Canarian Coastlines of the North: Puerto de las Nieves & beyond

 

20111119_175009_medium
For visitors to Gran Canaria who prefer local alternatives to the mass-tourist resorts around Maspalomas in the South, the capital city of Las Palmas constitutes a perfect gateway for exploring treasures off the beaten track in the island´s center and north. From here we have previously set out to discover the Canarian Rum city of ARUCAS as well as the famous Sunday market of VEGA DE SAN MATEO. This time, we will continue to the far North of Gran canaria to explore its magnificent coastline featuring several prominent coastal communities including PUERTO DE LAS NIEVES and SARDINA.

20111119_170003_medium

What used to be rather poor fishing villages in the past have lately seen a significant influx of investment and visitors both local and foreign alike. Puerto de las Nieves, part of the city of AGAETE, in particular has undergone a true renaissance in recent years and nowadays boasts a pristine local Canarian ambience along its seaside promenade "PASEO DE LOS POETAS". Here we find colorful fishermen houses perched together on narrow cliffs, a small harbor full of small colorful fishing vessels, seafood restaurants, craft shops and galleries. In the distance on a clear day we may see the snow-capped peak of Mount Teide on Tenerife, which gave the name Puerto de las Nieves to the community.

20111119_153149_medium

Around the main square we find a small chapel featuring the treasure of a 16th century triptych, a Flemish piece of artwork in three parts by Joos Van Cleve depicting the Virgin and Child and carried to AGAETE Parish Church during the annual Fiesta de la Rama. Just past the attractive dark-sanded beach area, we find the DEDO DE DIOS (God´s Finger), a 30 meter pinnacle of basalt rock in front of the cliffs topped by the pine trees of PINAR DE TAMADABA. While the pinnacle was damaged during a recent tropical storm in 2005, it still is a remarkable sight and great photo stop.

20111119_170536_medium

After enjoying some tasty local CALDO DE PESCADO fish soup in one of the excellent eateries around the port, we continue our exploration of GRan canaria´s North towards the Lighthouse of SARDINA and the community of the same name. Sardina still ranks among the best kept secrets of the island´s fishing villages. An ideal destination for those seeking great local seafood dishes along with peace and tranquility, Sardina is among the most authentic of communities along the coast here. 

20111119_173556_medium

Leaving Galdar along local highway GC-202, we pass miles of white tents under which 6 types of bananas are cultivated before reaching Sardina itself. Directly by the port we find the local delicatessen restaurant LA FRAGATA specializing in seafood at reasonable prices. As of late, the coastal promenade of SARDINA has seen an influx of DIVERS on weekends who have discovered the waters around SARDINA as ideal diving territory. While locals are not too happy about the new arrivals, who tend to spend most of their time in the water rather than helping the local economy, the local attraction of diving in and around SARDINA has added publicity to this picturesque fishing village. Exploring the Northern Coastline of Gran Canaria allows visitors to savor a true piece of local Canarian living and culture - a far cry away from the sand beach and sea routine of package-deal tourists in the South.

20111119_171112_medium

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The "Porrat de San Antón" in Alicante

Image
ALICANTE - Guapa, Guapa y Guapa - is the new catch phrase chosen by Alicante Tourist Authorities for their new 2011 campaign, along with the subheading "Quiereme como yo te quiero a ti" (Love me as much as I love you). In deed, Alicante has come a long ways over the past decade or two in revamping its image from an ugly portside duckling to a shining Mediterranean jewel. Much remains to be done, but overall, the city is certainly on the right track. Despite hords of Northern European vacationers taking the city by storm in the summer, Alicante remains quintessentially Spanish with its own infrastructure, traditions and celebrations. No better way to pay tribute to the spirit and beauty of Alicante than to introduce one of its major local festivals, the "Porrat de San Anton". Spain is known for its many festivities year-round from the bull run of San Fermines in Pamplona to the Fallas fireworks in Valencia. Yet many holidays and festivals are of a more loca
Read more

Beaches and Ruins on the Mayan Riviera I: Playa del Carmen

Image
With the war on drugs raging in many parts of the nation particularly in are as close to the U.S. border, tourism to Mexico has equally been adversely affected with many visitors questioning their personal safety in light of exagerated media coverage on the ongoing battle between drug cartels. For visitors that actually do venture south of the border (if coming from the U.S.), almost all tourist areas are perfectly safe, offer great value for money and unforgettable scenery, pristine beaches and unique cutural and architectural treasures. The most popular resort areas to visit would include the Baja Peninsula, the Pacific Coast around Puerto Vallarta as well as the Mayan Riviera on the Yucatan Peninsula. Among those destinations, the Yucatan may be by far the most popular and most crowded, as in addition to North American visitors, Europeans equally flock here in high numbers mostly from France, Italy and the Benelux. The best advice to arriving passengers here would be to leave
Read more