Tejeda

Tejeda is the beating heart of the most beautiful roads on Gran Canaria. The village sits at around 1,050 metres in the ancient caldera, surrounded by almond orchards that burst into pink and white blossom every February. The Fiesta del Almendro en Flor transforms the valley for the whole weekend. The village square is small, authentic and well equipped: at any time of year the local craft shops sell marzipan, honey and almond products, and there are cafés for a stop with a view over the caldera.

Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga are both visible from the surrounding roads. The Parador at Cruz de Tejeda, a few kilometres above the village, offers a bar and eatery with one of the finest panoramas on the island. The local almond sweets are among the best on Gran Canaria: well worth buying.

From whichever direction you come, Tejeda is probably the high point of the route: from Maspalomas to the south, from Agaete to the north-west or from Las Palmas to the north-east, the roads serve up spectacular climbing sequences of consistent quality. The village is the natural midpoint of any serious loop through the interior, so plan your route to pass through it rather than around it.