Agaete sits at the north-west tip of Gran Canaria, where the mountains drop abruptly toward the Atlantic, and it has the feel of a place that has seen a lot of arrivals. The town itself is white-walled and low, set a little back from the water, while the old fishing harbour of Puerto de las Nieves lies on the coast with a ferry terminal and a row of seafood restaurants. From there ferries cross to Tenerife, and on a clear day Mount Teide stands up on the horizon like a cut-out.
Beside the harbour rises a thin sea stack called the Dedo de Dios, the Finger of God. Its tip was broken off in a tropical storm in 2005, and the stump still stands as a local landmark. The valley behind the town is a surprise: it is green and sheltered, with fruit trees and, unusually for Europe, coffee plantations, which benefit from the mild climate on this side of the island. Above the valley the pine forest of Tamadaba climbs toward high ridges and vertiginous drops to the sea.
About 5,500 people live in Agaete itself, with the larger towns of Gáldar and Guía a few kilometres east, so fuel, groceries and a proper meal are all easy to find. The riding is in the roads leading up and away. Inland and upward, the route to Tamadaba and to the mountain villages involves tight, climbing bends with sharp exposure, and the west-coast road southward is famously winding, with big cliffs and sections that can be affected by rockfall, so it pays to check conditions before you commit.
Choose your timing with the wind and the sun in mind. Mornings are usually clear and calm, afternoons can bring cloud to the heights, and the trade winds make some exposed sections gusty. After the ride, grab a table near the harbour, order whatever came off the boat that day with a plate of local potatoes, and sit watching the ferry come and go while the stack turns pink in the last light. It is an easy place to stay longer than you meant.