No. 10 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine
Rutas, recomendaciones y noticias de Gran Canaria Routes, tips and news about Gran Canaria
Rutas, recomendaciones y noticias de Gran Canaria
Routes, tips and news about Gran Canaria
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56<br />
DISCOVER GRAN CANARIA I DESCUBRE GRAN CANARIA Nº <strong>10</strong><br />
EAST ROUTE<br />
The east of <strong>Gran</strong> <strong>Canaria</strong> has a unique coastline, where gentle slopes fuse with steep<br />
ravines, lending a certain mystery and identity to the beaches, accentuated by the<br />
area’s windy conditions and its crystal clear waters. There are five municipalities, each<br />
with their own enchanting beaches, a rich archaeological heritage and a culture with<br />
deep-rooted Canary tradition that make up this fascinating route, one not to be missed.<br />
Our journey starts in Las Palmas de <strong>Gran</strong> <strong>Canaria</strong>, and continues at the island’s former<br />
capital, Telde, before moving on to Valsequillo, Ingenio and Agüimes. Don’t forget to<br />
bring your swimming gear, and dare to dive in to this adventure with us. You won’t<br />
regret it.<br />
1. Las Palmas de <strong>Gran</strong> <strong>Canaria</strong> ■ 2. Telde ■ 3. Valsequillo ■ 4. Ingenio ■ 5. Agüimes<br />
Las Palmas de <strong>Gran</strong> <strong>Canaria</strong><br />
1. Las Palmas de <strong>Gran</strong> <strong>Canaria</strong><br />
Our first port of call is around the historical<br />
streets and façades of the district<br />
of Vegueta, featuring buildings<br />
such as the Santa Ana Cathedral, the<br />
Casas Consistoriales council offices,<br />
the Episcopal Palace and the Casa Regental,<br />
which were the first to spring<br />
up in the fledging capital city. Other<br />
emblematic constructions with quite<br />
stunning architecture and of cultural<br />
relevance are: Plaza de Santo Domingo<br />
and Plaza del Espíritu Santo, the<br />
Canary Museum, the Columbus House<br />
Museum and the Atlantic Modern<br />
Art Centre (CAAM).<br />
On the opposite side to Vegueta, separated<br />
by the Guiniguada ravine, is<br />
the district of Triana. This area is home<br />
to the Pérez Galdós Theatre, the Hotel<br />
Madrid, the Gabinete Literario, the<br />
Pérez Galdós House Museum and<br />
the modernist Quegles palace, from<br />
where we can access the long pedestrian<br />
street of Calle Mayor de Triana,<br />
which opens out in San Telmo.<br />
This is the picture postcard area of<br />
the city and is a wonderful place for<br />
a stroll, although there is always a<br />
lot of hustle and bustle going on, as<br />
it constitutes one of the city’s main<br />
shopping areas. Leaving behind Triana,<br />
we continue along Paseo de Tomás<br />
Morales as far as the El Obelisco<br />
or Plaza de la Constitución. Here, we<br />
turn down towards the beach where<br />
we come to Plaza de la Feria and admire<br />
its surroundings, where we can<br />
catch a glimpse of the monument in<br />
honour of Benito Pérez Galdós, the island’s<br />
most internationally renowned<br />
writer.<br />
At the heart of the capital its the oldest<br />
hotel, the iconic Hotel Santa<br />
Catalina, and the Néstor Museum,<br />
which displays the majority of the<br />
work of artist Néstor Martín-Fernández<br />
de la Torre. This area also features<br />
the gardens at Doramas Park, which<br />
combines the Pueblo Canario with<br />
endemic plant species. <strong>Its</strong> waterfalls<br />
and extensive vegetation invite us to<br />
sit back and relax following our brief<br />
visit to the capital.<br />
As we move out of this enclave,<br />
we look over to the Sports Marina,<br />
which culminates in Las Alcaravaneras<br />
beach and the shopping area of<br />
Mesa y López. Along the promenade<br />
leading to the Port, we are treated to<br />
stunning views as we cross Santa Catalina<br />
Park, featuring the Elder Science<br />
Museum and the Miller Building.<br />
Our walk finally opens out onto the<br />
immense Las Canteras beach, which<br />
stretches for three kilometres from<br />
the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus to La Isleta,<br />
joined up by a long promenade.<br />
This is an ideal spot to watch the sun<br />
go down, an essential treat for all visitors<br />
to <strong>Gran</strong> <strong>Canaria</strong>.<br />
2. Telde<br />
<strong>10</strong> kilometres to the south of the capital<br />
is Telde, famous for its many archaeological<br />
remains, reflecting its<br />
important role as one of the orginal<br />
aboriginal kingdoms. The region has<br />
settlements at Baladero, Tufia, Cuatro<br />
Puertas, Tara and Cendro, providing<br />
us with a fascinating insight into the<br />
lives of the islanders' ancestors.<br />
The settlements of Cendro, Tara and<br />
Baladero are made up of sets of cave<br />
houses, with Baladero being one of<br />
the most important sacred sites in<br />
aboriginal culture, while Tufia is the<br />
largest settlement of them all.<br />
Meanwhile, the town centre of Telde<br />
is an essential place to visit, with<br />
its two main neighbourhoods, San<br />
Juan and San Francisco. The former is<br />
home to the church of San Juan Bautista<br />
and the Plaza Mayor, which contains<br />
the main council and religious<br />
buildings. Two other places not to be<br />
missed here are the León y Castillo<br />
House Museum and Rincón Plácido<br />
Fleitas. The narrow and splintered<br />
streets of the district of San Francisco<br />
are characterised by gabled tile roofs<br />
and long whitewashed walls that are<br />
interspersed with cobbled streets.<br />
We can stop here to take a look at the<br />
Church of San Francisco.<br />
We now turn our attention to the<br />
coast, with beautiful cliffs and crushed<br />
lava beaches, which are a delight.<br />
The coastline is packed with family<br />
beaches such as La Garita, Salinetas<br />
and Melenara, as well as other more<br />
mysterious and wild beaches such<br />
as Playa del Cura, Playa del Hombre,<br />
Aguadulce and Tufia. We say farewell<br />
to Telde from any one of these charming<br />
settings, after having sampled<br />
some typical cuisine, with fish and<br />
seafood among its main ingredients.<br />
3. Valsequillo<br />
Valsequillo offers us a tour around<br />
the church of San Miguel, the Benito<br />
Pérez Galdós Municipal Library and El<br />
Colmenar barracks, which constitute<br />
one of the municipality's most important<br />
historic heritage sites, given Site<br />
of Cultural Interest status by the Government<br />
of the Canariy Islands.<br />
However, the real attraction of this<br />
municipality is its landscapes, which<br />
constitute a high ecological value.<br />
We refer to Barranco de Los Cerníca-