Central Tour - Central Massif

We’re slowly, yet surely, approaching the mountainous centre of the island with its spectacular central massif and its commanding high peaks, which can already be seen from afar. Scenic, narrow roads climb up in serpentines past tiny, enchanting villages, narrow terraced fields, high plateaus, deep ravines and peculiarly-shaped basalt rocks. En route we’ll pass lush, subtropical vegetation including exotic fruit and eucalyptus trees gradually substituted by pines, holm oaks, bushes and shrubs in higher regions. Even less accessible places in this area can often be reached by minor roads or tracks.

Pico del Pozo de las Nieves, is, at 1949 m (6394 ft), the highest point of the island of Gran Canaria and also its centre. Next tallest is the iconic Roque Nublo, 1813 m, (5948 ft.) topped with a basalt finger protruding about 80 m (263 ft.) high and the Roque Bentayga, 1412 m (4633 ft.) high. The two latter ones were considered holy places by the Guanches, who left many inscriptions, ceremonial sites and granaries in this area.

Archeological parks chronicling the lives of the island’s ancestors and nature reserves created to preserve the sensitive ecosystems of these unique landscapes cover much of the centre of the island.

It’s often much cooler up here and it can get quite misty – the highest peaks often obscured by clouds – but when the weather’s good you’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over spectacular sceneries and you might even have the chance to make out neighbouring islands such as Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma.