Agaete
Description
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.