Are you visiting Gran Canaria and you want to see all the wonders that the island has to offer ? but you have no idea where to start planning? We are here to help you out! In this blog we will give you some insights on different road trip routes on Gran Canaria ?.

Road trip 1: around the island  

The first of our road trip routes on Gran Canaria that I highly recommend is a route along the coast of the island ?. In this route you take the GC-1, GC-2 and the GC-200, you take the coastline roads and you will see the most amazing views of Tenerife, the mountain ranges and the nature that Gran Canaria has to offer.

The GC-200 is known as one of the most beautiful coastal roads ? in Spain. The combination of the mountain range on one side and the cliffs and ocean view on the other side, makes the road unique. 

We suggest the following stops: 

• Starting point: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria → we decided to start with the South, but you can do it the way around
• Stop in Anfi, Puerto Rico or Mogan
• Head from Mogan to La Aldea
• Stop in Playa de la Aldea, you can also have your lunch there. Super tip: no reservation needed, all the restaurants offer local food and are delish
• Continue to Mirador del Balcón 
• If you still have energy, you can definitely stop in Agaete (puerto) 
• When finishing your road trip, visit one of the natural pools ?. If you decide to check the natural pool in Galdar, you will drive through different plantations of bananas which are pretty cool 🙂

This route is the most common route to take and the route where you will see the most locations. Of course it is always possible to adapt the route to your ‘must-see’ list. 

• 

• 

Road trip 2: through the middle 

The second of our road trip routes on Gran Canaria will take you through the mountains ⛰. 

The inside of the island is very mountainous, so there is also a big height difference and the roads are proper mountain roads. These roads will take you to the most amazing viewpoints and fresh forests ?. 

*note*: bring a sweater or jacket as it can be cold in the mountains.

The views on the route to the top are incredible, plus, on the route to the top there are several viewpoints where you will be able to stop. Keep an eye out ? for them because they are all worth stopping. 

Here are the TOP locations where you should stop:

• Roque Nublo: there is a small hike from the car park to the viewpoint of Roque Nublo. Personally this is my favorite viewpoint of the island, so I would 100% recommend you to do this hike. Have a look at the second point of this blog for photo ideas. 
• Pico de las Nieves
• Tejeda (Cruz de Tejeda): the town of Tejeda is adorable. There are several local restaurants and stores where you can get delicious food: We highly recommend you stop in Dulcería Nublo and get “una palmera de chocolate”, have some home made ice cream in the ice cream shop La Lexe and try some traditional Canarian food in the restaurant Gayfa. 
• La Cesta: this is the famous basket where you can sit in (you have probably seen it on Instagram). It is definitely worth a visit as you have an amazing view and if you are visiting it in spring, there is a very nice waterfall very near it.
• When driving back home, you can also stop in San Mateo. This town is famous for its cheese, so make sure you try some on the way down the mountain. 

Road trip 3: culture and history  

In this road trip route on Gran Canaria that we will tell you is on the east side of the island, it contains the locations:

• Barranco de Guayadeque: check out Restaurante Tagoror for an authentic meal and a unique view.
• Barranco de las Vacas 
• Salinas de Tenefé

This road trip is perfect for people that enjoy the history and culture of the island ?. Barranco de Guayadeque is a historical location where you have the cave houses, and Barranco de las Vacas is a location which makes you feel like you aren’t on the island anymore but somewhere in the US.

Road trip 4: The towns and Volcanoes of Gran Canaria

In the last road trip route on Gran Canaria we will take you to the two most famous towns ? in the north of the island. 

Teror and Arucas: These towns show the typical Canarian architecture style and have several cute stores where you can buy souvenirs and get local dishes. Both towns have significant churches ⛪ which are both worth a visit.

In addition to that, you will also drive past the inflated volcano Bandama. You can walk around the edges of the crater but also walk down to the middle of the crater (the walk will take you around 2 hours).

The locations are:

• Teror
• Arucas
• Caldera de Bandama
• Next to the crater there is also a winery, if you have time left, make sure to check it out.
• Moreover, there is a golf Club called Real club de Golf in Las Palmas which is the oldest golf club in Spain.

Of course these routes are not the only road trip routes on Gran Canaria that are worth taking but with these routes you will see the different sides of the island and you will fall in love with every part of the island.

I hope this blog helped you with your itinerary of Gran Canaria, also check out our other blogs like our City Guide or the top 10 places to watch the sunset on GC to complete your itinerary and dont forget anything important.

Don’t forget to tag us in all your island photos on Instagram ( @nikateacher & @travel_gran_canaria ) 

Let us know in the comments which road trip is your favorite and if we missed any locations!