An itinerary for Gran Canaria with wheels

If you find yourself on the island of Gran Canaria and have convinced yourself THAT driving alongside the Spaniards is something you´re prepared to do, then hiring a car for the day can take you much further in no time at all.

Here´s an itinerary for a day out with the car:

Kick off at 9am and drive over to San Mateo enduring the windy roads that take over as you go further into the mainland. San Mateo is a small town that requires a whistle stop-over but saves itself with the infamous market.

Here you can sample local Canarian cheese, fat olives and Tunos India – a messy cactus fruit that apparently tastes very good with orange juice. The fruit has a habit of staining everything it touches a deep red colour, so you’ll be leaving with very red lips.

hiring a car for the day can take you much further in no time at all.

Around 11am have a Spanish Desayuno in the little café next door. This often consists of a light sandwich and coffee; giving you just enough fuel to prep for the next stop.

From here it takes 25 minutes to get to Roque Nublo where you can park up and get ready for a 30 minute hike up to some great mid-day views.

Before lunch take a quick glance at the vista point Pozo de las Nieves. Hopefully you can get there while the clouds have shifted and get a decent picture of the region Tejeda.

You can´t get here by bus, so this is a real treat and very much advised if you hire a car – Barranco de Guayadeque. You will pass through a small village of caves that people still live in and then continue up to a restaurant for lunch that will blow you away and it’s very reasonably priced, too.

Just as you thought the day was over, there’s one more stop to be had. 5 minutes away is the sleepy village Aguimes. Pay a visit here for a short walk and some delicious tea and cake.

 - One of the many odd statues in Aguimes! 

Home and tucked into bed by 9pm! Honestly, you can fit a lot into one day when you have wheels to take you places.

Agúimes: the Sleepy Town of the East

Agúimes is something of a delicacy, there is a feeling that one should tip-toe in so not to wake the village; situated between Ingenio and Barranco de Guayeadeque its all about timing here – as it often is with Spain. If you arrive between the siesta hours of 3-5pm don´t expect much more than a chilled beer in the only bar (hopefully) open at this time. The tourist shop also allows itself to remain open for business, selling sweet local honey; postcards and the much anticipated Canarian mojo sauce.

You don´t need much time in this quaint, Spanish village, but it is worth a stop over as it is quiet beautiful and calming.

What To See, What To Do…

There´s an impressive and rather unexpected Cathedral named San Sebastian, which has been closed both times I´ve visited. Opening hours being far and few between.

Agúimes is something of a delicacy, there is a feeling that one should tip-toe in so not to wake the village

It sits almost un-noticed by the Plaza del Rosario which drapes itself in trees and benches, giving a secluded feel to the most central part of town.

One of the fun (and odd) points of Aguimes is the brass statues dotted around the streets. There are about 6 in total and detail anything from a camel – to a musician – to a donkey.

There are also poems inscribed on every other wall that make for a good test of your Spanish reading skills.

If you manage to visit during opening hours this is a perfect location for tea and cake, just before you head home to bed.