Things to do
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Agaete
Ferries for Tenerife leave from Puerto de las Nieves, the fishing harbour of this white town in the northwest. Inland, the Agaete valley grows coffee, oranges and mangoes on terraces, and some farms offer tastings of their coffee. Natural rock pools beside the harbour, Las Salinas, give sheltered swimming when the sea allows. Lunch on grilled fish at the harbour, then drive up the valley in the afternoon.
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Barranco de Guayadeque
Cave houses and cave chapels line this steep ravine between Agüimes and Ingenio, where families still live in homes cut into the rock. The road climbs the floor of the gorge past almond and palm trees to a cluster of cave restaurants at its head. Drive up for lunch, then walk one of the trails from the top of the valley. Parking at the head of the valley fills by midday at weekends.
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Caldera de Bandama
Walk the rim of this volcanic crater, about a kilometre across and some 200 metres deep, or take the path down to the floor, where an old farmhouse and vines remain. The crater sits a short drive from Las Palmas, beside a golf course, and the Pico de Bandama viewpoint at the top of the road looks straight into it. Go early: the path to the floor has no shade.
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Casa de Colón
Two linked mansions in Vegueta, built around courtyards with carved wooden balconies, hold this museum on the role of the island in the Atlantic crossings, with maps, navigation instruments and a recreated ship's cabin. The house is linked to the stop Columbus made on the island in 1492. Allow an hour and pair it with the cathedral of Santa Ana nearby.
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Cueva Pintada
Geometric red, white and black patterns painted by the pre-Hispanic islanders cover the walls of a cave in Gáldar, now protected inside a museum built over the excavated village around it. Visits run as guided groups on a set timetable, so book a slot ahead. Allow about ninety minutes for the film, the excavations and the painted cave, which is seen through glass.
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Las Canteras Beach
A natural reef of volcanic rock, La Barra, runs parallel to this city beach in Las Palmas and keeps the water calm for swimming and snorkelling along much of its length. The southern end, La Cícer, takes the surf. A promenade lined with cafés runs the full three kilometres, and watching the sun set over the sea from it is the evening habit of the city.
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Maspalomas Dunes
Sand blown up from the seabed piles into dunes between Playa del Inglés and the Maspalomas lighthouse, a protected reserve crossed on marked paths only. Go early in the morning or in the last hour before sunset, when the sand is cool and the ridges throw long shadows. Carry water and wear shoes for the hot sand. The beach along the seaward edge runs on to the lighthouse and the lagoon at La Charca.
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Pico de las Nieves
Drive almost to the summit of the highest point on the island reachable by road, at around 1,950 metres. A short walk from the car park leads to the Pozo de las Nieves viewpoint, which looks over Roque Nublo to Teide on Tenerife. Early morning and late afternoon give the clearest air. Temperatures drop sharply at this height, so bring a layer even in summer; a military radar station occupies the very top.
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Puerto de Mogán
Canals crossed by small bridges run between low whitewashed houses trimmed with bougainvillea in this harbour village on the southwest coast. A sheltered beach sits beside the marina, and boats run along the coast to Puerto Rico and Arguineguín. Friday brings a large street market that fills the lanes; arrive early, or come on another day for the quiet version of the village.
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Roque Nublo
Daytime access is by reservation: from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon the trail to this basalt monolith admits a capped number of walkers per hour, booked online through the island council's walking site. Park at Cruz de Los Llanos and take the shuttle bus, about ten minutes, to the trailhead. The path up to the rock is short but stony, with views west to Teide on Tenerife on clear days.
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Tejeda
Whitewashed houses step down a ridge beneath Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga in this mountain village, a base for walks across the interior of the island. Almond trees blossom here in late January and February, and the bakeries sell almond sweets all year. The road in from the coast is slow and winding, so allow time. The village car park also serves as an alternative start for Roque Nublo.
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Teror
Carved wooden balconies line the main street of this hill town in the north, built around the basilica of the Virgen del Pino, patron of the island. Come on Sunday morning, when a market fills the square by the church with stalls of chorizo de Teror, cheese and sweets made by the nuns. Allow a couple of hours, and bring a layer: the north is greener and cooler than the coast.
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Vegueta
Cobbled lanes, wooden balconies and the cathedral of Santa Ana make up the old quarter of Las Palmas, the first part of the city to be built. Walk it in the morning, ride the lift up the cathedral tower for the view over the rooftops, and stop at the Casa de Colón a few streets away. On Thursday evenings a tapas route fills the bars around Calle Mendizábal.
