Gran Canaria: Closing the Circle

After a week in Tenerife the Flashy and eight days in Lanzarote the Ancient, we conclude our final week in Gran Canaria the Recap.

This mini continent’s area is about twice Lanzarote’s and sums in itself a gamut of geological, scenery and climatic features, packing them in its almost circular area.

Indeed I had chosen it as the last leg of our trip in order to overcome our Tenerife and Lanzarote hiking exertions; I had heard it defined as “the least interesting” of the Canaries, certainly a good place to rest and enjoy being lazy.

This is true for Gran Canaria as for the rest of the archipelago, but it would be unfair to stop at that. Our first couple of days we did exactly that – rest – in peaceful San Agustin, next-door neighbour to vibrant Maspalomas, with its young, loud, colourful multitudes. San Agustin instead hosts a conspicuous, more mature Swedish colony, whose habits are less unruly. The beach is a wide, long stretch of white sand that the wind plays with, breaking up and recreating moiré effects. Ephemeral artists create imposing castles with drawbridges, turrets, battlements, standards, and also giant octopuses, dolphins leaping from the waves, pirate vessels and figures of fancy, all made of sand, precision, patience and a great sense of beauty. They lay a piece of cloth weighing it down with stones, on which passers-by can leave coins to show appreciation. Very often the wind blows cloths, stones and coins a long way away, forcing the artists to run after them.

Starting from San Agustin and walking on the shore or on the promenade for about four kilometres, we reach the Maspalomas Dunes protected area, covering four hundred hectares, bordered by twelve kilometres of coast.

At the end of our period of pure relax amid golden sand and long walks through lush tropical greenery, we begin exploring the rest of the island, with no precise destination in mind, just following our whim. Our first inspiration is Puerto de Mogán, skipping the horrid Puerto Rico – disfigured by urban sprawl. Puerto Mogán is a fishing village on the west coast and has been nicknamed “little Venice” for the number of canals that criss-cross it; it looks very attractive, with its winding lanes,  dazzling white little houses, flowers on balconies, several typical restaurants, boutiques and street markets, against the majestic mountainous backdrop. Obviously Puerto Mogán is a tourist attraction, where people look for the characteristic spot – a rarity in Gran Canaria, where the coastal resorts' city planning is inspired to Palm Beach in Florida or Palm Springs in California.

Another whim takes us into the heart of the highlands. We drive across very green valleys in the protected fairy-tale Fataga landscape, an alpine environment rich in conifer forests, ravines, harmoniously gushing streams separating orchards, olive groves, palm groves; the small settlements are few and far between, besides little white houses of peasants who display their produce on carts for the occasional buyers.

We arrive at the Finca Molino de Agua, a rural complex with restaurant, bar, guest rooms, a fabulous turquoise swimming pool, a yard with many farm animals kept in separate enclosures, including riding ponies, peacocks, goats; there are orchards, olive groves, mountain bike paths, a barbecue area, an adventure park, and a historical water mill fed by a miniature aqueduct. It is a paradise for lovers of both active life and leisure, because it also hosts a holistic centre offering anything from reiki techniques to hypnotherapy.

Although its nature is volcanic like the rest of the Canaries, Gran Canaria boasts neither an iconic peak as Tenerife’s Teide, nor Lanzarote’s huge number of old and young volcanos; it has however various volcanic peaks attracting photo safari enthusiasts for the beauty of the panoramas, the characteristic pinnacles and the variable weather – there are in fact several degrees difference in temperature in the north and south side of the same mountain, and seas of fog and low clouds suddenly appear around a hairpin bend  to dissolve beyond the next bend.

Cruz de Tejeda welcomes us sitting deep in fog and cold at approximately 1,500 m a.s.l. and 10°C. It is the hub of Gran Canaria, at the crossroads of routes and paths reaching some of the most attractive objectives, such as Roque Bentayga (1,415 m) and Roque Nublo, the highest peak (1,811 m) with its 80 m high basalt pinnacle, definitely phallic in shape. Cruz de Tejeda is a sort of tourist trap, with a dozen bars and restaurants, donkeys to photograph for a fee, shops and emporia selling winter clothes made of wool and fleece – the only place in the island where they are necessary. We leave Cruz de Tejeda rather in a hurry, following the road encircling the two peaks – Nublo and Bentayga – and it’s suddenly springtime with almond trees in blossom and blue skies. The ring road gradually takes us through opposite sights and climates; obviously we prefer the warmth, so we return to the coast and conclude the day at the seaside.

Another day we venture on the spectacular GC200, the panoramic route starting at Puerto de Mogán and following high up the impassable west coast,  ending at Agaete in the north. Between Mogán and Tasarte the road is winding and breathtaking. Vertical rock faces and deep green vales come in succession, competing to fill us with surprise, till we reach Fuente de los Azulejos and are awestruck. The mountain sides seem to have been painted by an artist: the rock formations display in blending horizontal bands the colours of the rainbow – from purple, to turquoise, to yellow, to red. Unreal.

The road goes on high up with unforgettable views and slowly approaches the coastline after Aldea de San Nicolas. From here it bends northeast and follows the coast much more closely, a stretch that is very steep and dangerous for falling rocks right down to Agaete. From the sunshine we move to the clouds, to strong north-westerly winds and to crags diving into the sea forming whirlwinds and breakers. Nature shows us its dramatic facet and we are mesmerised. Agaete seems to ward us off with nasty and inhospitable weather made of fog, drizzle and cold. We decide to have coffee somewhere else. At Agaete we leave the GC200 route and drive across the flat and uniform, sometimes industrial, northern plain.

The GC2 motorway takes us to Las Palmas, the capital, but we aren’t attracted, because of the weather and the mass tourism aspect, therefore we complete the tour around the island driving along the comfortable GC1 motorway to San Agustin, our base camp.

A final destination takes us again west. This time we leave the GC200 at Tasarte and drive down a narrow, twisting road inside a steep gully in the direction of the only beach. Towards the end, the road gets less steep and enters a fertile plain with banana and avocado plantations in sorts of greenhouses covered in very long strips of cloth supported by poles. They presumably protect against both wind and scorching sun.

Playa de Tasarte is minimalist, narrow, with no sand, only pebbles, two or three houses and a handful of fishing boats pulled on shore and, right at the end, where the rugged high cliffs begin, a bar restaurant with outside tables and parasols serving delicious fresh fish that has been caught by the men playing dominos around the last table.

It’s time to draw a balance. Gran Canaria does not disappoint. One can find a bit of everything, exactly as expected. It may not have the sensational attractions of the wilder Canary Islands, but it lacks nothing. It synthesises the archipelago.

And here are my recommendations on where to stay and where to enjoy good food:

San Agustin:
 - Apartamentos Tarahal. Very attractive, spacious and clean apartments, with garden and wi-fi.
 - Restaurante El Capitan. Excellent Paella de mar.
 - Restaurante Greek Taverna. Expensive but well appointed.
 - Bar Restaurante Atlantico. Rather chic.

Puerto de Mogán:
- Restaurante Clipper. Creative Italian cuisine. The manager is from Leghorn.

Playa de Tasarte:
- Bar Casa Oliva. Muy símpatico.

¡Buen provecho!

Album: https://www.facebook.com/daniela.verzaro/media_set?set=a.10153198582586522.1073741860.606656521&type=3

©DaniBlue

22nd March 2015

Lanzarote: A Trip to the Dawn of History

The estimated number of volcanos is over 200, but there are no official figures. Fire keeps seething below the crust in Lanzarote and every now and then a new fire mouth opens erupting and covering the island in rivers of lava and lapilli. The vast Timanfaya National Park consists of volcanic material exclusively, and is inaccessible, except with authorised guides.

The island proudly rejects the modern era. Its landscape is reminiscent of Iceland, another land seemingly belonging to another age, with its scant, nearly absent vegetation, whose native living forms exist only there.

In the fourteenth century Lanzerotto Malocello, an explorer from Varazze, near Genoa (whose name the island has acquired), landed on the island and noticed that it was inhabited by indigenous tribes (the Guanches) living in Stone Age conditions. Subsequent expeditions managed to occupy the land only a century later; it remained however a destination of pirate raids, as the Castillo de Santa Barbara stronghold above Haría bears testimony.

Against the growing trend of mass tourism in the other Canary Islands, Lanzarote has preserved its ancient appearance thanks to the commitment of the local artist and architect, César Manrique, who fought strenuous battles against the construction of skyscraper hotels since as early as the seventies, up to his premature death in 1992. Manrique favoured a vernacular type of architecture, respecting local traditions and making it richer with a few flights of his fancy. His architectural and artistic works are spread throughout Lanzarote, making it uniquely fascinating, very different from the rest of the archipelago. His concept was to fuse the impacts of humankind and nature to create a harmony of forms, shapes and colours that would be respectful and peculiar at the same time. His attractive inventions fill us with admiration and awe.

Among his numerous creations are his home with studio and garden at Haría, the Manrique Foundation in Teguise, the Mirador del Río (restaurant and viewing terraces overlooking the Chinijo archipelago), the Campesino Monument, Jameos del Agua (restaurant and concert venue built inside a lava tunnel), the Cactus Garden – an extraordinary collection of cactus plants – as well as a number of wind sculptures around the island. Other works can be viewed in Tenerife (Lago Martianez and Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz), Gran Canaria, La Gomera and El Hierro.

The dominant colours of the typical Lanzarote architecture are the dazzling white plaster and the blue of the sea, which gets integrated in the shape of a pool, a tub or a fountain. Another characteristic colour is the black of the lava stones showing through the plaster.

The little church of Yé, in the north, is our first meeting point with a group and the guides who show us wild beauties, native vegetation, lava formations, the colours of nature. Our hikes include Monte Corona, Caldera Blanca, Montaña Colorada and El Cuervo, all extinct volcanos, each with its history and characteristics.

Monte Corona is one of the highest “peaks”, with the rim of the crater at 609 m above sea level (the island’s maximum altitude is 670 m), and stands out for being “new”, i.e. it derived from an eruption just over 4,000 years ago; the eruption formed also a very long lava tunnel ending inside the Atlantic Ocean several kilometres ahead. In the direction of the sea, and under it, the tunnel forms the fantastic Cueva de los Verdes cave, a fairy-tale place with emerald reflections and reverberations.

Caldera Blanca is instead a very ancient, very wide – 1,200 m – whitish crater rising in the midst of a sea of black lava erupted from a nearby volcano in the 18th c.

El Cuervo is a very picturesque volcano that can be viewed inside and is rich in minerals and luxuriant vegetation.  Montaña Colorada is stunning for the magnificent colours that change progressively as one walks around it: green, red, yellow, and for the “bomb” – a huge basalt monolith thought to have been expelled during an eruption and that struck the sandy ground a few hundred metres of the crater.

The club we joined for our hikes is Lanzarote Active Club, run and enlivened by the exceptional Michele, Carmen, Isabel and Alena. We couldn’t have had better luck.

Lanzarote’s geologic variety is unique, as shown by another natural wonder: El Golfo. It is a volcano that erupted opening a crater inside the sea, and forming a bay – precisely a gulf. The colours here seem even artificial – from the bright red sandstone, to the glossy black basalt, to the silver grey sand at the bottom, to the emerald green lagoon (because of the algae).

Nature is the undisputed sovereign in Lanzarote; however, human beings have lived here since prehistory, in small settlements, fishing, hunting, breeding goats and later growing food and starting forms of trade. The inhospitable environment has always been a major obstacle for both colonisation and innovation.

Today there is an international airport in Arrecife, the capital, as well as a fairly developed road and highway network; internet is established but requires upgrading, particularly the wi-fi system. In a way, it is a kind of rebellious consolation to know that one is sometimes isolated, non-connected, unreachable from the rest of the world. It is therefore a pleasure to discover places where time is standing still, as in the vineyards dug in a bed of lapilli; as in the fields cultivated according to primitive techniques; as in the local craft markets selling really unfamiliar items; as in the farmyards where goats, chickens, pigs and dogs all live together; as in the little stores scattered in the countryside offering only a limited amount of imported goods; as in the sandstone concretions sculpted by the wind, resembling sand castles and citadels built by who knows what aliens…

The communities are small and peaceful, some are rich in history as Teguise, Haría, San Bartolomé, Tinajo, Yaiza; others busy with tourism, as Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen, Playa Honda, Playa Blanca, Costa Teguise. Tourism, however, isn’t like the one in Tenerife or Gran Canaria, loud and garish; it is an active sort of tourism, more interested in discovering the natural environment, less party-loving and night-owlish. Incredible but true, restaurants, bars and pubs open early in the evening and by 9 p.m. they’re already shut. At the beginning we were astounded. We wondered whether we were in Spain.

The very few sandy beaches – most of the coastline is rugged and inaccessible, awesome and dangerous – are frequented by sport lovers and fit people, not lazy families requiring parasols and deck chairs.

North of Lanzarote is a small archipelago formed by La Graciosa, Montaña Clara and Alegranza, only the first of which is inhabited (by fewer than seven hundred people) at forty minutes’ ferry crossing from Orzola harbour, at Lanzarote’s northern tip. The other two islands are protected nature reserves. The crossing is unforgettable; we sail around Punta Fariones and we enter the Río, the strait separating the two islands, flanked by high basalt cliffs on the east and a low sandy coastline on the west. The sea is deep blue and the sun covers it with golden specs. La Graciosa’s harbour is tiny and only used by the rather frequent ferries and fishing boats. There are neither paved roads nor motor vehicles. There are no fresh water springs either; therefore we must carry our own. It is an ideal place for trekking, with dozens marked paths, volcanos, secluded beaches to enjoy in private and breathtaking sights. One of the most spectacular spots is Playa de la Cocina at the foot of Montaña Amarilla, where there is a grotto with view, ideal for a picnic.

Our Lanzarote base camp was in Arrieta, a lovely seafaring village on the northeast coast, where all buildings are two-floor small white houses, there is a long rocky beach, and the waves seem to be perfect for surf enthusiasts. Arrieta is very popular with young sporting people; it also has several excellent fish restaurants, of which particularly noteworthy are El Amanecer and El Marinero, of a higher class.

Last but not least, Lanzarote wine. Production is very limited due to the island’s size, but quality stands out, particularly the white Malvasía, a wine that keeps winning countless international prizes. The vineyards are concentrated in particular in the south, between Tinajo and Yaiza; the bodegas (wineries with public points of sale) are numerous along the main roads; Bodega Rubicón and Bodega La Geria stand out, both offering wine tastings as well as restaurants.

Despite being so limited in size, Lanzarote is a miniature world and a week is barely sufficient for a superficial acquaintance. I’m already hoping to go back and get better acquainted.

 Album: https://www.facebook.com/daniela.verzaro/media_set?set=a.10153185713136522.1073741851.606656521&type=3

©DaniBlue

22nd March 2015

Tenerife: The Highest Canaria

Tenerife = El Teide (but not only). Approximately at the centre of this roughly triangular island rises Spain’s highest mountain and its most awesome volcano still in activity.

 

El Teide means also tourism, because it attracts millions of visitors annually; nevertheless, it remains aloof and majestic, oblivious of the thousands climbing, hiking, taking pictures, crowding the viewing points. It is generous; it gives everybody whatever they are looking for – sunshine, a snow-capped peak, cool air, adventure, bizarre lava formations, extra-terrestrial landscapes (Las Cañadas),



Las Cañadas

 

peculiar vegetation, an observatory to watch the star-studded night sky and more. It is spectacular, and rightly famous. We took a long hike around its foot, at 2000 m a.s.l., rather than ride the cable car to within 200 m of the 3,781 m peak, because I felt a slight shortness of breath. I don’t regret it, since it was equally incredible, I am sure. The sun was shining and we had our picnic in a quiet spot of the mighty scenery, on the south side of the mountain, where the vegetation is almost absent. On the opposite side, there are almost permanent clouds, fog and snow. In fact, the island is divided weather-wise in a W-E direction by El Teide: the North is under the influence of the Gulf Stream, with a high level of humidity, constant westerly winds and very variable weather. The vegetation is luxuriant and the land produces generous crops of bananas, oranges, papayas and every kind of fruits and vegetables. El Teide forms a barrier, so that the South of Tenerife is arid and largely desert-like, the temperatures are remarkably higher than in the North and the sun shines most of the time. This is fortunate for the beach-goers, but less so for people like us, so we decided to be based in Puerto de la Cruz.

 




Tenerife is not only El Teide, of course. There are fabulous places along the NW coast: Icod de los Vinos, Garachico, Buenavista del Norte (with Punta del Teno), Masca and Los Gigantes, sheer cliffs emerging 600 m from the level of the sea.

 

Garachico

Garachico is a well-preserved 18^th c. village that used to be Tenerife’s main port until the 1706 eruption. There is a rock (Roque de Garachico) rising from the sea just in front of it.

Puerta de Tierra park






 

Garachico has natural lava pools, attractive narrow streets and a lovely park (Parque Puerta de Tierra) with a monument to the poet Rafael Alberti.

Icod: Bizarre "menorah" dracaena

Casa Càceres

Courtyard



El Drago Milenario (Dracaena draco)

Icod de Los Vinos is interesting not only for its “1000-year old Dragon Tree” (Dracaena draco – actually not half as old as that) set in an attractive park, but also for a number of places and buildings, including the Cáceres house in the square with the same name, and interesting vegetation, churches, restaurants and the newly opened Salón Geográfico de Canarias (Geographic Museum).

Punta de Teno lighthouse

Punta de Teno is the highlight of the Teno Rural Park, the north-westernmost tip of the island, where land and ocean meet and fight for attention – a most fascinating world’s end.

Masca is a small perched village where a long gorge starts descending to the ocean, a real challenge for hikers. 3 km south where the gorge ends Los Gigantes bluffs begin.

Puerto de la Cruz, our base camp, is a lively resort, although not quite so popular with young people as Playa de las Americas, in the South. Puerto Cruz has plenty of good hotels, restaurants and bars, countless shops and boutiques, attractive black sand beaches,


Playa Jardín

quaint corners and beautiful gardens. Our five-day stint was pleasant and exciting. Our hotel stood directly on the beach, one of the many multi-storey hotels built in the 1990s-2000s, and our comfortable room looked out on the ocean. The beach and the hotel pool looked very inviting, unfortunately the winter temperatures were too low for us. 

Castillo San Felipe

Next to the hotel was the Castillo San Felipe, in restoration, and the attractive Playa Jardín. A short walk from the hotel was the town centre; we reached Plaza del Charco with its numerous restaurants and bars walking through the pedestrian district of La Ranilla, recently renovated and filled with great locales. Just north of Plaza del Charco is the picturesque fisherman’s harbour. 

Ermita de San Telmo

If you continue in the same direction you reach the Ermita de San Telmo, a small, pretty catholic chapel surrounded by an equally pretty tropical garden; if you walk further east you come to Lago Martiánez, a public complex of saltwater pools designed by the Lanzarote artist César Manrique. Beyond it is the Playa de Martiánez, a surfers’ paradise.

Lago Martianez



Playa Martianez

Next a couple of recommendations for a good aperitif and/or good dinners.

- Puerto de la Cruz: Bar Agora for excellent mojitos, friendly staff and reliable wi-fi connection; Restaurante Régulo, for high-class cuisine and Restaurante La Cofradía for the freshest fish and seafood in town;

- Icod de los Vinos (north coast): Restaurante Carmen, with typical décor and genuine Tenerife cuisine;

- Costa Adeje (south coast): Restaurante Torre del Mirador, with magnificent setting and very lively atmosphere.


(C) DaniBlue
16th March 2015