GRAN CANARIA: Short trip to a warmer climate

Gran Canaria was not on my travelling radar until my sis invited me. But how can one turn down a few days in a subtropical climate after endless weeks of hesitant Spring in London? Sis has already sorted the itinerary and booked the hotels and I only need to get my flights. She arrives early on Tuesday and flies back early on Saturday, and I arrive late on Tuesday and return late on Saturday. That gives us three full days for exploring and catching up.
My prior knowledge of Las Islas Canarias can be summarised in three terms: volcanic archipelago, canary birds, and the recent demonstrations. These islands off the African coast were created by volcanic eruptions, the small colourful birds kept as pets in Croatia originate from here and the English news is overflowing with features of protests against tourists from the British Isles (I am going to use my Croatian passport, anyway…) Nevertheless, the islands were not named after the birds, but because of large dogs that – apparently – Europeans found when they arrived and thus named them in Latin Canariae Insulae…
At the exit of the Las Palmas airport, I am greeted with grey skies and a rather uncomfortable wind. Not sure why I am surprised, as it is a well-known fact that islands attract winds of various strengths and directions. I take the bus towards Las Palmas. The night is descending on the island, the sea is turning into a dark shade of blue and the road is lined with derelict houses and factories, and signs for shopping centres. At first, Gran Canaria does not look like a tourist destination. I get off at the Station of Parque San Telmo. Our hotel, The Sercotel Parque Hotel, overlooks this charming park, adorned with huge magnolias and palm trees that create natural parasols, and with a small chapel dedicated to San Telmo at the far end. I drop my bag in the hotel, and we head out to find something to eat.
The historic street of Calle Mayor de Triana starts by the chapel of San Telmo, and we find a little eatery called Cristal in a side street. The evening is warm enough to sit outside. We order fried calamari with chips and a mixed salad, sea-food paella and two small beers, the cañas. The streets are pleasantly calm, the food is delicious, and it only comes to 25 euros…



DAY 1 - Tour with Pavel

For our first full day in Gran Canaria, we book a comprehensive eight-hour tour of the island via Viator. We grab coffees and pastries with cream at the café in the Station San Telmo and then head to the meeting point, just outside the station. There are ten of us on the tour and our guide is called Pavel. He is experienced, knowledgeable, and rather cheeky. When it comes to other people on the tour, we talk to a well-travelled American couple from Kentucky who have sailed around the Croatian islands and eat in KFC in every country they visit, which I think it is a very cool thing to do. And a young and talented couple of paediatric specialists (a neurosurgeon and oncologist) from Lima who are here for a conference.



Pavel tells us about the past and present of Gran Canaria and other islands of the archipelago, its exotic flora and fauna and unique culinary flavours. In no time we leave the urban scene and are driving through a dramatic and breathtaking landscape left behind by volcanic eruptions. From the Mirador Pico de Bandama we take in the first sights of the craters and the fertile valley beneath, the Bandama Caldera. Here we learn the fascinating story of the man who spent all his life in the house of the bottom of the crater. As we drive further toward the village of Santa Brígida, we glance at the cave houses dating to pre-Hispanic times. In the village – a picturesque and quaint hamlet – we visit the church of Santa Brígida and learn the stories of the two Brígidas; the Irish one and the Swedish one. The statue by the altar represents both. In her right hand is a flower, honouring the virginal Irish saint and in her left hand is a book, representing the scholarly Swedish one. Pavel tells us about the reason why the local folk preferred celebrating their Saint in summer, on the 23 July, which is the Swedish Brígida’s day, rather than Irish Brígida’s day of 1 February. Of course, everyone likes a summer party, and it is easier to bring cattle to the market in sunnier conditions… Although – isn’t the weather always warm on this island?
For the next couple of hours, we drive up vertiginous and bending roads with sharp drops that require a resistant stomach. I don’t usually suffer from any form of travel sickness, but this natural rollercoaster makes me feel queasy.
The small villages randomly scattered across the hilly and hostile volcanic slopes and hollows look incredibly isolated. For some of them we cannot figure out how one can even reach them. The legend says that the first inhabitants of Gran Canaria were Berbers from the Atlas Mountain, but no historian has managed to figure out how they came over. Berbers are people of the land, not sea… The first source of income for Canarians was sugar cane, then it was wine, then carmine or the natural dye extracted from cacti with the help of the cochineal bugs (used in cosmetic, textile, food industries), and today the main industry is tourism.
Our next stop is Pico de las Nieves, the highest peak on the island with the breathtaking views of the mysterious rocks of Roque Nublo surrounded by desiccated slopes and randomly scattered pine and palm trees.



By the time we reach San Bartolomé de Tirajana around midday, the temperature has crossed the 30 degrees mark, and the sun is too strong for my pale skin. The Museo Etnográfico Casa de los Yánez is a historical house dedicated to the memory of the local doctor Manuel Zenón Araña and a showcase of the life of rich Canarians at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. All the rooms, both on the ground and the first floor, open to a small courtyard centred around an orange tree. The kitchen is a separate outbuilding and further back there is also a self-standing bread baking kiln. My favourite room is the surgery room, still as it was in the days of Doctor Manuel.



By now we crave nutrition and, luckily, Pavel has it all planned and organised. He hands us the menu in the bus and texts our orders to the restaurant El Labrador in Fataga. As soon as we arrive, our dishes are served (by Pavel, of course). Sis and I order a portion of ropa vieja – it translates to “old clothes” and its name originally meant a mixture of the previous day’s leftovers, but it developed into an independent dish with chickpeas, peppers and shredded chicken in a light sauce with paprika seasoning – and one of fish and chips. Slices of fish are coated in a layer of gofio, local flour made of roasted grains, a staple of Canarian cuisine. Delicious.




From here we head to the southern point of the island and the last stop of the tour, Las Dunas de Maspalomas. The scenery becomes more beigey and desolate. Sis and I are returning tomorrow, so instead of the dunes, we visit the lighthouse and grab coffees with a side plate of miniature cakes (courtesy of the waiter) in the Café Waikiki. The cafés and bars are crowded and if feels like the height of the season.




DAY 2 – Scones and Dunes

The sunrises in the Gran Canaria are later than we expected and by the time we open our curtains around seven it is still dark. The morning is windy and coldish. We are surprised by the oscillations in temperature. In a few minutes it can raise or fall by five, six, seven degrees Celsius.
For breakfast we stop in Cafetería Nardi. The small pastries with cream and chocolate fillings are delicious, and so are the coffees. After a prolonged and enjoyable breakfast, we go to the Mercado de Vegueta, known for its fruit and vegetable stalls. We take in the smells and the colours of an impressive variety of locally grown exotic fruits and are treated to free apricots by a persuasive fruit seller. Oh my; these are the sweetest and juiciest apricots we’ve ever had.



Just around the corner is the Casa de Colón, where Christopher Columbus stayed in 1492 while his ship was repaired. Today a museum, it displays maps of the world, the routes of Columbus’s four voyages to America, a replica of a cabin in his ship, numerous navigation instruments, model ships as well as works by artists that resided on or were connected to the island. Regardless of its most famous visitor, this building is fascinating in its own right, from its meticulously decorated façade to its elegant internal balconies and carved wooden ceilings.
From San Telmo Station we take the bus to Maspalomas. But – first a coffee and a serrano ham sandwich (bocadillo con jamón) in the station café that has somehow become my favourite place after two visits. The two women working there – no doubt a mother and daughter – are loud, funny and cheerful. Scores of people are coming and going, stopping for a quick snack or coffee, grabbing bocadillos or pastries to go or simply asking for directions.



The number 30 bus is almost full and there are only three seats left for people along the way. The sky is of a murky grey colour, something I am not used to see unless there is a threat of imminent rain, which does not seem to be the case here. It takes us approximately one hour to reach Maspalomas on the southern end of the island. In contrast to the north, here the skies are blue, the sun unbearably bright and the temperatures are reaching 30 degrees. Too early for check-in, we sit by the swimming pool of the hotel Labranda Bronze Playa and read, until we are interrupted by a confident and smooth tomcat. He climbs on our loungers and demands cuddles. And then, in an extremely forward Latino manner, he climbs on my sis’s lap and rubs his nose against her chin, preventing her from getting up. We name him Julio.



Two places are on our to-do-list for the afternoon: The English Bakery Café and the Dunas de Maspalomas. My sis who lives in Italy is rather partial to British scones and a visit to the quintessentially English café cannot be missed. It takes us nearly an hour on foot, but it is well worth it. The scones – a plain one for me and chocolate chips for my sis, both with clotted cream and strawberry jam – I must admit, are one of the best I ever had.
Maspalomas is a massive playground for tourists from the colder climates. From the languages I overhear, most visitors are from Germany, the UK and the Scandinavian countries. The city is a maze of large hotels, holiday apartments, steak houses and shopping centres.



The Dunes of Maspalomas are a vast area of sandy mounds that stretch from the lighthouse to the Playa del Ingles. This protected natural area has a dedicated path recommended for viewing. However, the path has been swamped by a heap of sand and one has to climb onto the sandy hills. We remove our shoes and continue barefoot. The sand is hot and restless, our feet are slipping, and sudden gusts of gentle wind blow beigey powder into our faces. Walking in the dunes is exhausting. It is an enjoyable and unique experience but draining too. The Dunes are also a rather liberal place, and we encounter many nudists sandbathing, cuddling, kissing… When we finally reach the beach, we have just about enough energy to refresh our feet in the cold waves of the ocean…



DAY 3 – Puerto de Mogán & back to Las Palmas

After breakfast we head to Puerto de Mogán, a fishing village highly recommended by all guides to the island. No doubt everyone read the same endorsement, as the 32 bus (and there are rather frequent) is overcrowded, all seating and standing places taken.
The first thing we see in Puerto de Mogán is the market stretching from the bus station to the centre and then snaking around the port. It sells just about everything; from local aloe vera products and leather and wooden goods to large amounts of cheap clothing suitable for a hot climate. The port is charming in an exotic, escapist way. Houses are quite petite, surrounded with large palm trees and bright coloured flowers and facing a luxurious marina. Further along there are many restaurants and bars and the whole place is heaving. We sit in the café on the corner and enjoy delicious mango and peach juices, organic and locally produced.



By early afternoon, we are back in Maspalomas and having lunch in a little restaurant by the hotel called Debby’s Bar. The other patrons appear to be trying to cure their hangovers with a full English or German breakfast. We opt for cheese and ham toasties with a side of aioli. Either they put more garlic in the aioli in Gran Canaria or the local garlic is extremely potent, but the taste stays for us for hours. Anyway, garlic is healthy, and the smell will keep everyone and everything away from us…
While we wait for the bus to Las Palmas, a taxi driver stops and offers us a ride to the airport for the reduced price of 25 Euros. No gracias, no vamos al Aeropuerto. The older man who is also waiting for a bus, explains that this is the low season, and taxi drivers are desperate. The present-day economy of this island – and the other islands of the archipelago – is dependent on tourism. After seeing the overwhelming number of hotels in Maspalomas, I do not understand the recent protests against tourists, as presented in the British media. If the profits of tourism do not reach the poorest people, it is the local and national government’s fault, not tourists…
For the last night in Gran Canaria we are staying in AC Marriot Iberia, close to the Library of Las Palmas. The swimming pool is on the roof, but as it is too windy and too hot, we prefer the pleasant coolness of our room. Later in the afternoon we head to Castillo de la Luz, a fortress dating back to 1478 situated on the other side of the town. We do not go inside as it is nearing closing time. Instead, we look for a place to eat along the promenade by the Playa de Las Canteras. People are playing volleyball on the sand, strolling in all directions or sipping a glass of vino or a cerveza at one of many terraces. The day is gently turning into an orange dusk and the wind is getting colder. In bar El Campesino we have our dinner of a prawn and sweet potato salad, ropa vieja con pulpo and a cazuelita canaria (a plate of fried chorizo over potatoes covered in a red peppery sauce). For pudding we share a slice of cheesecake with red berries sauce. This was the most flavoursome food of our tour of Gran Canaria. Everything was divine.
We decide to walk back to the hotel. Yes, it is nearly five kilometres, but after all the food we ate, a ‘not-so-brisk’ walk is just what we need…



DAY 4 – Anthropology & Modern Art

To catch her early flight to Rome, sis leaves before seven. A few hours later, I go for breakfast to the Pastelería artesanal Ave. The pastry with chocolate is soft and tasty and the double espresso extremely strong. The place is frequented by mothers and daughters of various ages, and a group of cyclists in full cycling gear no doubt getting ready for a day of two-wheeled exercise. I do not stay long. I still need to pack before checking out.
Shortly after midday, I walk down Calle Mayor de Triana, the Oxford Street of Las Palmas, and pop into a few shops. I try a cheap summer dress, made of light fabric and wild colourful patterns one can only find in places with endless summers. When I want to pay, the shop assistant is nowhere to be found. I wait two minutes. I wait another two minutes. But, there is still no one in the shop and I have no time to waste. After leaving the dress on the counter, I slowly walk out still hoping someone notices me and calls me back...



I have two museums of my list before heading to the airport – Museo Canario and Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, also known as CAAM. Museo Canario is rather empty. The chatty ticketer encourages my hablar Espanol. And that is another thing I really like about Spanish-speaking countries; regardless of my level of Spanish and the mistakes I make, they always encourage me and never switch to English. The archaeological and anthropological museum gives a comprehensive introduction to the indigenous people who lived on the island before the invasion of the Castellanos. They lived either in dry stone dwellings that remind me of the Istrian stone cottages called “kažun”, or in the caves. They kept goats and pigs and grew wheat and barley. I am particularly intrigued by the tanning of leather and the spinning of jute into rough threads and the impressive selection of locally unearthed mummies and skulls.



I leave the museum and I walk through deserted and quiet streets, looking for a place to eat. El Deseo in Vegueta serves Canarian cuisine and I order a starter of aubergines in a tomato and cheese sauce and a plate of fried calamari. The aubergine dish is delicious, but the calamari take too long to arrive and are overfried.
Next is the CAAM. Huge empty spaces with white walls and open staircases. Large canvases are struggling under the weight of extreme layers of paint and chaotically geographical shapes. Various elements of everyday life are arranged into unusual pieces. The photographic and video exhibits demonstrate artists’ fights against all forms of inequality. I leave happy and artistically fulfilled. Now I need to collect my bag and head to the airport for the late flight back to London…
With its sharp contrast between the northern and the southern part of the islands, between Las Palmas as the centre of the local government and businesses and Maspalomas as a playground for tourists in need of sea, sand and sun, between the coastal places and the desolated inland with breathtaking volcanic craters, Gran Canaria provided us with a perfect location for a short break in a warm climate…