No. 17 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

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GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA Nº 17
Tufia, a 250m 2 peninsula that has everything
By Mathias Valles
Tufia is usually the kind of place that you stumble
across by chance, en route to other places, on your
way to another part of the island, or sometimes
when you take a wrong turning trying to follow
GPS directions. In any case, whoever visits this
place neither forgets it nor is left unaffected by its
charms.
We are talking about a very small and picturesque
fishing village, one of those that you fall in love
with, set on a tiny peninsula on an ancient volcanic
cone, where its white houses are touched by the
ocean at high tide. It is perfect for a swim, enjoying
a stroll through its few streets of homogeneous
colours, and visitors can observe the way of life of
its inhabitants while breathing the calmness that
this place exudes.
The most striking thing we see is how a large number
of houses were once built on the seafront,
something that would be unthinkable today, which
is why this area is very authentic and yet not at all
touristy.
Nobody would think that this village in the southeast
of Gran Canaria, hidden away on the side of
the GC-1 motorway, hides a beautiful cove of crystal
clear water, unique in the area, full of vertiginous
cliffs, and has an archaeological site with caves
over the sea and a black sand beach with a privileged
seabed, full of life and offering excellent conditions
for diving or snorkelling.
There are many cave houses carved into the volcanic
rock on which this charming village lies, a
village that seems to have been plucked from another
era. In fact, Tufia was only connected to the
electricity grid in 1997, so what more can we expect
from an area covering just 250 square metres?
Getting to Tufia is very straightforward. It is located
in the municipality of Telde, very close to the
airport. Just take exit 13 (towards El Goro) on the
motorway from the south towards Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria, and on the right a road indicates our
destination. A short drive along the 3 km of road
will take us to this idyllic fishing village.
The first thing we see when we arrive at one of two
main centres that the coastal town of Tufia is divided
into is precisely what we are looking for: a large,
well signposted car park, the perfect spot from
where we can walk through its streets and beaches.
From the car park we take a walk 50 metres along
Bajamar street until we reach the tiny Our Lady of
Milagrosa hermitage, from there only another 25
metres along the beautiful leeward promenade
separates us from Tufia beach, providing one of
the most beautiful and colourful picture postcard
images of the village, the white houses. Their light
blue or green window frames and doors contrast
with the black sand and rocks of the beach that
reach the foot of the houses, and finally the colourful
fishermen's boats anchored in the blue ocean
make this as bright a picture as possible. All these
ingredients provide the recipe for one of the most
beautiful panoramic views of this magical village.
Tufia boasts a very important archaeological heritage.
To the left of the entrance to the village we
come to the entrance to the indigenous settlement
of Tufia, currently marked off by a metal fence that
prevents free access. Inside are the remains of an
ancient settlement containing dwellings, caves, a
necropolis, and stone structures that are yet to be
defined and remain under archaeological study. It
is a site that was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument
in 1973 under the name of Ruins of the Prehistoric
Town of Tufia, thanks to the excavations
and archaeological studies that have been carried
out since 1943. There is also a very curious geological
formation that been shaped by the action
of the sea, in the form of fossil dunes a few dozen
metres from the shore.
A study carried out on the rock structures, as well
as on the materials recovered from this ancient indigenous
settlement, reveals that for the current
neighbours of Tufia as well as for the pre-Hispanic
settlers of the area, the marine environment, fishing
and shell-fishing have always had a fundamental
importance that has remained intact over
time.
Enjoying this quiet yet wild space may sound a
somewhat clichéd, but that is basically what we
should go to this small peninsula for, just to enjoy
the simple life. Visitors who do not like beaches
where there are no leisure activities or mod cons
need not waste their time coming, as both the
cove of Aguadulce and Tufia beach contain no
sports, changing rooms, showers or restaurant
facilities. Despite the fact that the houses are located
practically on the edge of the village beach
there is no chiringuito bar except in the summer,
so we can prepare our own snacks and drinks before
we set out to make our visit more complete.