Tour of th South
- The Tour in 360º
Telde - Valsequillo - Ingenio - Agüimes - Santa Lucía de Tirajana - San Bartolomé de Tirajana
Podcast: Telde (San Juan de Telde & San Francisco de Telde)
Podcast: Agüimes & Maspalomas
The Autovía Marítima de Gran Canaria joins up with the motorway GC-1 and heads towards the south of the island. This stretch of motorway, which hugs the eastern coast of the island, is characterised by a low-level coastline of sandy beaches which enjoy a warm, sunny climate only very occasionally interrupted by rainfall.
From the Gran Canaria capital, the main road leaves the airport on the left and comes to an end in the Puerto Rico tourist resort, on the Mogán coast, in the south-west. However, the road also takes us to the island’s most important southern beaches, miles before.
As in the previous tour, we would recommend the visitor to make several detours in order to explore some of the island´s inland attractions. Ten kilometres to the south of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the historical town of Telde, seat of one of the two pro-Hispanic kingdoms into which the island was once divided – the other was Gáldar. A must to visit in Telde is the peaceful old San Francisco district with its beautiful gardens, churches, convents and mansions built in Canarian style from quarried stone and featuring ornate wooden balconies. The San Juan district is also worth a visit as it boasts one of the Canary Islands´ largest parks. San Juan Church has a beautiful Flemish altarpiece and an image of Christ which dates from the sixteenth century and was crafted ny Mexican Indians using corn paste.
Telde was the site of the Canary Islands´ first Bishop´s see in the fourtenth century, following the conquest of the island. The town is rich in archaeological sites, such as the troglodyte settlement at Cuatro Puertas, on the road between the nearby towns of Ingenio and Agüimes. Valsequillo, natural edge of the middle lying area of Gran Canaria, is also worth visiting.
Of particular interest are the Iglesia de San Miguel (Saint Michael´s Church), the Cuartel del Colmenar, old building in restoration, and the district of Tenteniguada at the foot of the Roque del Saucillo. An excellent vantage point to view the abrupt cliffs and plains planted with strawberries and flowers is the Mirador del Helechal. Ingenio is predominantly agricultural and an important centre for handicrafts and a visit to its Museo de Piedra (Museum of Stone) is recommended. The town is named after an old sugar cane pressing machine, the ruins of which can still be seen today.
Agüimes is a more grandiose town, and in times past featured the island´s only feudal estate which belonged to the Church. The historical centre of the town is well worth a visit and is home to the Palacio Episcopal (the Bishop´s House). The parish church boasts a number of works by Luján Pérez and by anonymous artists. Ingenio and Agüimes are separated by the Barranco de Guayadeque (Guayadaque Ravine), a valley of stunning natural beauty which starts at some 1500 metres above sea level and runs down to the eastern coast of the island. Judging by the numerous archaeological sites and caves to be found in the ravine it would seem to have been an important centre of aboriginal population.
One very unusual attraction of the ravine is chapel hewn out of the rock face, as well as a number of cave bars and restaurants which have been adapted to the orography of this area. A noteworthy feature of the flora in the ravine, such as its cliff mallow bushes, is unique to Guayadeque
On the Ingenio and Agüimes coastline we can find the Playa de Vargas, which is very good for windsurfing, and the Playa del Cabrón, one of the best locations on the island for diving.
Returning to the Motorway, between Telde and Ingenio, we reach Bahía de Gando (Gando Bay) where Gran Canaria´s Airport is located. Inmediately afterwards we cross over into Santa Lucía de Tirajana, which can be divided into two main areas: the mountainous inland region and the coastline. The original town itself is inland, surrounded by ancient palm trees and reservoirs which make the area most pleasing to the eye. Along the coast the first beach we come to is Pozo Izquierdo, famous all over the world for hosting the World Windsurfing Championships, which are held every year in July. Pozo Izquierdo is also home to the Centro de Interpretación Marítima (Maritime Interpretation Center). Finally, between Santa Lucía and San Bartolomé de Tirajana lies the huge volcanic crater known as the Caldera de Tirajana. The crater lies at the head of the Barranco (Ravine) de Tirajana and boasts a wide variety of vegetation. Here we can obseve the so-called Risco Blanco (White Cliff) which stands out due to its height (400 metres) and pale colour.
The motorway finally leads us to the tourist area which begins at the Playa de Tarajalillo, home to the island´s flying club and the residential resort Bahía Feliz. After this we can find the beaches of Águila, San Agustín, Las Burras, El Inglés, Maspalomas and Meloneras, all fo which make up the tourist resort known as "Maspalomas Costa Canaria“ in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. Here we can find 17 kilometres of coastline with sand dunes such as those which surround the Maspalomas Oasis – area of palm trees fringing a salt-water lagoon which has recently been awarded the status of a natural protected area. The whole area of sand dunes covers some 400 hectares and provides a habitt for a number of plant species, some of which are only to be found in the Canary Islands, and which have managed to adapt to this harsh environment. The area is also home to several interesting species of birds and invertebrates. In the winter months the lagoon, which is known as the Charca, plays host and feeds to different species of migratoty birds arriving from Europe in route to África where they will spend the winter. The sand dunes can only be visited on foot or by camel.
One of the landmarks of the area is the lighthouse known as the Faro de Maspalomas. Standing some 65 metres high, it is located close to the Oasis. The numerous hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities in the area, amongst which there are two Water Theme Parks, an American West Theme Town and the lush, tropical Palmitos Park whose tropical birds and orchids provide a wonderful contrast to the empty sand dunes nearby. An eighteen-hole golf course and the fascinating Mundo Aborígen (Aboriginal World Theme Park) are two more outstanding features of the wealth of leisure opportunities available in this city devoted to relaxation. Furthermore, Maspalomas will soon become a major international congress centre as the Palacio de Congresos de Maspalomas, with a capacity for around 5000 visitors, has been recently opened.
