Las Palmas is a city that does not look like most people's idea of a Spanish island. It is large, with nearly four hundred thousand people, it sprawls along a narrow neck of land between two seas, and it is the busiest port in the Canary Islands. The beach of Las Canteras, a long curve of sand sheltered by a reef, runs right through the city, and the old district of Vegueta, with its colonial plazas and the cathedral, recalls the days when ships bound for the Americas stopped here for water.
Columbus is said to have stopped on Gran Canaria on his first voyage in 1492, and the Casa de Colón, a museum in a beautiful old mansion, tells that story. The island is also known for its climate. Although only a day's sail from Africa, Gran Canaria enjoys mild temperatures all year thanks to the trade winds, which is why it is nicknamed the continent in miniature. Within a short ride you pass from dry southern desert to green northern forest.
That is what makes the mountain loop so good. From the city, roads climb through Arucas, with its banana plantations and a large neo-Gothic church made from dark volcanic stone, then up into the central highlands. Here the landscape turns dramatic: deep barrancos, pine forest, and the rock tower of Roque Nublo, a symbol of the island. The road to Pico de las Nieves, the island's highest point at nearly 1,950 metres, offers wide views, sometimes above a sea of cloud. Roads are narrow and twisty, with sheer drops, and the surface is usually good. Mornings can be cloudy on the north side, and the south is sunnier.
Fuel is no issue in the city or the larger towns, but up in the mountains there are few stations, so fill the tank beforehand. Take a jacket, because temperatures drop quickly with altitude. Stop at a village like Tejeda for almond sweets and coffee, and try papas arrugadas, wrinkled potatoes with spicy mojo sauce.