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the bentaiga rock gran canaria
this dramatic monolith, raised like a rugged forearm with clenched fist, surges up to 1,404m from its own rocky massif, set in a broad valley. visible from many points in the west and centre of the island, it is accessible by (very winding) road. for the aboriginal inhabitants of the island it was a sacred place and a scene of sacrifices....
roque nublo central gran canaria
though it is a little lower in altitude than the island's highest point at pozo de las nieves,this spectacular basalt monolith dominates many views in the centre of gran canaria....
san bartolome de tirajana
a quiet, agricultural town on the lip of a crater, the caldera de tirajana, san bartolome is the administrative head of the municipality which controls the tourist complexes of san agustin, playa del ingles and maspalomas. climb its steep and sober streets, wander in its quiet squares and you will find a world far removed from the parched beaches of the deep south: a pastoral landscape of orchards and cultivated terraces....
tamadaba artenara
eight kilometers from artenara you will find the island's largest forest of canary pines, much loved by walkers and picnickers, centred on the pico de tamadaba at 1,444m. there is a forestry station on the circular road leading round the mountain and an icona (national environmental agency) picnic site on the edge of the woods. there are splendid views from the summit down to the coast and, on a clear day, to mount teide on tenerife....
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tejeda gran canaria
this peaceful and attractive mountain village is little visited because most people are en route to the tourist heart or centre of the island the cruz de tejeda. many young people have left tejeda, once a thriving agricultural village, to find work in tourism related industries; its major products now are sweets and cakes made from local almonds. at some point during the springtime, depending on the progress of the season, the town celebrates the festival of almond blossom, almendra en flor, marking the beauty and commercial significance of the blossom....
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temisas village
temisas is a village halfway up a mountainside, famous for its rural architecture white stone houses with pink tiled roofs, windows with wooden shutters, a little 18th century whitewashed church with a belfry, a water mill and hillsides dotted with olive trees (temisas is sometimes known as little jerusalem). like many inland villages, though, the problem here is depopulation, with the young leaving for coastal towns in search of almost any work that is easier than tilling terraces from here there are clear views down to a coast of plastic greenhouses, with the town of arinaga in the distance....
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the north of gran canaria
before the mushroom growth of the southern resorts, the cloudier, rainier, greener and far more fertile north of gran canaria was the place to be. both of the island's pre-hispanic kingdoms had their centres here: one in the northwest, the other at teide, in the northeast. the spanish capital of las palmas, in the northeast corner, became one of the leading· cities of the spanish nation. behind las palmas, the hills are lushly suburban, but the landscape is surprising, interspersed as it is with volcanic craters and cones....
agaete
agaete stands at the mouth of the lush, green barranca of the same name. its handsome old buildings, fanning out from a main square, with huge trees and a grand canarian church, is one of the most charming spots on the island....
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arucas
arucas is a lively, populous town with one extraordinary feature - the needle pointed, frilly neo-gothic church of san juan bautista, so commanding in size and color that it is often mistakenly called a cathedral. built in a local grey basalt piedra azul, or 'blue stone' it was begun in 1909 and completed in 1977. the streets are unusually wide and straight, the result of a town planner's efforts in the mid-19th century....
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caldera de bandama
the caldera or crater of bandama forms a perfect bowl, 1 km across and 200m deep, with no way out at the bottom. its steep but gentle seeming slopes are made up of dark grey ash, but the floor of the crater is patchily fertile, containing a single farm with chickens and goats, figs, oranges, palms and potatoes. you can walk down into the crater (about one hour) from the tiny hamlet of bandama, taking a path past the church. take care, though, as the steps soon peter out. bandama, named after dutchman daniel van damm, who arrived in 1560 and planted vines here, has a small bar which serves excellent roast pork and red wine....
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