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.