2026 Winter Escape
Seeking an escape from winter, we made our first trip to Gran Canaria Spain for some warm weather. Our plan was to hike, bike, sightsee and relax. Neither of really knew much about Gran Canaria other than I knew it was a winter cycling destination.
Tejeda - 3 Days
Our trip started high in the mountains with a three-night stay at the Parador de Cruz de Tejeda. Located within the Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains UNESCO site, the hotel was the perfect base for exploring the endless trail network.
We clocked 18 miles of hiking during our stay: a quick sunset hike when we arrived, two separate routes the next day, and a final 10.5-mile push on our last day. Hiking to Roque Nublo, Gran Canaria's 'Rock in the Clouds,' was a great experience, but our favorite trek was actually the long ridge line over to Artenara. After lunch in town, we followed a different path back to the hotel, taking in some of the best views of the entire trip.
The very scenic drive back to our hotel after a day of hiking in the mountains.
Our last and biggest hike started with some great views.
The first few days we were in Gran Canaria, it was hazy due to a phenomenon we learned about called Calima. This weather event occurs when a high-pressure system over North Africa pushes a massive cloud of fine sand and dust from the Sahara Desert across the Atlantic. While the haze wasn’t ideal for daytime photos, it made for some spectacular sunsets.
Maspalomas - 2 days
From the rugged mountains of Gran Canaria, we headed down to the coast for a few days in Maspalomas. It’s a major cycling hub with a heavy beach resort vibe, and our stay at the Riu Palace put us right on the edge of some incredible sand dunes. While the town's vibe wasn't really our speed, we enjoyed our time there. We capped it all off with a beautiful coastal ride up to Taurito before heading to Las Palmas for our last few days in Gran Canaria.
The highlight of the trip to Gran Canaria for me was an epic ride from sea level to the island high point Pico de las Nieves. At 71 miles with 8,688' of climbing, it was a tough ride but the scenery was unreal and the descent was world class.
Total Ride Stats
Starting out before the sun has risen
About 30% up the sun had risen and the views were getting better and better.
About 30% of the way up
At the top
Part of the descent back to town
las palmas - 2 days
We spent our final two days in Gran Canaria in the port city of Las Palmas. We stayed at the Santa Catalina, which was perfectly central with a beautiful city park right behind it. It turned out to be the place to stay—Marc Anthony was also staying there for the finale of the Gran Canaria Carnival! While we didn’t catch his performance, we did stumble upon a free outdoor orchestra that was a total delight.
Our favorite spot was the historic Vegueta district. It was about a two-mile trek from the hotel via Calle León y Castillo, a great pedestrian-friendly route. We loved it so much we walked it four times—plus one impromptu run back to the hotel after a slow lunch service had us running late for a rare vacation event: scheduled relaxation at the hotel spa.
Random free outdoor concert we happened on and enjoyed.
Madrid - 1 days
Wrapping up our 2026 Spain trip with one last set of photos. We took advantage of the Iberia Airlines stopover option and spent a final night in Madrid on the way home. It was our second time in the city, and love it more with every visit. The crowds were out in full force—likely enjoying the beautiful weather and the tail end of Carnival—but the energy was very positive and made the crowds much more tolerable. Everywhere you turn in Madrid is another stunning park or historic building; it’s a city I’d love to go back and spend a few weeks in.
We managed to spot 17 different bird species in Spain last week, including 11 brand-new 'lifers' for us. This officially pushes our Life List total to 607, breaking the big 600 mark!
