum of Artenara

These date back to the time of the aboriginal population that occupied the island before the arrival of the Castilian conquerors, and have been inhabited until the middle of the last century.

This museum is installed in three cave houses, and there you can see furniture from the beginning of the 20th century, as well as numerous handicrafts and instruments from that period.

From the museum terrace you have spectacular views of the aforementioned Roque Bentayga.

Tejeda in Gran Canaria

In this area of ​​the Boiler of Tejeda, while taking in the Tejeda Cross the road that takes you south, you can visit the picturesque town of Tejeda, which is located at the foot of the Roque Nublo and also in front of Roque Bentayga

Traditional Canarian architecture in Tejeda in Gran Canaria

In Weaves you will see some beautiful corner of Canarian rural architectas well as your relief church.

It is also an ideal place to hiking, with routes that can take you to those mentioned Roques Nublo and Bentayga.

Mirador del Molino in the Parralillo Dam

Already going down to the west coast along the very winding Dam Road that takes you between deep ravines to the Village of San Nicolás, it is worth stopping at Mill Viewpoint, which rises above the Parralillo Dam.

In this viewpoint there is what looks like an old mill, and if you look up the Ravine, you can see the Roque Bantayga.

Mirador del Molino and Roque Bentayga in Gran Canaria

Puerto de las Nieves in Agaete

After taking a tour that leads us through the rugged cliffs of the coast, through the natural park of Tamadaba, you will reach Agaete.

Here you must go to visit the Puerto de las Nieves, a place that maintains a certain charm and whose docks depart boats that connect Gran Canaria with the island of Tenerife every day.

The greatest charm is found on the old pier, from where you can see the imposing cliffs of the aforementioned natural park that fall on the sea.

At that point was known as Finger of God, a rock that was fractured in 2005 by a storm.

Puerto de las Nieves de Agaete in Gran Canaria

Agaete Valley

At this point it is worthwhile to enter the Agaete Valley, the only area in Europe where coffee is produced.

Its plantations share the valley with the vineyards and a great variety of tropical fruits, such as bananas, avocados, mangoes or papayas.

If you're curious, to know how coffee is produced in the Agaete Valley you have to visit the Los Berrazales Winery.

Also in this valley we want to highlight a charming rural hotel where we had the opportunity to stay on one of our trips to Gran Canaria.

Rural hotel Las Longueras in the Agaete Valley in Gran Canaria

Its about rural hotel Finca Las Longueras, which will be easy to recognize because it is a colonial mansion with a striking red facade, which was built in 1895 where there was a rural house since the 17th century.

Inside it offers you a cozy decoration with 19th-century English-style furniture; here you can book your stay in Las Longeras.

Route by car through the south of Gran Canaria

From the Tejeda Cross, instead of going west onArtenara, you can head south of the island along the road that will take you to the beach area ofMaspalomas, the most tourist of the island.

From this route I will highlight these corners.

Fataga in Gran Canaria

Fataga in Gran Canaria

Fataga It is a picturesque village where it is worth stopping to see some corners of traditional Canarian architecture.

Belonging to the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, is located in a valley that runs through one of the deep ravines inside the island, where you can also see palm groves.

Necropolis and Oasis of Arteara

Did you know that the Fataga Ravine is known as the Valley of the Thousand Palms?

Oasis of Arteara in Gran Canaria

One of those palm trees is the Arteara Oasiswhere is the little one Arteara village, where in addition to palm trees, other tropical plants such as prickly pears.

But what stands out in this corner of the island is a great necropolis with more than 800 burials dating back to the 5th century BC.

From this necropolis that has been sacked throughout history, it currently retains some elliptical and round mounds raised with volcanic stones.

Viewpoint of the Mares in Barranco de Fataga

Following the route to Maspalomas, you will climb to a point where the Mares Lookout.

Views from the Mirador de Yeguas in Gran Canaria

If you make the route up from Maspalomas to the interior of the island, when you arrive at this viewpoint you will find yourself before the panoramic view that is known as the Grand Canyon of Gran Canaria.

And if you look, the Fataga Ravine that you will see from the viewpoint justifies this denomination that tries to compare it with the spectacular landscapes of thewest coast of the United States.

From the Mares Lookout you will have the first panoramic views of the Maspalomas dunes.

Maspalomas Dunes

One of the great attractions of Gran Canaria, and an essential place that you must visit on your trip to this island, are the Maspalomas Dunes.

Maspalomas dunes in Gran Canaria

Beyond being the main tourist enclave of beaches on the island, with large hotels resort and apartments, it is really worth seeing the impressive dunes formed in this area of ​​the south of the island.

It is a natural reserve, the only one in the Canary Islands of these characteristics, with protected flora and bird reserve.

If you are not going to go to the beach, but you want to have a perspective of the dunes, the best point from where you can see them is from the path that leads to the beach through the facilities of the hotel Riu.

Cheese factory La Gloria

In this area of Maspalomas you have the opportunity to delve into the Cheese production tradition on the island of Gran Canaria Making a curious and interesting visit.

Cheese making at Finca La Gloria de Gran Canaria

In concrete the Cheese factory La Gloria, whose farm you arrive on a dirt path that goes inland from the parking lot of the Hotel Gloria Playa San Agustín, in the tourist town of San Agustin.

Francisca Y Pepe they continue with the family tradition in the third generation of the artisanal goat cheese production.

When you arrive at the farm you may find them in their cheese production work, while the employees are milking some of the more than 2,100 goats that are milked every day on this farm.

They are native goats of the Canary Islands that you will see grazing in the field that surrounds the cheese factory, from whose milk every day they produce fresh semi-cured cheese, with varieties of paprika, smoked, gofio and creamy.

During the interesting visits you will know that traditionally in Gran Canaria almost every family produced their own cheese, and that almost all of the production of Gran Canaria cheese It is consumed on the island itself.

In sum, a very curious visit, where you can see how the goats that line up in the milking parlor are positioning themselves to facilitate the placement of the milk extractor tubes.

Don't miss the video where we show it to you !!

Puerto de Mogán in Gran Canaria

We finish this route through the most interesting sites you should know in your trip to Gran Canaria with one of the most popular tourist enclaves south of the island.

Puerto de Mogán in Gran Canaria

Its about Puerto de Mogán, a leisure craft port located at the exit to the sea of ​​a steep valley where the town of Mogán.

In Puerto de Mogán You will find a small and collected beach and the aforementioned leisure port, but above all a very cozy urban complex of holiday homes with beautiful white facades decorated with different colors and full of flowers.

In sum, although to visit it I can throw you back that it is an enclave full of tourists all year round, I assure you that it is well worth it stroll through Puerto de Mogan, which in a way can remind you of places like Marbella.

Puerto de Mogán in Gran Canaria

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