Gran Canaria part 2: Nature and culture treasures
I’m not a diver, so I didn’t find any gold treasures under the sea. 🙂 But the island itself in one big treasure. There are so many nature an culture treasures, that you can’t see them all in just two weeks.
Because of a mixture of landscapes and climates, Gran Canaria is also called “the miniature continent”. The dry environment of the south is a contrast to the lush green north. The mountain range, which divides the island, prevents the prevailing northerly wind from carrying its moisture-laden clouds to the south. You can experience all three of Gran Canaria’s major micro-climates in one day: the Humid Island in the North-East; the Dry Island in the South-West; and the Highland environment above 1500 m.
Here is what you can see:
Pinar de Tamadaba
The Tamadaba forest is the best place to see different climates in one day. Tamadaba is a pine forest in National park Tamadaba, located near Agaete and Artenara, northwest of the island.
Tamadaba offers lots of different ways and paths to discover. We choose our path with Walking in Gran Canaria app.
Tamadaba is the richest pine forest in Gran Canaria. It covers an area slightly above the 2,000 hectares, and most of the pines are naturally regenerated.
There is also camping and recreational area, it has barbecues, tables, benches, potable water, and toilets.
The landscape and the view are really breathtaking and it is a place of absolute silence and peace.
Roque Bentayga and Roque Nublo
Roque Nublo (Clouded Rock, Rock in the Clouds) is a volcanic rock, It is 80 m tall, and its top is 1,813 m above sea level. It is the second highest peak of the island, after nearby Pico de las Nieves. The Bentayga Roque is one of the unique rock formations of the island. It lies within the caldera of Tejeda in the heart of the island. Its height is 1,404 meters above sea level. Both rocks are former volcanic plugs, made up of basalt, which due to its solidity remained standing while the surrounding softer material was washed to the sea by rockslides and rainfall.
We went to Roque Bentayga, but from there is a really nice view to Roque Nublo also.
Romeria fiesta del Pino, Teror
The Pilgrimage of pine is a religious and popular demonstration in honor of the Virgen del Pino (Virgin of the pine). The festival takes place every September 7th and it’s the biggest religious festival in Gran Canaria. Pilgrims from all over Gran Canaria meet in Teror and offer fresh produce to Virgen del Pino. La Plaza de Teror is the meeting place for the procession in the early hours of the morning and the festivities continue throughout the rest of the day.
Thursday night tapas in Vegueta, Las Palmas
Vegueta in a really nice neighborhood of Las Palmas, architecture is really beautiful. But the fun thing about it is Thursday nights, where you can get beer or wine + tapas for approximately two euros, in all of the bars in the small streets. Live music, food, drinks and a lot of people = fun 🙂 This is a must go.
Las Palmas
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a capital city of Gran Canaria. It is located in the northeast part of the island.
Las Palmas offers a variety of theater, cinema, opera, concerts, visual arts, and dance performances. The city hosts the Canary Islands Music Festival, the Theatre and Dance and the International Film Festival. The main City Festival, celebrating the foundation of the “City Fiestas de San Juan” is held in June. The city center of Las Palmas, specifically the Vegueta and Triana neighborhoods, are included in the tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
To see the historic center you should go to the popular area of Vegueta where some of the most important historical buildings have been standings: the chapel of San Antonio Abad, the Plaza de Santa Ana bordered by the Casas Consistoriales, the Obispado, the Casa Regental, and Santa Ana Cathedral. It is worth visiting samples of traditional architecture, patios full of plants and plazas such as Pilar Nuevo, Santo Domingo, and Espíritu Santo presided over by a beautiful stone fountain, wooden balconies, and cobbled streets.
Driving through Gran Canaria
This is just a small portion of all the nice things to see in Gran Canaria. There is so much more to explore. If you are more interested in beaches, you can find the list in my previous post about the island.