Arucas, Firgas and Roque Nublo Day Tour from South Gran Canaria

Arucas and its black-stone church

Arucas, in the north of Gran Canaria, is a handsome town of stone streets surrounded by banana plantations. Its landmark is the church of San Juan Bautista, a soaring neo-Gothic building begun in 1909 and carved by local stonemasons from dark volcanic basalt. Locals call it the cathedral, and its spires, rose window and stained glass make it one of the most photographed buildings on the island.

On this Arucas and Firgas tour you have about 45 minutes in the town, with a short guided introduction and then free time. Walk around the church, look inside if it is open, and wander the pedestrian streets with their old balconies and plazas. The town is also known for its municipal gardens and for the viewpoint on Montaña de Arucas, which overlooks the banana fields and the Atlantic coast.

Firgas, the balcony of the Atlantic

Firgas is a small hill town above the north coast, famous across the Canary Islands for the mineral water that springs from its slopes. Its nickname, the balcony of the Atlantic, comes from the wide views it offers over the ocean and the green ravines below. The heart of the town is the Paseo de Gran Canaria, a stepped street where water cascades down a long channel between benches decorated with painted tiles showing the coats of arms and landscapes of every municipality on the island.

Just above it, the Paseo de Canarias displays relief maps of each Canary Island, a lovely way to understand the archipelago before heading into the mountains. You spend about 45 minutes in Firgas with your guide and free time for photos, a coffee or a short stroll through the old centre and its church square.

Valleseco and Cruz de Tejeda in the Cumbres

Leaving the coast behind, the road climbs through Valleseco, a cool and green village known for its apple orchards and its lagoon recreation area. The tour stops here at a restaurant with time for lunch; the meal is optional and paid locally, and you are free to bring your own snack instead. From Valleseco the coach continues into the protected landscape of the Cumbres de Gran Canaria, with pine forest, terraced fields and deep volcanic valleys.

The high point of the route is Cruz de Tejeda, a mountain pass at about 1,500 metres marked by a stone cross. The viewpoint looks over the huge Caldera de Tejeda, with Roque Bentayga in the middle and, on clear days, the peak of Teide on neighbouring Tenerife. Stalls here sell local almond sweets and fruit, and the air is noticeably cooler than on the coast, so a light jacket is useful on this Cruz de Tejeda excursion.

Roque Nublo, the symbol of Gran Canaria

Roque Nublo is a basalt monolith about 80 metres tall standing on a ridge at more than 1,800 metres above sea level. It was shaped by millions of years of erosion of an ancient volcanic flow, and the island's first inhabitants treated it as a sacred place. Today it is a protected natural monument and part of a cultural landscape of sacred mountains listed by UNESCO, and its silhouette appears on countless postcards of the island.

Is Roque Nublo worth visiting? For most travellers, seeing it against the sky is the most memorable moment of the day. On this tour the coach stops where you can see the rock up close from the mountain road; the full hike to its base is not included. The best time to visit Roque Nublo is a clear morning or early afternoon, before cloud gathers over the summits, which is why the tour reaches the peaks around the middle of the day.

San Bartolomé de Tirajana and the aloe vera plantation

The return route descends through San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the large municipality that stretches from the mountains to the beaches of Maspalomas. The old town sits on the rim of the Caldera de Tirajana, a vast erosion basin, and the road offers impressive views over Santa Lucía, a village of white houses, palm groves and terraced slopes in the next valley.

The last stop is an aloe vera plantation, a crop that thrives in the dry, sunny south of the island. A short visit explains how the plant is grown and harvested and how its gel is used for skin care, with time to look around the shop. After this stop our coach returns you to your hotel in the southern resorts, completing a Gran Canaria day tour that crosses the island from north to south in a single day.