No. 12 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

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GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA Nº 12
Tejeda, one Spain’s most beautiful villages
Tejeda is a municipality located in the interior of the island of Gran Canaria, at an altitude of around 1,000
metres. It can be said that it is practically in the centre of the island, at the foot of the sacred Roque Nublo.
There are places where time seems to stand still.
Tejeda is undoubtedly one of them. Considered
one of Spain’s most beautiful villages and named
a few years ago as the first rural wonder of Spain,
Tejeda sits at the heart of Gran Canaria. And although
being one of the prettiest villages in Spain
may seem a reckless claim, this is an objective
fact provided by the Association of Spain’s Most
Beautiful Villages, which has included Tejeda in
its popular and prestigious list as a full member
of its select network.
Tejeda is an immense volcanic basin that appears
to be closer to the sky than it is to the earth. It is
crowned, imposingly and undaunted by the passage
of time, by the Roque Nublo, an icon of the
identity of the people of Gran Canaria. In the middle
stands Roque Bentayga, one of the last aboriginal
bastions prior to the definitive conquest of
the island by the Castilians. The writer and philosopher
Miguel de Unamuno, on contemplating
such an image at the beginning of the 20th century,
described it as a ‘petrified storm’. The deep
ravines and steep slopes make Caldera de Tejeda
a place worth contemplating and enjoying.
Throughout history, Tejeda’s inhabitants have
adapted to their natural surroundings, settling in
places where water flowed naturally or near the
beds of the aforementioned ravines. In this way,
with endless sacrifices, they cut out steps in the
middle of the hillsides in the form of terraces for
farming.
The village of Tejeda, with its beautiful streets
that look out into infinity, looks like something
out of a children's fairy tale. Every corner is a photograph,
every nook and cranny is just perfect to
stop and contemplate its beauty. It is also a place
that is extremely hospitable to its visitors, as locals
are well used to receiving thousands of tourists
every year. These are tourists who make the
effort to come to the centre of the island with the
intention of spending a different kind of day out,
enjoying Canary culture to the maximum.
There is no place on the island that boasts as
much tradition as Tejeda: from livestock and agriculture,
to the production of cheese as a means of
subsistence and the great musical roots of its inhabitants.
This last factor has turned the Canarian
people into an extrovert and affectionate people
who enjoy sharing their songs and festivities with
visitors. The timple (a type of guitar) is the most
representative instrument in Canarian folklore
and is, of course, the main protagonist.
There is no parranda street party without gastronomy,
of which there is also a huge range. Tejeda is
particularly famous for its almond trees, especially
during these months of the year, but it is also
famous for its wines, cheeses and confectionary.
Indeed, since tourism started to become popular
in the village, there are several restaurants offering
the finest Canarian food.
In addition to the beautiful village itself, where
it is almost mandatory to take a leisurely stroll
through its streets, a visit to Tejeda should always
include the Parador de la Cruz de Tejeda, the hotel
located seven kilometres from the village at
an altitude of 1,560 metres in a stunning mountain
location, and the geographical epicentre of
the island of Gran Canaria. The Roque Nublo and
Roque Bentayga rocks are also a must see, as although
they are clearly visible from almost anywhere
in Tejeda, getting close to their rocky walls
is still a rewarding and unusual experience.
In addition to several interesting museums, Tejeda
is home to the unique and incomparable
Medicinal Plant Museum, a 5,000 m2 centre designed
to recover and disseminate the close relationship
between man and nature through the
medicinal use of plants, their remedies and beliefs.
Roque Nublo
Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Socorro