Thursday, 15 January 2015 16:11

GC 200: Gran Canaria's Most Spectacular Road

The GC 200 is Gran Canaria's most spectacular road The GC 200 is Gran Canaria's most spectacular road

The GC 200 has it all from hairpin bends to sheer cliff-edge drops. It's Gran Canaria's most spectacular road and takes you right through the Biosphere Reserve along its most remote coast.

GC 200 starts at the end of the GC 1 motorway at Puerto de Mogán. At first it meanders up the Mogán Valley before heading northwest towards La Aldea town on the west coast. Before you get there you pass they great multicoloured cliff close to Veneguera and drive through the steep Degollada de Tasarte.

Alex Says: Degollada in Canarian is the word used for a steep-sided pass between Barrancos. Its Spanish meaning is a "throat slash".

From the road take the track to Veneguera beach or park up at Tasarte and hike down to Gui Gui beach.

At La Aldea, the road rejoins civilisation before climbing again to the Anden Verde cliffs. Stop at the viewpoint, called el Balcón de Atlantico, for incredible views south to the Dragon's Tail cliffs and north along the rugged cliffs. Say hello to the ravens and ignore the snack man if he's rude (he's horrible to almost everyone who doesn't buy his overpriced snacks).

Just after the viewpoint the road reaches it's highest point and the vertical drop is hundreds of metres. The road here is protected by overhanging nets as it gets hit by rockfalls every time there is rain. Don't drive this section if it is raining or has recently rained: It's dangerous.

 
La Aldea - Agaete, the GC200. It's a little bit curvy, but mán...

La Aldea - Agaete, the GC200. It's a little bit curvy, but man what a road! According to some, it's the most stunning road in Europe. Here's a timelapse of it.

Posted by Gran Canaria on Tuesday, 25 August 2015

 

The winding drive from the viewpoint to Agaete takes an hour (the locals say it has a bend for every day of the year, but we've never counted them) and the only place for a drink is at El Risco village. Go to the right-hand bar as it's a charming, ramshackle spot that doubles up as the shop. Enjoy the sweets.

At El Risco, walk inland through the village and up the valley to the Charco Azul natural pool with a waterfall. Otherwise head on to Agaete for coffee at the sunken garden or down to the coast at Puerto de las Nieves for seafood.

Media

The bits of this Porsche 911 commercial with the ocean in it were recorded at the GC200. The rest was recorded higher up in Gran Canaria.
Published in Day Trips

Join the Gran Canaria Info newsletter list

endanlfifrdeisitnoplptruessv

 

 

Follow us on Facebook

Tip of the day

  • Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros
    Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros

    Save money and avoid rip-off bank charges while in Gran Canaria by paying in euros when using your credit or debit card.

    Many bars and restaurants in Gran Canaria, and in almost all European holiday destinations, give you the option of paying in euros or in your home currency. Opting for your own currency, while it may seem like the safer option, can add as much as 5% to the bill as it triggers dynamic currency conversion. 

    DCC basically means that the exchange rate is calculated at point of sale rather than by your bank. It allows you to see the total cost of the transaction in your own currency but adds up to 5% to the total because it uses a terrible exchange rate. 

    Since the extra money is shared between your bank and the merchant, some places will automatically bill you in your own currency and hope you don't notice. You have the legal right to refuse and void the transaction should this happen. 

    ATMs too

    The same applies when taking money out of ATM machines in Gran Canaria (and anywhere in Europe); Always choose the local currency option to avoid losing money to poor exchange rates.

    If you opt for the local currency option, using bank ATMs is often the cheapest and safest way of getting euros in Gran Canaria. It's far safer than having a big pile of euros hidden in your room or tucked into your shorts.

    More details in this Daily Telegraph article.

Latest articles

Who's Online

We have 4410 guests and no members online

Login / Register

Take this website to the max, login or create an account now! By clicking on any Social Media platform logo, you can login with just one click.