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A sunset between mountains that look like seas. Between the Roque Nublo and the Roque Bentayga lies an impressive landscape of volcanic origin, of steep ravines and fog-covered cliffs. The "petrified storm", Miguel de Unamuno called it in 1910, when he spent a month on the island. "A storm of fire and lava rather than water," he wrote of the Caldera de Tejeda , in the heart of the island of Gran Canaria.
After driving on a road with curves, curves and more curves, the small town of Tejeda, with just 2,000 inhabitants, hides. It was the first municipality on the island to be declared one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain. The whole town is white, with the typical Canarian and almond trees, palm trees, bougainvillea and white coves (those water lilies so appreciated by the islanders). From its squares and alleyways, a thousand meters above sea level, stunning views: a valley of mountains that has some spiritual. For the ancient Guanches these lands were already sacred and it is believed that Roque Bentayga was one of its sanctuaries.
Todo Tejeda is a viewpoint of stepped houses. And from here you can even see the Pico del Teide in neighboring Tenerife. Behind the town, the black silhouette of the trees still recalls the dramatic fire of July 2019, which forced the eviction of the residents of the old town.
Almond candy and avant-garde gastro
There is no canary that leaves Tejeda without its huge palm of chocolate, dulce de leche, orange or any of the flavors that are invented in the Dulcería Nublo, a must for any visitor. Just look at the tails that form in front of the small pastry shop of a lifetime, specializing in almond sweets. Some sweets that are the star of the Agricultural and Artisan Market that are celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, with products harvested and made in Tejeda, from potatoes to plums, from cheeses to wines.
What does Tejeda taste like? Although in any of the restaurants of the town you can taste the local cuisine, at the exit of the municipality highlights the Texeda , the gastro option with products from the chef's garden, the young Borja Marrero. Not only does he make his craft beer, but he grows his own vegetables right behind the restaurant, where he has his free range chickens.
Marrero was born in Tejeda, left to work with the best (Ferran Adrià, Arzak and Ramon Freixa), traveled to the United States and Mexico and returned home to open a restaurant that is a little gem, a delicate balance between tradition and avant-garde.
A spa at the top
Leaving Texeda and going up the road to 1,500 meters, you reach Cruz de Tejeda , where the old inn is today a modern National Parador with an open-air spa, with the best panoramic views from the water (and treatment with volcanic rocks, seaweed wrap or honey bath).
But if we continue on the GC-210, just 10 kilometers from Tejeda, we find Don Miguel de Unamuno petrified , a realistic sculpture by Manolo González. From his balcony in Artenara, hat in hand, the writer will observe forever that landscape that is a "tremendous commotion of the bowels of the earth."
Practical Guide
How to get
Ryanair, Iberia and Air Europa have direct flight to Gran Canaria from Madrid. Ryanair and Vueling, from Barcelona. Tejeda is 44 kilometers from the capital, although the journey by car is one hour along its winding road.
Where to eat
The gastronomic vanguard is in Texeda (Av. De los Almendros, 25). Overlooking the Sierra de Bentayga, the terrace of the Cave of the Tea (Dr. Domingo Hernández Guerra, 21).
Where to sleep
In the modern National Parador of Cruz de Tejeda or in the traditional Las Cáscaras Rural House (Heraclio Sánchez, 6)
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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