Sea and mountains (long)

Mirador del Balcón

The glass-floored walkway of the **Mirador del Balcón** juts out beyond the edge of the cliff, letting you look straight down several hundred metres to the Atlantic. The recent renovation added information panels and improved access, while maintaining the view it has always offered: one of the most vertiginous and extraordinary on any island road in Europe. Several birds nest in the rock face and can often be watched as they hunt. The **GC-200** road that brings you here is as much of an objective as the viewpoint itself: this road clings to the edge of the cliff for kilometre after kilometre with nothing but ocean on one side and rock on the other. Traffic is light, the road surface quality is good, and the rhythm of the curves is relentless in the best sense of the word. The stop is quick and accessible; there is no need to walk to reach it.

Latitude: 27.9 Longitude: -15.8

Roque Nublo

**Roque Nublo** is the most iconic landmark of **Gran Canaria**: an 80-metre-tall volcanic monolith standing at 1,813 metres, with its smaller companion El **Fraile** on a wind-swept plateau. The view from the top of the approach trail embraces the entire **Tejeda** caldera, all the way to the coast, and reaches the **Teide **on a clear day. The approach trail from the road takes about 45 minutes on foot and is well maintained, gaining elevation among volcanic boulders and scattered pines. The plateau around the base of the monolith is almost barren, with a sparse forest all around. There are no facilities at the trailhead. The roads climbing from Tejeda to the start of the Roque Nublo trail are among the finest in the Canary Islands: narrow, endlessly winding, with sudden open panoramas and little traffic. The hike rewards the ride, and the ride rewards the hike!!

Latitude: 27.99 Longitude: -15.595

Mirador de Las Dunas

It is probably the most visited tourist attraction on **Gran Canaria**: an elevated viewpoint over the dunes of **Maspalomas**, around 400 hectares of shifting golden sand at the southernmost tip of the island, one of the few true desert ecosystems in Europe. From the **Mirador de Las Dunas** the whole expanse is visible: rhythmic crests and hollows, the morning light tinting the sand gold, the blue Atlantic marking the southern horizon, and the Maspalomas lighthouse rounding out the scene. The reserve also includes a freshwater lagoon, a palm grove, and a band of coastal scrub. The dunes themselves can be entered on foot from several access points — venturing in reveals a landscape of surprising silence and vastness. The nearby lighthouse area has cafes and facilities. The lagoon is a haven for migratory birds, particularly in autumn and spring. It is a must-stop for any itinerary in the south of the island.

Latitude: 27.7449 Longitude: -15.5763

Pico de las Nieves

At 1,949 meters, **Pico de las Nieves** is the highest point of Gran Canaria and offers the most complete panorama of the island. On a clear day the entire island unfolds at your feet: green northern valleys, deep ochre erosion gullies to the south, the desert coast of **Maspalomas** and the interior of the caldera, while **Tenerife**, **La Palma** and **El Hierro** float on the horizon. The summit area is surrounded by fragrant Canary pine forests. A military telecommunications installation sits right on the peak, but the surrounding viewpoints are fully accessible. The road climbing up passes through the **Pilancones** pine forest and the cumbre plateau — the wide, elevated curves among pines and open heath are among the finest drives on the island. The air is noticeably cooler and cleaner at altitude, which makes this an excellent midday stop when it's hot. Park and enjoy the view. The summit is the geographic heart of the island, and from here roads set off in every direction: toward **Tejeda**, **Roque Nublo** or down to **Maspalomas**. It's truly easy, and almost obligatory, to slot **Pico de las Nieves** in as the final stage of your journey, to enjoy an unforgettable sunset!

Latitude: 27.9619 Longitude: -15.5717

Puerto de las Nieves

A compact working harbour, sheltered beneath imposing dark cliffs, with fish restaurants lining the quay, fishing boats still landing their catch, and a ferry terminal connecting **Gran Canaria** to **Tenerife** in just over an hour. The whitewashed village is genuinely lived-in — no hotel towers, no tourist infrastructure. What remains of the **Dedo de Dios**, the volcanic rock pinnacle largely destroyed by Hurricane Delta in 2005, is still visible from the harbour wall. The harbour of **Puerto de las Nieves** — a short descent from the town — offers a row of fish restaurants with open-air terraces. A typical dish is grilled parrotfish, and it's definitely worth trying here. A traditional Canarian windmill stands as a reminder of the area's agricultural past. A few minutes are enough to see it all, but for the atmosphere — the cliffs at your back, the Atlantic before you, the boats in between — it's worth lingering and stopping for lunch or dinner. Easy to reach with a short descent from the **GC-2** from Agaete. The **GC-200** sets off directly from the town, a spectacular road that leads to the notorious **Mirador del Balcón**.

Latitude: 28.1017 Longitude: -15.7106

Mirador de La Orilla

The Mirador de La Orilla gives you the full scale of the Barranco de Tirajana: a broad, flat valley floor flanked by walls that rise several hundred metres, with the characteristic flat-topped formations of the eroded caldera of **Gran Canaria** visible in every direction. The villages of **Santa Lucía** and **Agüimes** can be seen in the middle distance, surrounded by palm groves and terraced farmland. The contrast between the bare rock walls and the cultivated valley floor is sharp and striking. The roads that cross Tirajana and lead up here, the **GC-65** and **GC-60**, are among the most technically engaging on the island: sinuous descents, tight hairpins alternating with long stretches that let you read the road ahead. The mirador sits at the side of the road, with a small parking area, just a stone's throw from the town centre. It's an excellent candidate for a lunch or refreshment break during your itineraries.

Latitude: 27.9238 Longitude: -15.5728

Moya

A quiet town in the north with two things worth your time: the laurisilva of Los Tilos de Moya in the barranco below, and a genuinely local character that makes it an excellent coffee stop before heading into the central mountains. It is the birthplace of the Canarian poet Tomás Morales, whose family home is now a museum, and that gives the town a cultural dimension all its own. The church of the Virgen de la Candelaria and the view from the square over the deep green barrancos are simple pleasures. The access road that runs through Los Tilos, the **GC-700**, winds through some of the most lush and shady terrain on the island, a total contrast to the arid south. The forest is the main attraction here: 90 hectares of ancient laurisilva, a living relic, best explored on foot along the barranco trails. Moya is a rewarding detour from the coastal corridor of the **GC-2**. The village is quiet, genuine and unhurried. The road it sits on, the **GC-75**, is arguably among the most beautiful on the island and certainly among my favourites.

Latitude: 28.07 Longitude: -15.55

Playa de La Aldea

**La Aldea de San Nicolás** is the most remote community on **Gran Canaria**, isolated by the mountain ranges that give it a character entirely its own. The beach is dark sand, wild and undeveloped — nothing like the tourist beaches of the south. There are no hotels, no umbrellas for hire. The **Cactualdea** cactus garden lies nearby and is well worth a visit. The **Fiesta del Charco** on September 11th sees the villagers wade into the local lagoon to catch fish with their bare hands — a remarkably local tradition. The town is authentic and uncommercialized: eat simply, watch the ocean from a shore where the horizon is open, and take in the scale of the cliffs that ring the valley. The local restaurants serve typical island food, honest and genuine. **La Aldea** is the reward waiting at the end of one of the island's most extraordinary roads, the **GC-200**, whether you arrive along the spectacular coastal cliffs from Agaete or descend from the mountainous interior. The sunset "on the road" heading back toward Las Palmas is one of the most thrilling things for anyone who loves to ride — and not only them.

Latitude: 27.95 Longitude: -15.8

Los Azulejos de Veneguera

The extraordinary palette of colours is the reason it is famous: greens, blues, ochres, purples and reds painted onto a sheer rock wall deep within the **Barranco de Veneguera** — the result of mineral deposits in the ancient volcanic rock. There is no formal tourist infrastructure, just a pull-in area and the silence of the ravine, which is exactly its charm. The approach road through the valley is scenic and peaceful, with progressive views as the coast drops away behind you. The rock walls are best seen in morning or afternoon light, when the colours are most vivid against the surrounding dark basalt. No crowds, no entrance tickets, no facilities: if you want to visit **Los Azulejos** on foot, remember to bring your own water. The road through the **Veneguera** valley is narrow but well surfaced, with tight but very enjoyable hairpins for those seeking the pleasure of the ride. It lies within the **Parque Rural del Nublo**, so the surrounding terrain is wild and largely untouched. Combine it with a loop starting from **Puerto de Mogán** and continuing along the coast to **La Aldea** for a complete tour of the south-western part of **Gran Canaria**.

Latitude: 27.88 Longitude: -15.74

Cruz de Tejeda

The geographic and, for some, emotional heart of **Gran Canaria**. At around 1,450 metres above sea level and perched on the rim of a caldera, **Cruz de Tejeda** sits at the crossroads of several of the island's mountain roads, all of them spectacular, with **Roque Nublo** rising up before you and the panorama opening out in every direction. The stone cross at its centre is surrounded by craft stalls selling almond-based products from the orchards below: every February the almonds blossom white and pink in one of the island's most celebrated natural events. The *Parador* at the mouth of the pass is an elegant traditional stone building where you can stop for a coffee or a meal with views over the caldera. Along the road you'll often find stalls selling almond sweets, honey and local products among the finest on the island. Cloud formations frequently wrap around the rim of the caldera, creating a dramatic, ever-changing light that is well worth waiting for. **Cruz de Tejeda** is the natural climax of any ride through the interior. The **GC-150** arrives both from the North, through a pine forest, and from the South, from **Pico de las Nieves**; the **GC-60** comes in from the West and climbs all the way from **Maspalomas**, passing through **Tejeda** with tight hairpins and dizzying drops, and the **GC-15** is the connecting point for all the roads climbing up from the East.

Latitude: 28.0078 Longitude: -15.6

Agaete

Agaete's strengths are its harbour, its valley, and its position as the gateway to the coastal road **GC-200**. Inland, the Valle de Agaete opens into a sheltered microclimate of citrus, avocado, and coffee plantations — one of the very few coffee-producing valleys in Europe, and the road that runs through it is lush and scenic **GC-231**. The Necrópolis del Maipés on the hills above the village is a pre-Hispanic burial site well worth a short detour. The Bajada de la Rama, held every August, is one of the most evocative and well-attended traditional events on the island. A good plan for visitors is to arrive in the late morning, which lets you stroll through the town and then along the pier, eat on the seafront, and still have the afternoon light during the climb up into the mountains. The **GC-220** rises spectacularly through the rock face in the Tamadaba Natural Park. Narrow and technical in places, it surprises you now and then with sudden Atlantic vistas. This road alone justifies adding Agaete to your itinerary.

Latitude: 28.07 Longitude: -15.7