We had left Maspalomas in the late afternoon, to already drive a bit into the mountains, as we were eager to explore the peaks of Gran Canaria next. We stopped at the Mirador de la Degollada de las Yeguas for the night. Many people came there for sunset and stayed until it was completely dark and a myriad of stars were shining in the sky.
The next morning the weather was perfect, and we continued our way to the centre of Gran Canaria.
We stopped at Llanos de la Pez, where we found a parking along the road, exactly where our hike to the highest peak of Gran Canaria, the Pico de las Nieves with 1,949 metres, started. Actually, the highest peak is the rock next to it, called Morro de la Agujereada with 1,956 metres, which is only reachable for rock climbers.
The Pico de las Nieves is easily reachable, as a road leads up. Cyclers, bikers, and many tourists come here, to enjoy the view in all directions.
A snack-van at the parking provided us with a cool drink, which we enjoyed at the peak, before we continued our hike. Our next destination was the Ventana del Roque Nublo.
We had spotted the Roque Nublo already during our hike. It is the third-highest point of Gran Canaria and stands 80 metres tall on a plateau, formed by a volcanic eruption around 4.5 million years ago. Behind it, the Teide of Tenerife was clearly visible, and we even saw La Gomera in the distance.
On a small path, we found our way to the Ventana del Roque Nublo, a natural arch, which frames perfectly the view of the rock in the distance.
Roque Nublo came again and again into view, while we hiked back to our parking.
a type of Wallflower – native to the Canary Islands
While driving down the mountains in the north, we stopped at a lovely restaurant, where more local dishes like sopa del berros (watercress soup) were served (El Rincón de Cueva Grande). We continued to the Caldera de Bandama, where we spent the night with a great view into the crater. The next day, we had only enough time to hike a bit around the crater, but soon had to leave to reach our ferry to Fuerteventura. More from our 6th island soon.
