After the intense summer heat, we were in search of some cooler weather. The weather forecast predicted rain, so it was the perfect day for an adventure in the Gran Canaria mountains.
A quick stop at Primark in El Mirador Shopping Center, Telde was needed first. After an hour of browsing the shops, it was clear there had been a bit of a downpour in Telde as all the floors were wet.
Jumping in the car, we set out for Tafira with the intention of heading inland from there via San Mateo.
As the rain came down, the trees released the lovely fresh smell of eucalyptus, the plants and flora looked very green and lush. With the low cloud and temperature drop, I was glad of the sweater that I had purchased earlier on in Primark.
It was around 16ºC degrees at Cruz de Tejeda and raining lightly. Hotel Parador de Tejeda was the perfect place for a bathroom break then we were on our way again, headed to Artenara, that you may remember we visited on Canary Islands Day in May.
Artenara the village with the most altitude in Gran Canaria, has a special cave restaurant called Mirador La Cilla. There is a very impressive statue of Jesus Christ on the hill above the restaurant which looks over the village. From inside the restaurant the view is spectacular and a really nice setting for lunch.
After lunch we carried on our Gran Canaria adventure following the signs for Lugarejos, winding roads led us to the beautiful Presa de Lugarejos, guarded by a lush pine forest.
Carrying on through the small rural roads we began to get a great view of Mt. Teide and the silhouette of Tenerife in the direction of Agaete.
On arriving in Agaete, I could hardly believe that not 2 hours ago I had needed a sweater, as we were welcomed by blue sky, big fluffy clouds and sunshine. There were plenty of people enjoying the day in Las Salinas natural volcanic pools.
The promenade of Agaete provided a great place to stretch our legs and take in the scenery plus a bit of sunshine! The backdrop of the Dragon's Tail mountains is just stunning. You can get a spectacular view of this from Anden Verde, the viewing platform on the cliff top.
It's great to relax on the beach but Gran Canaria has some wonderful hidden treasures that you will only see if you get out of the main resorts and explore.
I recommend you hire a rent a car and find your version of Gran Canaria. All of the photos in this blog post were taken on the same day out, so you feel different seasons in one day, plus those secret corners of the island that other blogs won't tell you about. 😉
(This post was originally published on Gran Canaria Blog 28th August 2013)
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