Gran Canaria... a trip that wasn't exactly thrilling

Okay, it wasn’t a total disaster either. Actually, I hesitated before starting this travel journal: is it even worth writing about a holiday that won’t leave an unforgettable memory? In the end, I went for it (there aren’t many recent travel journals about this destination). So, read on... or don’t .

Every time we’ve been to the Canary Islands, it’s been by default (basically: where can we go in winter or early spring when we only have a week—so not too far, not too much jet lag, but with decent weather?).

This time, we had two weeks, but the winter plan kept changing: first Thailand (dropped for personal reasons), then Martinique (dropped because of work leave dates that weren’t up to me), and finally, the Canary Islands.

We’ve already been to Tenerife (which we really liked) and Lanzarote (which we liked a little less). This year, two options: Gran Canaria or one of the smaller islands west of Tenerife (La Palma, or even La Gomera or El Hierro). We chose Gran Canaria... not sure it was the right call! Whose fault is it? Storm Thérèse’s! Yes, Storm Thérèse followed us on arrival, and its effects lasted quite a while. We had to adapt, cancel visits, change activities...

But even without Thérèse...

Saturday 21/03 Departure from Orly at 6:10 AM with Transavia. The plane took off on time and landed a little early, tossed around by strong winds before touching down. It had just rained, but it was (almost) no longer raining.



We quickly picked up our luggage and then the car at the Cicar counter. We got a Seat Arona instead of the Corsa we’d booked. Well, while the driving position didn’t feel great at first (I got used to it), the engine’s smoothness and power were much appreciated on the island’s winding and sometimes steep roads.

It was only 10 AM, and we couldn’t theoretically check into our accommodation until 3 PM (the owner promised to message me if it was ready earlier). So, we headed to the (big) *Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo*, where we planned to spend a few hours. We found a huge parking lot... empty. The passenger in the car in front of us (yes, we weren’t the only ones at the closed gate—there was a car in front and one behind) went to ask for info: it was closed due to the storm 😕. So, we calmly headed toward Puerto de las Nieves, on the northwest coast of the island.

The plan: go to a restaurant, visit the village, and do some shopping while waiting for early afternoon. As soon as we got out of the car, it started raining... we took shelter under the awning of a shop, waiting for it to pass. But the rain turned into a downpour, and within minutes, awning or not, Gore-Tex or not, we were soaked!

Since we were already wet, we might as well go to the restaurant—they weren’t far! But here’s the thing: contrary to what Google Maps said, they all opened at 1 PM, not noon! Back to the car, wading through 5 cm of water because all the village streets were flooded . The rain let up, we did some shopping, went to eat, and I got a message from the owner saying the accommodation was ready 🙂.

So, off we went to La Suerte, a few kilometers north of Agaete. The downside of the place, especially with luggage, is that you have to climb several flights of stairs via an outdoor staircase (after parking more or less far away on a steep street) to get there 😛). Of course, on the way from the car to the apartment, it started pouring again—the bags got soaked! Enough rain for today! We settled in quietly, and by late afternoon, we could (finally!) go admire the view from the terrace.

You beat me to it !😉

Once I sorted through the photos (it’s okay, there weren’t too many this time 😏), I don’t really like lingering. We can compare notes 😉

Cool, a travel journal! Pretty rare these days, huh?

From what I gather, we might even get two for the same destination if Agnès is right. That reminds me of Peru, where we also had two simultaneous and really interesting perspectives on the MP.

Well, going from Thailand to the Canary Islands via Martinique—we’re already making default choices here, huh? But since it almost became my Plan B for the canceled Jordan trip in May (and we all know why), I’ll be keeping an eye on this.

Anyway, it doesn’t seem like we’re saying thanks to Thérèse here...

Hello Bruno

Welcome to this travel journal 😉

You said "almost"... so what was the Plan B in the end?

Hello Bruno

Welcome to this travel journal 😉

You said "almost"... so what was the plan B in the end?

We’ll be in Antalya (Turkey) and the surrounding area (Cappadocia). If there’s still some jet fuel left…

Same for Puglia planned in mid-May 🤪

I heard there are bookings for 3 months ahead! 🙂

For Turkey, maybe the kerosene comes from somewhere else? (Well, I hope so because my flight ticket this summer is with Turkish...)

You're really eager, Muriel, to start the travel journal so quickly! 😊 I'm joining in despite Thérèse.

Sunday 22/03 First thing in the morning (or nearly): checking the weather sites! The morning should be relatively mild before the rain returns during the day.

So we opted for a little hike north of Puerto de las Nieves (starting from El Turman), heading toward Barranco del Juncal. As usual, we must’ve missed a turn because we ended up having to cross the ravine through the bushes. In the end, I don’t think we really followed the Wikiloc route, but it’s not a big deal since there are plenty of trails on the other side of the ravine that allow for loops.











The weather’s nice, there’s almost no one around, the landscapes are pretty cool... all’s well 🙂 We reach the edge of the barranco with a view of greenhouses (less cool).

Before heading back to our starting point.

We get back to the car under a few raindrops... and that’s the end of our outings for the day 😕

We still managed to enjoy the terrace a bit (but not the mini-pool ) between showers.

Monday 03/23 We’re only staying here for 3 nights, so this is our last day. I’d planned to head down the coast to the south and then turn towards Mogán and possibly Puerto de Mogán. But the south is under big, threatening clouds while the northern sky is clear: first stop, the Faro de Sardina, then we’ll see. To get some walking in, we park in Puerto de Sardina (a small, colorful town in the middle of construction work) and walk to the lighthouse. The weather’s nice, but like yesterday, it’s not very warm and it’s really windy. You can’t really say the landscapes are breathtaking. Here and there, buildings in various states of abandonment (though some homes still seem to be lived in), with—hard to see in the photo—construction materials scattered over hundreds of square meters.

Ah! The lighthouse is in sight!





From there, you’re supposed to be able to see Teide, but Tenerife is under clouds. A quick look at the pools (weirdly, the few people there don’t seem keen on swimming 😏)



and back the same way.

Every time we’ve gone to the Canary Islands, it’s been by default (basically: where could we go in winter or very early spring when we only have a week—so not too far, not too much time difference, but with good weather?)

Hi Muriel, It’s often the “default trip,” like for us in 2021, shaken by the pandemic and hesitant to go farther… On the other hand, 15 days of blue skies and very few tourists. In my opinion, whether it’s about the influx of travelers or the weather, choosing the right season is key.

The weather seems to be holding up, so let's head to Galdar! It was planned for tomorrow, but since it's nice out... The town center is small but really cute. A square that reminds us a bit of Mexico:

Apparently, visiting the Santuario de Santiago temple is worth it... but the temple is closed 😕. The town hall, on the other hand, is open, and you can admire the oldest dragon tree on the island (planted before 1718):



Same goes for the covered market, also really cute:





And since it's Monday, both the Cueva Pintada archaeological site and the Cenobio de Valeron are closed too 🏴‍☠️. I knew that, which is why I’d initially planned to visit them (along with Galdar) the next day. We’ll come back tomorrow... maybe!

The clouds seem to have more or less cleared in the south: let’s take advantage and go at least as far as La Aldea (or rather Playa de la Aldea and its lagoon) if the weather holds.

Just before La Aldea, the Mirador del Balcón looks spectacular: the highway exit is open... but 1 km later, the road is blocked: access forbidden 🏴‍☠️, and there’s even police monitoring it! This will be one of many times (after the botanical garden and the temple) that we arrive at a closed spot with no warning until we get there .

At Puerto de la Aldea, we park easily just a few steps from the beach... which isn’t anything special.



A pedestrian walkway runs along the beach to the lagoon... which is inaccessible because all the paths are flooded 😕.



The muddy water flows into the ocean, creating a surprisingly sharp dividing line.



Back home, but since it’s not raining yet (for now), a quick stop at Puerto de las Nieves (which we’d only seen in the rain) is a must 😊 Well, I read it’s a “village with Cycladic vibes”—that’s a stretch! Apart from the blue and white of a few houses, not much Cycladic about it

The sky is still much clearer in the north than in the south...



There are still quite a few tourists sunbathing on the boardwalk by the sea, though the seaside itself isn’t exactly inviting.



We get back to the apartment in the rain (of course!), which quickly gets heavier and pours non-stop for 24 hours. Needless to say, none of the planned visits along the route tomorrow will happen! 🏴‍☠️

Hi Kate 🙂

in 2021, shaken by the pandemic, very few tourists

I think the months following the pandemic actually turned out to be a blessing for travelers in terms of tourist numbers (like Bruno in Namibia or me in the Peloponnese).

Tuesday 03/24: Today we’re heading to Tejeda, in the center of the island, for 4 nights.

I’d planned to take the northern coast and visit several villages: Galdar, the Cenobio de Valeron, Moya, Firgas, Arucas, and Teror. Since it’s still pouring rain, we’ll leave later than planned and head straight to Tejeda after a quick grocery run at the supermarket in Galdar. The owner messages us to be careful: roads are blocked, there are accidents, traffic jams…

Sure enough, it’s raining the whole way, and when we start climbing, fog joins the party. The road twists constantly, we can’t see a thing, and it feels like we’re not moving (What?! We’ve only gone 2 km since earlier?!). When are we gonna get there????

Finally, we reach Tejeda… and the rain stops 😊 (well, almost). Our place (La Casita Roque Nublo) is about 1 km from the village center, quiet, with a nice view of Roque Nublo (the local star 😉) and Bentayga. But despite a heater in the bedroom, it’s still pretty cold and damp… the weather isn’t helping 😕. Views from the terrace... on a rare sunny day 😉





The rain’s stopped, so we take a quick stroll around Tejeda (and into the church, which is open 😊) before dinner at Casa de la Almendra.



For me, it’s grilled tuna, Canarian potatoes, and almond cream.

Hi Pascale

I have to say there are way fewer photos to sort through than for a trip to South Africa, for example 😉

It's funny, I don't quite feel like I visited the island you described in your travel journal! 😉

You went to places I didn't, and vice versa.

That way, there won't be too many duplicates 😉

Well, I hope you won’t make me regret my stay 😏 (though we weren’t *quite* there at the same time, and you probably didn’t have to deal with Thérèse while on Gran Canaria).

No, you shouldn’t regret it! ;)

We were there at the very start of Thérèse. The weather wasn’t typical either.

Our only luck was that the damage to the roads and other sites happened after we left.

That’s funny, I don’t quite feel like I visited the same island you described in your travel journal! ;)

You went to places I didn’t, and vice versa.

There’ll probably be a few "must-sees" we both hit 😎

Wednesday, March 25: Still checking the weather sites first thing in the morning 😊: it’s the northwest that seems the clearest. Heading to the Tamadaba forest for a short hike around Pico de la Bandera.

A quick stop on the way in Santa Cruz de Tejeda: quick because it’s 7°C with wind strong enough to knock the horns off a bull—we didn’t linger!



The (steady) climb up to Pico de la Bandera is a straight shot and takes about half an hour.





But the view up there is pretty disappointing: Teide is still shrouded in clouds, and the trees block much of the view of Gran Canaria’s north coast.

The rest is easy: a simple descent and a return via a pleasant, sunny balcony trail that offers some lovely views at times.



Given the rain of the past few days, the trails are surprisingly walkable (that won’t always be the case), except for a few little streams that sometimes flood the path. Strangely, there are very few flowers, and we barely hear any birds.

A quick stop on the way back at Mirador Pinos de Gáldar:



Then at Mirador Pico de la Gora:



To recover from our efforts (even if they were moderate 😏), we decide to try a cake made with the local specialty, *bienmesabe* (a kind of paste made from sugar and almonds, among other things): not bad... but *very* sweet!



Almonds are actually the specialty of the area: you’ll find them in (almost) every dessert, and in February, there’s the almond blossom festival (it must be beautiful to see).

Funny I was there too from 03/21 to 03/28 considering the state of the roads The owner of my place in Tejeda was surprised I made it

For sure, the roads were really affected by the storm !

Ahhh! Now that I recognize!😊

It's true that the pastries in Tejeda are very sweet. But they still had a little *je ne sais quoi* that made you want more.😋

That’s totally true... in fact, we ended up going back almost every day we stayed there. 😏

Hi Muriel, I’ll be following your travel journal closely, even if the title isn’t very inviting (and to be honest, I wasn’t exactly tempted by it either...). On the other hand, we’re also heading to Puglia for a week after you! Jacques

Hi Jacques

If you're heading to the Canary Islands (at least from what I know), you're better off going to Tenerife!

On the other hand, we're also heading to Puglia for a week after you..

Looks like VF members are following each other at the start of the year 😉

For me, it'll be tuna on the plancha, Canarian potatoes, and almond cream.

I think I would’ve ordered the same thing... 🙂 Is the almond cream served with the tuna, or as dessert?

I’ve often thought that one day, one of our trips would *go wrong* for whatever reason! It’s never happened yet, but yours is proof that it’s possible.... 😕

Looking forward to the rest of the story.

...

Hi Alain

Is the almond cream with the tuna, or for dessert?

It was a dessert (homemade) 😉... but in this area, it’s not uncommon to find dishes with almonds—they’re pretty much everywhere.

"Disaster" is a bit of a strong word (especially since the weather *is* going to improve... a little), but yeah, it wasn’t the best trip!

Thursday 26/03: The sky is completely gray, with big black clouds hanging over the mountains. Why not go for a hike from here? Off we go for "the Tejeda loop," a roughly 9 km circuit with 350m of elevation gain.

First, we climb up to the cross overlooking the village.



Sure, the weather isn’t great, but at least it’s not raining (that’s something!) and splashes of yellow brighten up the grayness a little.







The sometimes steep descent leads us to the famous giant "cesta" (a traditional basket used for harvesting fruit).



A photo is a must 😄



From there, the hike gets tricky: we’re supposed to cross a stream by wading... uh, apart from taking off our shoes (and even then), I don’t see how. The water must be freezing, and on top of that, we don’t have a towel! We look for an alternative... just like a German couple with a Rother guidebook, whom we’ll run into three times on this part of the hike 😄) So, we cross a fenced field (as many others seem to have done, judging by the tracks in the grass), but we miss the turnoff just at the exit... and end up facing the river a little further on. About-turn! This time, we take the right path, which climbs and climbs... until it disappears under a landslide (darn! We were almost at the top!) Go through? Not go through? (The Germans turned back.)



It looks pretty risky between the mud where footprints sink more than 20 cm deep and the precariously balanced rocks and stones... and who knows if we won’t come across another landslide further on?

Alright, that’s enough for today 😡, about-turn, we head back down and return via the road (closed to cars but not to pedestrians) !

I missed this basket!

This walk looks really nice despite the weather and the water obstacle. 🙂

In good weather and without any obstacles preventing you from doing the whole thing, yeah, it must be nice :)

Friday 03/27: It’s our last day in Tejeda and therefore our last chance to visit the famous Roque Nublo. I checked the website yesterday—all the time slots were fully booked.

I had asked Agnès if this hike was worth it, and she said yes... and she was absolutely right 🙂. She confirmed that it was possible to go without a reservation before 9 AM or after 6 PM (I’d read that, but it didn’t seem very clear).

So we’ll go before the ticket office opens to take the trail without having booked. It’s cold this morning, but the sky is clear. On the way, the "watch out for black ice" warning pops up on the dashboard !!!

In the end, the thermometer reads 6°C when we park at the official Cruz de los Llanos parking lot, where we head to the Roque Nublo trail access (which we can see in the distance).



The plan is to arrive around 9 AM at the control booth, but at the only intersection without signs, we take the wrong path twice, adding over 1 km to the trip (though, to be fair, the right path—meaning straight ahead !)—is flooded by a stream (darn Thérèse! )).

Plus, the trail is far from flat, even though Roque Nublo initially seems barely higher than the parking lot. A looong descent to the dam:

... followed by a looong climb up to the booth. Anyway, it’s nearly 9:30 AM when we reach the booth. Phew, it’s still closed. Great! So we take the famous 1.6 km trail leading to Roque Nublo.



While the trail starts off pretty wide, it later becomes very narrow at times, so it’s a good thing they limited visitors to 60 per hour. It offers beautiful views of the valley:



Finally, we’re near the goal 🙂

Here we are now on the plateau:





You can go around the rock... but the view is less pretty:



One last photo before heading back the same way.



As we descended back toward the guardhouse, I realized we’d probably crossed paths with a maximum of 15 people on this trail. Strange, since the time slots were marked as fully booked between the 10 AM and 11 AM ones—should’ve been nearly 120 people! The guardhouse was still closed, but the police were issuing tickets to cars parked in the few spots nearby. One of the officers informed us that today, the trail was closed (now it all makes sense!) and that we were in violation. We had seen some police tape at the entrance, but with no signs or notices, we thought it was just because the guardhouse wasn’t open yet . I still checked the booking site when I got back—no info there either! The officer finally told us it was okay, no ticket this time 😎.

Without a doubt, our best day in Tejeda—and on Gran Canaria: a gorgeous hike (though more tiring than I expected—definitely deserves a bienmesabe cake when we get back 😛) in ideal conditions (great weather and very few people, even if the latter wasn’t intentional).

Our stay in Tejeda is coming to an end. We found this village really charming, with a few (not many) people during the day when visitors from the south come to explore, but overall very peaceful, at least at this time of year. Too bad about the weather: located at just over 1000m altitude, when the sun wasn’t out (which was often 😕), it was cold.

The storm caused numerous landslides and road closures, significantly lengthening some of our trips and discouraging us from doing everything we’d planned. For example, Artenara and Roque Bentayga, theoretically just 15 minutes away by road, ended up being 45 minutes and an hour away, respectively. Driving an hour (with constant twists and turns) to reach Roque Bentayga, which is normally less than 7 km away—I’ll admit, I gave up. Little side note about the roads: like on the other Canary Islands we’ve visited, they’re in excellent condition... though sometimes a bit narrow.

For hikes, we use Maps.me, which works offline. I found that the directions aren’t very clear in many countries, so it helps avoid getting lost.

We were still in T-shirts at the end of this hike. There was no wind, the calm before the storm...🤪

I also often use Maps.me... but this time, it couldn't locate us... Honestly, I didn’t check much before leaving. I thought 5km x 2 (we actually did 13, and it’s not that easy) would be fine; it’s a super well-known hike, everything would be well-marked, and there’d be people around (well, no 😏).

I get the feeling most people take the bus to start right where the staff member is.

We ran into some people in the parking lot-official start area only at the beginning. After that, people branched off elsewhere.

We were alone on the way back.

At the bus stop, though, there were quite a few people.

I had the impression there were more cyclists than hikers on this island. I take my hat off to them because going from Maspalomas to Pico de Las Nieves is still 2,067 meters of positive elevation gain for just 209 meters of negative. 🤪 Not to mention the way back! !

I think, unlike us, the shuttles knew the trail was closed because we didn’t see any. I agree with you: we came across few hikers but lots of cyclists (and motorbikes on the weekend too)... and I’d be totally incapable of doing even a tenth of what they do!

Hi Muriel,

Just read about your first few days in Gran Canaria... almost all your photos have a beautiful blue sky 😊 but where’s this bad weather? 🤨 😄

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.