0871 423-5051
Only £25 deposit per booking
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0871 423-5051
Only £25 deposit per booking
The GC-2 motorway runs all the way along the top of Gran Canaria from Las Palmas, making it easier driving to reach the northern hotspots including Guia, Galdar and Agaete. Agaete to Las Palmas in your hire car shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes! Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves (once Gran Canaria's main port but now only serving a tourist route by boat to Santa Cruz de Tenerife) merge into one town really. It's an attractive spot, with a selection of attractive houses and pretty narrow streets.
Agaete is a chilled town and a good base from which to explore the many Guanche sites and caves in the north - there's also some pretty good seafood restaurants up here and a bohemian edge infused by a history of artists basing themselves here. Note the selection of art galleries in the town. The Fred Olsen Express departs from neighbouring Puerto de las Nieves Harbour to Santa Cruz de Tenerife (only takes about 60 minutes) six times every day. If Canaries Island hopping is on your holiday menu, then Agaete makes a superb base. Phone the Iknow-Holidays booking line direct on 0871 423 5056 for ferry bookings from Agaete to Tenerife's capital Santa Cruz.
Historic buildings in Agaete include the architecturally interesting Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion dating from 1874. Notice its distinct red dome. A short distance from the church there's a delightful botanical garden - apparently the poet Tomas Morales wrote some of his best poetry here. The gardens are crammed with some interesting rare plants, and plenty of Canarian species. It's open from 8am to 12 noon daily. Jose Luis Concepcion (in his 16th addition of 'The Guanches - Survivors and Their Descendants) draws attention to the fact that in the area of Agaete and North West Gran Canaria the Guanches (pre-hispanic original settlers) based here buried their dead in Tumulus (small caves). Unfortunately The Tumulus around Los Cascajos, Camino de los Molinos/Las Nieves were destroyed in the 1940s to make way for Banana crops. For a picture of what they looked like however pick up Jose's book available in most cultural centres around Gran Canaria, including the Museo Canario in Las Palmas - its been translated into a few languages including English.
As with much of the rest of western Gran Canaria, the terrain is marked by numerous barranco (ravines), with their fertile valleys containing mangos, oranges, bananas and avocados - Canary Palms also feature heavily in this area to great aesthetic effect. Visit nearby small settlement - Los Berrazales to sample mineral waters collected here - situated just to the southeast of Agaete via the El Valle road.
Strolling on to neighbouring Puerto de las Nieves, watch out for views of the famous volcanic rock cliff formation here called Dedo de Dios (God's Finger). A photographic gem indeed. Also in Puerto de las Nieves is the Ermita de Nuestra Senora de las Nieves dating from the 16th century. Interesting features in this church include Mudejar carvings and Flemish carving of the Virgin of the Snows. (it's not always open unfortunately).
Agaete and this part of Gran Canaria's west coast is pretty untouched by tourism. A small black shingle beach here is more than adequate. If you're preference is to explore the history and culture of Gran Canaria, with some nice restaurants close to hand, an opportunity to island hop and easy access to the cultural capital Las Palmas - then Agaete commands your attention as a base.
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