A trip around the island, about 230 km, can be made in one day. If you leave Maspalomas at 9 AM, it is possible to be back at 8 PM, with no rush. If you depart from the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the itinerary can be made to the north or to the south. It is advisable to start heading for the south, since the sky is clearer at these first hours in the morning. Take the road by the coast to Mogán and you will be able to contemplate the beaches of Arguineguín, Patalavaca, La Verga, Puerto Rico, Amadores, El Cura, Tauro and Taurito, as well as small coves until reaching the port Puerto de Mogán. Walking by the marina will make you recall the canals of Venice. It is a must to make a stopover and take some meal in its terraces and restaurants
You can leave the coast and head for the fertile valley of Aldea de San Nicolás de Tolentino, through deep ravines and impressive cliffs with a look out to the sea. From here, you will enjoy the most vertiginous landscapes in the island, with the views of Andén Verde and Tirma, until reaching Agaete.
It is very advisable to stop and visit the port of "Las Nieves" and taste the sea products in its small local restaurants. From Agaete, take the road by the coast and cross the villages of Gáldar, well known due to its aboriginal settlements, and Guía, famous for its flower cheese.
Drive through the bridge "Puente de Silva", with its spectacular views over the northern area and crossing northern villages to arrive in the capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We recommend to visit the beach Playa de las Canteras, protected by a stunning volcanic bar.
Drive along the avenue by the sea, Avenida Marítima, from which you will see the harbour. You will get to the motorway to the south, which you will not leave until arriving back in Maspalomas.
If you still have some spare time and you are not very tired when reaching the capital, it is advisable to visit the town Ciudad de Telde. Drive southwards along the road Avenida Marítima and connect with the motorway until sighting the diversion to Telde.
This town was the capital of one of the two "Guanartematos" (kingdoms) in which the island was divided before the Spanish conquest. Do not miss the visit to the oldest quarters of the town, San Juan, San Gregorio and San Francisco. In San Juan, you can visit the church of San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist), built in the late 15th Century, with its Gothic-Mudejar facade and a Flemish altarpiece which represents the Nativity, from the early 16th Century.
This church has also an impressive Christ "Cristo del Altar Mayor", made by the Tarascon indians of Michoacán (Mexico), with a corncob paste. Thus, this image is very light despite its size: only 7 kg in 1.80 metres height.
It is also very important the Flemish altarpiece of the high altar, considered the most prized Flemish work in the Canary Islands. This is a triptych carved in gold plate wood.
It is also very important the triptych of the Virgin, brouth from Flanders, and the picture of "the apparition of the Virgin before Saint Bernard", dating from 1650, as well as the scultures of San Pedro Mártir (Saint Peter the Martyr from Verona), San Juan Evangelista (Saint John the Evangelist), the Christ of the high sacristy, San José (Saint Joseph) and the Virgin Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, by the Canarian maker of imaginery Luján Perez. The house and museum where Fernando León y Castillo, Spanish Minister and Ambassador in Paris, and his brother Juan León y Castillo, distinguished engineer, were born is located near the church.
Walking by this historical quarter of small white houses and narrow streets delight visitors. The conventual church of San Francisco keeps a simple and small altarpiece and a nice coffered ceiling. In the upper area of this quarter, there are architectural traces of the old Franciscan convent, built in 1610.
You can finish your visit in the town of Telde in the quarter of San Gregorio, which has become the most important shopping area in Telde.
From 1778, the church of San Gregorio Taumaturgo (Saint Gregor the Miracle-Worker) is risen on the former chapel. The building, by Nicolás Eduardo, keeps numerous neoclassical altarpieces, as well as the image of San Gregorio, by José Luján Pérez..
This quarter is characterized by its two-storey houses, with stoneworks on doors and windows, with round archs. This middle class buildings were risen under the protection of popular markets and under the shadows of the laurels of the close square, where the market used to be located in the past.
About 4 kilometres from the urban area of Telde and about 19 kilometres southern from the capital, you can also see the mountain Montaña de Cuatro Puertas, a volcanic cone of 300 metres above the sea level, where an important archeological aboriginal site is located.
