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MASPALOMAS-LAS PALMAS- ARUCAS- MOYA- GUIA- GÁLDAR- AGAETE- LOS BERRAZALES- LAS PALMAS- MASPALOMAS.
You will depart from the southern part of the island, from the motorway GC 1 and will arrive in the capital of the island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The tourist route over the city should start in the neighbourhood of Vegueta. The main historical buildings in the city are located around the square Plaza de Santa Ana, dating from from the 16th Century. The Cathedral, the Town Hall, the regent house of the court (Casa Regente de la Audiencia) and the episcopal palace (Palacio Episcopal). The building of Catedral de Santa Ana (Saint Ann's Cathedral) started approximately in 1500 and extended until the 19th Century. Thus, different artistic styles can be appreciated, such the late gothic style inside and the neoclassical style outside. This cathedral keeps a worthy artistic legacy which can be contemplated in the sacred art museum Museo de Arte Sacro.
It is to stand out the works such us the Christ by Luján Pérez, which privails the chapterhouse. Behind the cathedral, between the square Plaza del Pilarillo Seco and the narrow street leading to the chapel San Antonio Abad, Colombus' House-Museum (Casa Museo de Colón), is located. This is an exceptional sample of noble architecture where, according to the chronicles, the admiral Colombus stayed during his stay in the island and where different objects related to his passing through the islands and the history of the city and America. You can also visit the squre Plaza del Espíritu Santo, where the best neoclassical part of the city is located. There is the museum Museo Canario, which keeps a complete collection of Pre-Hispanic traces, as well as a worthy library and newspaper and periodicals library. Other interesting points to be visited are: the modern art museum Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno and the church Iglesia de Santa Domingo, a former convent. Walking through the narrow streets of this neighbourhood, where beautiful civil and religious buildings are located, will be a visual pleasure. The city has other important interesting cultural points, such as: el Pueblo Canario (Canary Island village) and Museo de Néstor, the pedestrian street Calle Mayor de Triana, the museum Casa Museo Pérez Galdos, Gabinete Literario and Alameda de Colón, the theatre Teatro Pérez Gáldos, the chapel of San Telmo, as well as the church of San Francisco. Far from this area, close to the harbour, we recommend you to visit the castle Castillo de la Luz and the park Parque de Santa Catalina are advisable. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out an exclusive trip to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
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After Las Palmas and going northwards, at about 17 Km and through a beautiful landscape, you will arrive in the town of Arucas, located in the core of a fertile banana-plantation area.
Its old quarter is considered "Historical-Artistical Interest Point", with a particular beauty where the white colour of lime and the black of the "blue stone" of its quarries prevail. |
In this urban set, Casa Guourié, the noble houses Casa de la Heredad and Casa de la Marquesa de Arucas are advisable. However, it is a must to visit the Church of San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist)), whose building started in the 1909 and was finished 80 years later. Due to its cathedral-like shape and its neogothic style, this church is known as the cathedral of Arucas. This is an excellent sample which represent the handcrafted stone works from the quarries of this town. Furthermore, Arucas has also a rum museum, located inside the distillery of "Ron Arehucas", a company established in 1884 to produce sugar and rum.
To finish visiting this town, do not forget to go up to the mountain, over 400 metres of height, where you will have a spectacular panoramic view over the norther part of Gran Canaria.
Continue the route to the so called "Green Village", the village of Moya. There was a forest of laurisilva vegetation which stretched along the municipalities of Moya, Firgas, Arucas, Teror, Valleseco and Guía. Nowadays, there are only some redoubts of this forest, some of which can be found in the Special Natural Reserve of Los Tilos de Moya, included in the rural park Parque Rural Doramas. In this village, you can visit the house museum Casa Museo de Tomás Morales, a distinguished Canarian poet, as well as the Church Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. Do not forget to taste the typical "suspiros" and other local sponge cakes.
After Moya, you will arrive in Guía, well known due to its handcraft, especially traditional Canary Island knives and flower cheese. Its old quarter has been declared a National Artistic Monument in 1982. It is important to remark the archeological site Cenobio de Valerón, declared Cultural Interest Site in 1978.
| We can go back to the coast and cross the bridges which facilitate the traffic to the north of the island. The first bridge is 68 metres long and the second, 125 metres. Instead of crossing the bridges, if you take the diversion to the old road along the mountain, you will find the archeological site "Cenobio de Valerón". It is a collective silo, made up by about three hundred carved in the rock with embossings and high relieves. On the summit of the crag, there is also a tagoror, the place where the ancient Canary Island inhabitants held meetings with their king. From here and along this road, you will get to the village of Santa María de Guía. Walking through its streets is spectacular, due to its beautiful buildings. It is a must to contemplate its church, with a neoclassical facade by the distinguished maker of religious images, Luján Perez. This church keeps numerous works of art inside. |
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After enjoying watching art, it is important to taste, in any of the corners of this village, one of the best Canary Island cheese, with a unique flavour and mild taste, the so called "flower cheese", since blue thistle flower is used in order to curdle cow and sheep crude milk to make cheese.
We can continue our trip to the town of Gáldar, the so called "Town of Guanartemes" (ancient aboriginal kings and queens) In the square of the Town Hall, you will find one of the most spectacular religious buildings in Gran Canaria, the church of Santiago de los Caballeros, dating from 1778. This is a neoclassical building, although it has some baroque traces. Local copper-coloured or gold-stone stoneworks can be seen outside. It has numerous works of art, along with a green baptismal font where many islanders were christened after the conquest. Furthermore, its organ, with 4,776 sounds is worthy of a visit. In the patio of the neoclassical building of the town hall, there is an impressive dragon tree over three hundred years of age. It is also worthy of a visit Antonio Padrón's Museum and the necropolis of La Guancha. In the urban area, you will be able to visit the Museum and Archeological Park Cueva Pintada (Painted Cave), which is a museum around one of the most representative archeological sites of Gran Canaria. This is an man-made cave, carved in volcanic stone and whose walls are decorated with friezes of geometrical figures. It is also stunning the hamlet discovered around this site, where the remains of houses can be contemplated, as well as the trousseaus kept inside which are a proof of the activities carried out in them.
Our last stopover is in the village Villa de Agaete, one of the most picturesque and intimate villages in the island. It is a must to go up to Los Berrazales, one of the most beautiful and fertile valleys of Gran Canaria, with lemon, orange, avocado and coffee plantations at the foot of the pine forest of Tamadaba. The harbour Puerto de Las Nieves is two kilometres from here, where you will be able to taste fresh fish and walk while enjoying the impressive landscape of the cliffs of Tamadaba, the famous Broken Rock, better known as "Dedo de Dios" (God's Finger) or the chapel of Las Nieves. If you still have time, we recommend you to stop at the Huerto de las Flores (Flower Garden), located in the old quarter of the village. There you will be able to rest among Caribbean and tropical plants. This is the point where we will finish our northern route.
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