The village of Tejeda is the second smallest on the island. It is home to the nearby Cruz de Tejeda (Cross of Tejeda), a sombre carved stone cross on a mountain pass at 1580 m (5184 ft) above sea level, marking the geographical centre of Gran Canaria.
At this popular sightseeing attraction, you’ll find bustling restaurants and bars, shops selling souvenirs and other local specialities, including great honey, and a man offering donkey rides to children. This is a good place to sit back, relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. If you crave peace, then you should avoid this area at weekends, as this is also a favourite place of excursion for the locals.
The high peaks will obviously attract serious walkers and climbers but this area also offers relatively short and easy walks to tempt the less energetic for a pleasant stroll amid this dazzling scenery. Whilst some of these walks are new, most of them are Caminos Reales (royal paths), ancient tracks traversed by the Guanches – the first known inhabitants of the Canary Islands - to get around the centre of the island.
The village of Tejeda is surrounded by terraced cornfields, orchards and vegetable cultivations and nestles at about 1000 m (3281 ft) above sea level. It sits in the slopes of a crater and boasts many archaeological remains such as graves, caves, rock engravings and paintings.
Without the upswing of tourism in this area, this village would have been deserted long ago, as it is not possible to live only on agricultural cultivations in this barren land. As it is, this village has halved in size.
However, Tejeda provides a pleasant stopping place for lunch and while you are here try – or buy – some of the delicious, local almond sweet specialities Bienmesabe (literally: ‘It tastes good to me’) and marzipan.
When almond trees bloom during the first two weeks of February, Tejeda is at its prettiest – an occasion marked by the popular Almond Tree in Flower fiesta.
