07/01/2021
Private Island Tour with Luxury car (max. 5 people)
Artenara, Tejeda and Roque Nublo
We start our trip in Artenara where we will find:
* Plaza de San Matías
* Church of San Matías
* Chapel of the Cave
* Casa Cuevas Museum
We will visit some archaeological sites and monuments, and then we will continue until we reach the town of Tejeda. Where you will find beautiful panoramic views to take some great pictures. After our panoramic stop we will continue our trip to Roque Nublo.
Plaza de San Matías
It is the highest urban village in Gran Canaria and the vital center of our municipality.
Here you will find the parish church of San Matías, the building of the Town Hall, the Parish House, and some great restaurants. Artenara's main festive events are held in the square and in the Alameda (covered square).
Until the end of the 19th century there were only two masonry buildings attached to interior caves: Casa Quemada and Casa del Correo. Throughout the 20th century the urban nucleus grew progressively with buildings in front of all the surrounding caves.
Iglesia de San Matías
The Church of San Matías is the most important religious building in Artenara town square. Its two quadrangular towers in red stones provident of the village called Tirma.
With the outstanding towers, one used for the bell and the other one for the clock.
The main floor plan has three naves separated by arches.
The naves display an artistic neo-Mudejar style coffered ceiling (coffered ceiling proposed by Don Domingo Báez, former parish priest).
Capilla de La Cuevita
500 meters from the town of Artenara is one of the most emblematic places of this municipality: The Hermitage or Chapel of the Virgen de la Cuevita, the patron Saint of the Folkloric Groups and Cyclists of Gran Canaria.
This place has been hewn out of the ground, just like the surrounding cave houses.
The origin of this hermitage dates back to the end of the 18th century.
The image is a polychrome wooden sculpture 80 cm high and shows the Virgin Maria with her son on her left arm, both wearing royal crowns.
The origin and sculptural of this image is unknown.
The sanctuary that currently houses the Marian carving was enlarged during its excavation in the rock in the last third of the 19th century where the altar, the choir, the pulpit and the confessional were carved as well.
The Virgen de la Cuevita festivities are celebrated during the second half of August.
The image is transferred from its chapel to the church of San Matías, and on the last Sunday of the month, the main day of the Virgen de la Cuevita festivities when it returns to its chapel, an emotional procession, among fireworks and torches.
Museo Casas Cuevas
They are three old houses, with a probable origin of the pre-Hispanic population that inhabited there. The caves were inherited in 1962 by Santiago Aranda,who rehabilitated these cave houses but maintaining the characteristics of the typical traditional house. In 1993 after their acquisition by the City Council, the caves were used as a purpose for the Museum of Domestic Ethnography.
Its interior is equipped with the typical furniture dated between 50 up to 150 years.
Archaeological sites
The complicated orography of Gran Canaria has always imposed important limits on human activity.
Since they first set foot on this earth, men and women had to figure out how to get ahead. The environmental conditions of the summit (seasons with cold and warm weather) forced them to climb to the cliffs and look for almost any crevice or overlap to build their habitat. They tried to make the vertical heights habitable spaces. The Canarian dug their caves taking advantage of the ductility of the volcanic stone, they opened paths, stairs, and passageways, channels and pools for water.
The monumentality of the Caldera del Nublo with its cliffs and rocks inspired them on a religious level. Considering the entire summit of Gran Canaria as a sacred place linked to the movement of the stars, the sunrise and the moon.
Artenara is an ideal place to appreciate the almost intact archaeological sites of Gran Canaria that shows the way of life of the Canarian aborigines. In the area of the municipality, the town itself stands out for its troglodyte uniqueness and for its archaeological and historical significance group of the Acusa hamlets (Candelaria, Acusa Seca and Acusa Verde), the Sacred group of Risco Caído and some from the sacred mountains of the island in the area of Riscos de Chapín (Cuevas de Los Caballeros and Cueva de Los Candiles).
FALLEN RISCO
ACUSE DRY
THE CANDILES
OF THE KNIGHT
Monuments
Artenara is the highest town in Gran Canaria. Its main urban nucleus is located at the very top of the island, a privileged place from which the great perspectives of the island landscapes can be seen anywhere in the municipality, we always find a surprising view over the pine forests, over the coast, on the rocks and ravines of the summit.
TRIBUTE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
TRIBUTE TO THE PIQUEROS
STATUE OF THE HEART OF JESUS
TRIBUTE TO MIRÓ MAINOU
TRIBUTE TO MIGUEL DE UNAMUNO
TRIBUTE TO TIMPLIST JOSÉ A. RAMOS
ALISIOS LIGHTHOUSE
TEJEDA
Tejeda is a charming town located in the interior of Gran Canaria, located at about 1,000 meters of altitude. It can be said that it is practically in the center of the island. Currently, it belongs to the Association of the most beautiful towns in Spain.
Next we are going to show you why you have to visit this town if you are going to travel or are already in Gran Canaria.
First of all, you should know that given its location and height, it is one of the coldest towns and areas of the island, so if you plan to visit it, it never hurts to wear a jacket. Keep in mind that in the winter months it can be perfectly less than 10 degrees during the day. In the same way, the sky in these months is usually covered with clouds, which makes the climate more humid.
The town is not very big, it can visited practically in 20 minutes by foot to appreciate its beauty. It is surrounded by mountains and its white house’s is beautiful. It also has views of Roque Bentayga. All this landscape is part of the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria, a World of a Heritage Site.
Almond trees abound in Tejeda and in February / March you will be able to appreciate this tree in bloom. A fruit tree with a white and pink flower. During these dates, the town celebrates its Almond Blossom festivities for a weekend with crafts, dance, music and local sports. In addition, stalls are set up for the sale of the local products.
Leaving the town in the direction of Roque Bentayga we find this traditional giant basket, ideal to take a photo and to take a beautiful postcard of Gran Canaria with you.
Our next recommendation would be to visit the Roque and its Interpretation Center, since it’s about 10 minutes by car from the town of Tejeda. There they will explain everything you need to know about the archaeological complex of the Sierra de Bentayga. Good to know is that the access is free. On the other hand, the trail takes less than an hour (the round trip).
This trip both for the views and for the peace it is worth to visit. In addition, all this landscape is part of the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
*Almond sweets and chocolate palm trees from Dulcería El Nublo
This candy store was founded in 1946 and is mainly responsible for making sweets with Tejeda almonds. Among the star products are the Tejeda almonds, chocolate palm trees and Bienmesabe. Bienmesabe is a sweet made mainly from almonds, sugar and eggs. This is usually taken as a companion to desserts such as flan and ice cream.
*Medicinal plant center
There is a center for medicinal plants where you can discover the healing properties of each of them. The access is free and if you want, you can buy the products. We personally take it with the pancakes for breakfast. Delicious!
Mirador de Roque Nublo
Roque Nublo stands out as a geographical landmark to which the greatest symbolic value in this land has been attributed. Monolith almost ninety meters high from its base, standing memory of a remote and troubled past from which it was born, has inspired painters, writers or musicians, finding its name in many works. Valid as images are those of Néstor Álamo "Lunar stone lyrical" or "Altar of my magic land"
The Roque Nublo has been and is a pilgrimage point for the Canaries, in a gesture with meanings that are rooted in the deepest collective subconscious of those who belong to this island culture. Likewise, Roque Nublo also represents the goal of many mountaineers since, in 1932, a German rope crew crowned its peak for the first time.
Surrounded by the *Parque Rural del Nublo, the legislation has turned it into a Natural Monument.
The vegetation that covers it, is a young Canarian pine forest that coexists with the thicket of broom, laburnum and salvias, typical for the Gran Canaria peaks.
All this territory is part of the Gran Canaria World Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO on June 29, 2005.
*We provide luxury vehicles
*Private guide, 1 drink and lunch.
*The tour starts at 8:30 a.m., departing from your accommodation.
*You will be escorted for the entire duration of the tour by a fully qualified guide to make your trip the most pleasant.
*Our tour does not have a fixed duration as we want our guests to enjoy every moment as it comes.
Want to find out more? Feel free to contact us 📬
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