Two things the island isn't short of are spectacular views and people who put lookouts in front of them. Here's our pick of the best five viewpoints in Gran Canaria.
This is a tiny continent where you'll find plenty of experiences that make every day special: golden beaches, stunning landscapes, and a big city full of fun things to do.
Gran Canaria is a fantastic family destination with almost 60 kilometres of beaches and a Biosphere Reserve in the west. It's a paradise where you'll find things to do that make every day special.
Sail out to watch whales, walk in the Canary pine forests, have fun at a water park, wander its shopping streets, visit museums, relax on a beautiful beach or... just witness its splendid and stunning landscapes.
If you want to enjoy nature and discover the hidden corners of Gran Canaria, we invite you to take a tour around some of the best viewpoints on the island.
Through them, you’ll have access to unique and incredible sceneries, and you’ll be able to fully appreciate and take in the great beauty of this “miniature continent”.
The lookouts of Gran Canaria are incredible places scattered throughout the island, where you can enjoy views that represent the beauty of a unique and different place.
As we have said in several articles posted on the HD Hotels & Resorts blog, the best viewpoints in Gran Canaria are a must. The island not only has idyllic beaches, it is also home to ancient forests, starry skies and volcanoes that conjure up landscapes from other worlds.
It couldn't be easier to enhance your holiday with a hiking route to the Roque Nublo (an ancient place of worship for the aborigines declared protected natural space and a rural park) or camping in the middle of nature, as most of the natural attractions are easily accessible and offer a multitude of services.
A mirador is what the Spanish call a viewpoint or lookout. One could argue that Gran Canaria itself is one giant mirador. The locals, for example, love to tease Tenerife natives about how they enjoy more impressive views of the Teide (the highest peak in Spain) than their neighbours.
But what we’re talking about when it comes to miradores are specially-constructed lookouts. Often these are located on roads and present a great opportunity for you to get out and stretch your feet, whilst admiring the view. In no particular order, here are our top 5.
The island’s viewpoints have grown in number and some old ones are being restored to the highest safety standards and integrating them nicely into nature. An authentic luxury to enjoy the island!
Best viewpoints in Gran Canaria
With this ranking you will be able to see both the north and south, the summits and the coast. Don’t waste any more time and find out the best lookouts of the island.
1. El Balcón Viewpoint - La Aldea de San Nicolás
El Balcón (The Balcony) is a spectacular viewpoint located in the far west of Gran Canaria, between Agaete and La Aldea de San Nicolás, and hangs over the sea at the top of a steep cliiff edge with spectacular views out over the Atlantic Ocean. From the viewpoint you get a clear view of a zigzag wall of sea cliffs called the “Dragon’s Tail”.
The viewpoint carpark, on the GC-200 road, has informative panels and is an essential stop on a drive around the island. Everyone should walk down the stone steps to the balcony hanging out over the ocean.
The views are so impressive that you won’t want to leave until you’ve taken in full range of sights and colours and the scent of the ocean and the Teide of the neighbouring osland of Tenerife.
2. Unamuno Viewpoint - Artenara
One of the most important Spanish writers of all time, Miguel de Unamuno, came to the island in the summer of 1910 having accepted an inivitation to preside a poetry contest, and had the opportunity to go up to the summit.
Considered one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Gran Canaria, here his statue looks out over the place where the novelist actually stood, bewitched by another work of art, in this case carved out by nature.
“The spectacle is overwhelming. All those steep black walls with huge basins, and their crests that seem to be crenellated, and their erect rocks, offer the appearance of a macabre vision. It is like a petrified storm, a storm of fire, lava, more than water”, he stressed. No more words needed.
3. Pico de Las Nieves Viewpoint - Tejeda
To appreciate the essence of a place and soak up its atmosphere there is nothing better than getting to the highest point. In Gran Canaria this is the Pico de las Nieves (literally, Snowy Peak) lookout point right in the centre of the island.
At 1,949 metres above sea level the uninterrupted views out over the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with its innumerable deep valleys and jagged ridges shrouded with vegetation and crowned with spectacular rocks.
A spectacle well worth the drive or the bus ride to the Las Nieves peak. There’s a stone semicircle right by the car park that points towards the setting sun and the simple lookout point offers uninterrupted views of the sunset.
Unlike other viewpoints in Gran Canaria, La Nieves has great views on cloudy days as you get to see Gran Canaria’s peaks and Tenerife floating on the sea of clouds.
4. Degollada de las Yeguas Viewpoint - San Bartolomé de Tirajana
The landscape from the Degollada de las Yeguas lookout point in southern Gran Canaria surprises those that view it for the first time. The panoramic vista of the Fataga valley, a winding, fifteen kilometre canyons with smooth sides and sharp, almost vertical ridges is breathtaking.
Indeed, the wide valley floor and deep sides are all covered with arid, desert-like vegetation and the sea glistens in the background. The viewpoint is a must on the car drive inland from Maspalomas towards the town of San Bartolomé de Tirajana.
Visitors can stop in the large car park and read about the Protected Landscape and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status of the area before looking out across the landscape to understand why it’s such a big deal.
5. Degollada de Becerra Viewpoint - San Mateo
This gorge is the dividing line between the municipalities of Vega de San Mateo and Tejeda, and is defined by the Montañas de la Almagria, to the north, and Las Mejoranas, to the south, and is undoubtedly the most reknowned skyline in the whole of Gran Canaria.
Opposite, sticking out in a line against the sky are the rocks bearing witness to the ancient volcano that was once the centre of the island… Revealed is a friar-shaped rock which is keeping a close eye on the Roque Nublo, with a rocky frog sitting alongside.
Further on, standing out from the heart of the erosive Tejeda crater is the Roque Bentayga, a sacred spot for the original inhabitants of the island, as the archaeological settlements nearby bear witness.
In short, the viewpoints in Gran Canaria are another way to explore and discover the hidden corners of the island, most of them far away from touristic places.
