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.

Reaching your highest point at Pozo de las Nieves

Not to be mistaken for Puerto de las Nieves which sits on the West Coat, Pozo de las Nieves meaning ´well of the snow´ is placed in the rural centre of the island in Tejeda, my favourite region of the island.

You will need a good friend with a car, or a gorgeous chaperone, to whiz you up the ever swirly roads finally taking you to a dead end that grants you panoramic vistas that hold its reputation as the highest point on the island.

Reaching 1,949m this area was at first covered in white fluff, but once the clouds shift a stunning backdrop is presented. From this height you can see Roque Nublo and claims have been made that you can view various other Canarian islands; however I have only seen the defined silhouette of Tenerife and Mount Teide.

Ensure you take a watermelon and walk down into the pine forests to sit and eat away the views with scrumptious refreshments. This area is also a favourite for decent hikes or camping.