Gran Canaria... a trip that wasn't exactly thrilling (page 3 of 6)

I agree with you, Isabelle—the photos are pretty and quite bright. So far, Gran Canaria is actually making me want to go there! 🙂

Hey Isabelle

Welcome to the Canary Islands (under the sun 😎)

So, to answer you (and Pascale too 😉): I usually try to take photos that look "nice" or at least not too bad, so more often when it's sunny than when it's all gray (though, the photos from the Tejeda tour aren't exactly sunny 🤪) And when it rains, it's even worse: I don't go out! 😏 (or if I can't avoid it, I don't take photos with raindrops all over the lens). Still, here's one photo (taken from inside 😛) on a rainy day (and you still can't really tell what's coming down!):



But all this will get better... temporarily!

Saturday 28/03: We head to our third and final stop, Santa Lucia de Tirajana. This village is still in the mountains, but lower than Tejeda (around 700m altitude), and after a week, the weather improvement we noticed yesterday is confirmed—just like I mentioned in my last post 😊.

On the way, we suddenly spot Teide in the distance, its peak covered in snow. It’s the first time we’ve seen it so clear, and it’s magical! We just *have* to stop 😄.



Since our accommodation (La Gallania de Papa Pepe) isn’t occupied before we arrive, the owner (who runs a small grocery and souvenir shop right next door) tells us we can check in from 10 AM—great!

The place is right in the heart of the village, with pros (everything’s within a few minutes’ walk) and cons (the main road runs nearby, so you hear traffic, especially during the day and motorbikes on weekends:/).



After being warmly welcomed by Carmen (even though she only speaks Spanish and our Spanish is *very* limited 🤪) and dropping off our bags, we head straight to the restaurant La Alpendre de Felix, well-known in the area for its wood-fired homemade food—*very* (too?) generous portions. To digest, we walk (it’s really close, not enough to actually digest 😏!) to the Mirador de la Sorrueda: not bad (especially in the sun), but nothing extraordinary either.





We decide to save Fortaleza, a bit further down the same road, for another day... which won’t turn out to be the best idea. When we get back, the restaurant terrace is full, so we end up enjoying the sun (finally!) on a lounger before taking a little stroll around the village. It’s not particularly touristy but quite pleasant, with 3 or 4 restaurants and a few small shops:







Tomorrow, we’re heading south.

Sunday 03/29: southern day Heading to Maspalomas, its dunes … and its multitude of hotels, restaurants, and shops of all kinds.

We park near the Riu. I’d read that it was a good access point for the lighthouse and the dunes … well, if it’s just for the dunes, it’s better to park on the Playa del Inglés side—at least you’re right next to the viewpoint.

Anyway, we take the pedestrian walkway along the sea to the lighthouse, where there’s a museum and an information center. For now, it’s pretty nice: not many people, a clear blue sky, perfect temperature …





....but the lighthouse is closed. Too early!!! (it opens at 10:30, I think).



Ah! Here come the dunes in sight 🙂

Theoretically, you can access the dune field from the beach... theoretically... Ugh! The rain has made this access tricky (some still risk it … but we’re not equipped for it).



All that’s left is to walk along the dune field to the camel parking lot to find an entrance. Again: bike paths, pedestrian walkways … it’s pretty quiet (but relatively long). We walk along a lagoon with quite a few birds:



Finally, we reach the dune field!

There are 3 marked trails, and to protect the dunes, walking outside them is forbidden. But what’s the preservation of a fragile natural environment compared to a photo of yourself alone at the top of a dune or a video of your kids sliding down a slope!



We take the middle trail... simply because everyone in front of us is taking the one on the right





Camel parking lot means... camels, with the chance to try out this mode of transport:

At the other end of the dune field (in Playa del Inglés, then) is the viewpoint:

All that's left is to return to our starting point via one of the 3 possible routes.

In the end, my impression was mixed—not because it's ugly, but we found that the rave reviews about this spot were a bit exaggerated. After walking the dunes from one end to the other and back, we eventually found it monotonous and got a bit tired (it has to be said that soft sand isn’t exactly our favorite walking terrain). Maybe it’s because we’re already familiar with the dunes on the beaches of Nord-Pas de Calais (even if the strip is narrower... and there aren’t (yet) any palm trees). Perhaps it’s more photogenic early in the morning or at sunset, when the light is less harsh.

Of course, by the time we get back near the beach, the morning is well underway. If, due to the weather, I sometimes doubted the wisdom of not staying in the south, the sight of the crowd on the beach, in the bars and restaurants, ultimately reassured me about my decision 😏



On the other hand, the lighthouse is open, and since the information is no longer useful to us, we visit the small museum (interesting) that traces the island’s history and take a little tour on the rooftop terrace.



We then head toward Puerto de Mogán, nicknamed "the Venice of Gran Canaria" because of its canals. In my opinion, it’s probably a bit like the Cyclades in Puerto de las Nieves—slightly exaggerated 😎. We couldn’t verify it because it was packed: not a single free parking spot in sight on the streets, and with the crowds in the streets, on the sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, terraces—basically everywhere—we didn’t even feel like parking in one of the paid lots. Maybe there would’ve been fewer people on a weekday... But since we’d encountered very few people in the island’s interior or even on the northwest coast, I didn’t expect it to be *this* crowded.

We set off again for Mogán, then the azulejos of Veneguera. I’d considered Mogán as a base at one point... and ultimately chose Agaete. Good call, because the crossing really wasn’t appealing (crowded, narrow streets causing traffic jams due to long single-lane stretches). We meander again as we head north and finally spot the famous colored rocks around a bend. A few more km (or rather, hectometers given the average speed 😏) and voilà—cars parked everywhere: we’re getting close! Miraculously, we find a "real" spot in a small parking lot. There’s the option to hike or access the waterfall area, but I admit we were a bit lazy—we settled for a few photos of a site that, in the end, wasn’t bad at all. The colors (natural in the photos 😉) are pretty stunning, at least in the sunlight.













Back home, and for the first time during the trip, the outdoor temperature allows for an apéritif outside 😎

Maybe it's more photogenic early in the morning or at sunset, when the light is less harsh.

Undoubtedly, yes :) The golden dunes are really beautiful at sunrise. The light that follows the curves and contours creates stunning contrasts. And as a bonus, there's no one around.

Yeah, it's probably ideal in every way...

The problem (especially with crowds) is that you'd need to do everything early in the morning...

Monday 30/03: Today, we're heading east with the idea of checking out Barranco de las Vacas, which is supposed to look like a mini slot canyon from the American West.

Dilemma: going early isn’t great because everything’s in the shade; later, it’s packed with people. I spotted a little hike that leads there starting from Aguïmes. The "normal" route (GC 551) is still blocked just before Temisas, so we take a detour (via GC 65) which throws me off because along the way we see a big sign on the side saying "Barranco de las Vacas, access forbidden, danger." I figure it’s not possible to go there… but actually, the access to the slot isn’t on GC 65 but on GC 551! The wind is blowing hard, so we decide to explore Aguïmes first, a small town with a (very) quiet historic center.









We finish pretty quickly, so: hike or no hike? Apart from the slot, it doesn’t seem that great, so let’s head to Temisas instead—apparently, the church is cute… On the way, we’ll visit the troglodyte site of Cueva Bermaja and come back the same way (taking 50 minutes instead of 10 if the road hadn’t been blocked). Unfortunately, despite using both Maps.me and Google Maps, we never find the Cueva Bermaja site. 🏴‍☠️ However, we see cars parked for hundreds of meters along the road and a loooong line of people walking in both directions… and that’s when I realize my mistake: that’s the right access to the Barranco slot!!! We could’ve done the hike! 😕 I admit, the idea of ending up with dozens of people in such a tiny spot made us give up…

We push on to Temisas anyway, where the church is indeed cute but… closed!



Day’s verdict: not great!

Tuesday 31/03: But!!!! The sky is completely gray, it’s all hazy, we can’t even see the mountain behind the village! Yet, the weather sites were forecasting clear skies all week… it’ll probably lift soon… So, full of hope, we head to Fortaleza from our accommodation. 😎



Actually, no, it won’t lift! This isn’t the kind of morning mist we sometimes get back home—it’s calima, a mix of sand and dust from the Sahara. The same calima that in 2023 made us divert to Fuerteventura before landing in Lanzarote and had significantly "drowned" the landscapes in haze for over 2 days (out of 7). So we discover Fortaleza in the mist, from afar and up close. 😕



It’s recommended to visit the interpretation center to better understand the site... but on-site, it doesn’t exist—yet. A building is under construction. Near Sorrueda, there’s a big sign with the center’s opening hours, stating it’s closed on Mondays (which is why we didn’t go yesterday, but we should have—it was sunny!).... but no mention of it being closed for construction! 😠 So we explore this archaeological site without really knowing what it’s about… Access to the cave with a view (hazy, unfortunately!) of the valley and the mountains opposite.



From the entrance, we take a small path on the left that runs along a spectacular cliff (well, from what we can see—actually, it’s better for those afraid of heights 😄) and brings us back to the cave from the outside. All that’s left is to return the same way.



Please wipe your feet before entering. 😏



This haze is really a shame because this walk must be very pleasant in good weather.

Small consolation: it’s not cold. 😊

The weather was a total mess during your stay. First Thérèse, then the sand! 🤪

We’re not exactly thrilled about these two days.

Yeah, the optimism and enthusiasm definitely faded during the trip 😕 But it's clear our best memories are still from the sunny days.

Hello Muriel and Attila

I love realistic feedback, and you two are spoiling me! 😊 It’s been about 20 years since we "almost" went to the Canary Islands, but my partner always said no. I think you’re giving him a point here 😅. Muriel, I think I get it—you find peace in the higher areas with the cold or "fog," but where it’s nice on the coast, it’s super crowded? In Cyprus, one May, it was a bit like that too. So annoying, I find 😒. See you for the rest!

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. 😉

The Canary Islands (excluding Gran Canaria) are the most exotic destination (landscapes) I know of, just over 3 hours from Lyon. 😛

This March was also very unusual weather-wise... 🤪

Yes, optimism and enthusiasm faded during the stay

The island is really worth it for its mountainous part, and unfortunately, Thérèse really kept you from enjoying it.

"The Canary Islands (excluding Gran Canaria) are the most exotic destination (landscapes) I know of, just over 3 hours from Lyon."

Really? I thought Morocco was way more exotic than the Canaries.

That said, I get that each island is quite different, and I’ll definitely take note of your preferences 😁

Have a great day, everyone! 😃

Hello Christelle

I think the storm and the calima hit everywhere (with more or less intensity) across the Canary Islands. That said, the south (at least in Tenerife and Gran Canaria) is by the sea and often sunnier... which explains the concentration of "Spanish-style" hotels.

But as Agnès says, not everything in the Canaries is to be avoided ;). Personally, I was blown away by Tenerife, especially the area around Teide (where, thanks to the altitude, we were actually above the clouds).

Hi Muriel,

Thanks for this travel journal about Gran Canaria. I’m following Agnès’s on My Atlas, but I think I’ll switch to VF—it’s way friendlier for chatting.

The hike to Roque Nublo sounds nice.

Too bad about the weather, though I personally think a sky with a few pretty cumulus clouds often looks better in photos than a completely blue one. On the other hand, a sky full of Sahara dust is really annoying and really dulls the landscape.

That almond dessert sounds tempting. 🙂

Well, I just read about your first days in Gran Canaria... your photos are almost all with a beautiful blue sky 😊 but where’s this bad weather? 🤔 😆

I was wondering the same thing.

Hi Carmen

I’ll switch to VF, it’s way nicer for chatting.

For sure. I just started a travel journal on My Atlas (but I’ll publish it all at once at the end)—it’s more for my friends and family, not really for discussion 😉.

Roque Nublo is still my favorite memory from the island 🙂.

a sky with a few nice cumulus clouds is often prettier in photos than a completely blue sky.

You’re not wrong... and even a really dark sky can look great as long as there’s a ray of light somewhere. ... but I’m addicted to blue skies (and the blue of the sky), especially on vacation .

I wanted to post the end of my trip, but after restarting three times because VF glitched , I gave up (for now).

I wanted to post the end of the trip, but after restarting 3 times because VF glitched 😡, I gave up (for now).

I get it, it happens to me too. The bugs on VF must discourage quite a few people. Well, that’s not the only reason my travel journal isn’t progressing quickly.😅

my travel journal isn’t coming along quickly

I’m sure there are plenty of us waiting for the next part 😎 It’s true that publishing a travel journal takes a lot of time (even without bugs).