Artenara
Description
Artenara repays the time spent getting there with one of the most beautiful views in the entire Canary archipelago. From the rim of the caldera at 1,270 metres, Roque Nublo rises in the distance, and on clear days you can see the cone of the Teide and the island of Tenerife on the horizon. The village itself is quiet and authentic — cave houses carved into the volcanic tuff, narrow alleys, and a handful of local restaurants serving Canarian cuisine and a goat cheese that is highly renowned and the winner of several contests.
Don't miss the Chapel of the Virgen de la Cuevita, a small church set into a natural cave at the edge of the caldera, with the ravine opening up beneath your feet. The nearby Risco Caído archaeological complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Also very distinctive is the restaurant Cueva Del Molino, where you dine inside the rock: an experience that alone is worth the visit.
Every road leading up to Artenara is a true driving pleasure: long sequences of hairpin bends among pines and eucalyptus with little traffic and open panoramas. The GC-220 from Agaete, the GC-210 from Tejeda and the GC-21 straight from Las Palmas are all exceptional. Temperatures at altitude are noticeably cooler than on the coast — a welcome change on hot days.
