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0871 423-5051
Only £25 deposit per booking
Prepare yourself for a strikingly different landscape from that of the south of Gran Canaria - for visitors looking to escape the southern resorts for a day trip or for walkers and lovers of fine Canarian architecture and pretty mountain villages, the centre of Gran Canaria will do just fine. It's a rugged and dramatic landscape coming into view by the time you reach Fataga (location for the Camel Safaris/highly recommended!). One ravine up here has been nicknamed the bonzi Grand Canyon, a mini version of the American affair - the views are guaranteed to amaze, particularly because of the dramatic contrast to the manmade resorts of southern Gran Canaria.
As you wind your way up GC-60 from Maspalomas, either by hire car (watch out there's some winding roads up here and if you hear a loud tooting of horns it's usually a tour bus warning you it's coming from the opposite direction), you're transported into another world. Around Santa Lucia, San Bartolome and then upto the National Park around Tejeda you'll notice it's getting greener - note the Canary Pines, Eucalyptus trees and as you move further north towards Las Palmas the apples and almond trees (these bloom in February, making this a good month to visit).
If you don't fancy navigating the very windy roads up here in the centre of Gran Canaria (and they are particularly narrow and winding), then hook into the Gran Canaria Grand Tour (speak to your Hotel Beds Rep for details. The Grand Tour takes the stress out of viewing this stunning part of Gran Canaria, and the commentary is superb. Discover fascinating facts like the tortuous winding roads up in the centre being built by Prisoners of War after the Spanish Civil War, and pointing out high mountains where the original settlers on Gran Canaria - the Guanches or Aboriginals as they tend to refer to the Guanches here in Gran Canaria - threw themselves off rather than be sold into slavery by the Spanish conquerors. You don't get stuff like this in the guidebooks!
Also included in the Grand Tour are several stops at delightful cliff top village cafes with scenic views and aloe vera stands, stops at attractive villages in the centre and to the north at villages and towns such as Teror and Arucas. You'll take in the famous Arucas Rum tour of the distillery on your stop here and you get the opportunity to taste all the delicious rums - they're amazingly cheap to buy and will solve many of your gift problems for those at home!) The coach winds round the mountain roads, through dormant volcano crators and past cave houses - all pointed out by your friendly guide. It's a relaxing and pleasing way to view the stunning central landscape of Gran Canaria.
You'll usually finish your day with a shopping trip to Las Palmas. The coach usually drops off for a couple of hours in Las Palmas outside the famous large department store - El Ingles, and picks you up at the same point. This will be either a superb Las Palmas shopping trip, or alternatively there's enough time to visit the splendid Las Canteras beach or nip across to the port to view the fortress, via Santa Catalina Park.
Visitors wanting to take in the old town of Las Palmas won't have enough time to walk south to the location of Vegueta and Triana and take in all the museums in just two hours. Better to come back again to Las Palmas by bus, or by hire car. There are plenty of car parks dotted all over Las Palmas so it's easy to do this under your own steam - be prepared for traffic jams though. Even the Grand Tour coach gets caught in them, although the driver usually knows a short cut out!
Popular with day trippers, both Tejeda and nearby Cruz de Tejeda mark the central point of Gran Canaria. If you're looking for a good central walking and touring base, Tejeda is an excellent choice. Tejeda is also renowned for its almond flavoured confectionary and cakes and there's a choice of delectable pastry shops here, as well as spectacular views (on clear days) from Cruz de Tejeda across to Teide on Tenerife if you're lucky.
In the area, the popular visitor hotspot is Cruz de Tejeda with a stone cross atop of this viewing point. Marking the central spot of the island, it's also the crossroads for old Caminos Reales (royal paths) once used to travel about Gran Canaria on foot. These Caminos are currently receiving much attention and restoration. A number of well marked walking trails are easily accessed from Tejeda.
Attractively set, San Bartolome de Tirajana sits at the base of an old volcanic crator. It's a historic central point on the island, and like Tejeda is known for its almond growing locally.
San Bartolome is another excellent base for walking holidays on Gran Canaria, and additionally benefits from easy access to the southern resorts via the Fataga road if you fancy nipping to the beach during your holiday. This Gran Canaria rural base commands spectacular views across the Tirajana valley.
Not by accident named Vega De San Mateo (Vega means fertile plain), this green and fertile valley location on Gran Canaria is in the heart of an agricultural area where figs, pears and peaches are grown. Excellent as both a Gran Canaria walking base, with easy access to Las Palmas via the C811, San Mateo has a famous weekly agricultural market.
Moving nearer to Las Palmas, Santa Brigida is a hotspot residential area for the rather wealthy and sits within easy access of both Las Palmas and the central massif of Gran Canaria. Architectural styles are along the lines of regal looking villas, with numerous balconies.
Santa Lucia has developed into a most attractive village, situated to the west of Aguimes. Many local residents work in the southern resorts of the island. Santa Lucia sits within a thriving farming region on Gran Canaria. If you're staying in Santa Lucia you'll be within easy reach too of the great windsurfing beach, Pozo Izquierdo.
Roque Nublo is one of Gran Canaria's central dramatic volcanic rock features. At 1813m/5948ft it's Gran Canaria's second highest peak.
Roque Nublo is actually a slim spine of hardened volcanic rock consisting of basalt. It's been dated at around 3.5 million years old, and as with many dramatic volacanic rock formations across the Canaries erosion has worked its magic here to great effect.
One of the Caminos Reales paths winds right round Roque Nublo allowing walkers to get close to the feature. Smaller spine rock formations surround it, including the other renowned rock formation nicknamed the monk or El Fraile (it's supposed to look like a monk praying).
Roque Nublo and its smaller surrounding volcanic rock formations were a sacred place to original Guanche settlers. Other dramatic landscapes, peaks and rock formations in Gran Canaria's interior include Pico de las Nives (Gran Canaria's highest peak at 1949m/6395ft, and Roque Bentayga (also sacred to the Guanches), and another volcanic spine near Tejeda rising 1412m/4633ft. This whole area is home to numerous Guanche sites including the Cueva del Rey (King's Cave).
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