The other Gran Canaria

We arrive at the San Telmo bus station just in time. The bus to Telde is ready to board and a long queue has already formed. From the Marina Las Palmas to San Telmo takes about 30 minutes on foot. Sure, you can also do it by bus, but we always consider that as a "warm up", besides, the way on the promenade, towards the bus station, is always very interesting, because there are a lot of ships lying in the dock.

Basilica de San Juan Bautista Telde, Gran Canaria

The town of Telde has lost much of its former splendor, and it is noticeable that money is lacking at the back and front. For example, the Mercado Municipal building has been closed for some time and the market shares a covered area with a Covid vaccination center. In San Juan Park, the streetlights are falling down and the concrete columns are just barely held up by their reinforcement. The auditorium has probably not been used for a long time. Yet the park, with its huge cacti, has a lot to offer. Nevertheless, Telde is a very lively city. The district of San Gregorio used to be the poor and slave quarter of Telde. Here the people coming from Africa were prepared and sold for the crossing to America. Some of them stayed here, in the numerous sugar cane plantations and helped Telde to its former prosperity. Today this part of town is the shopping mile of Telde.

San Gregorio Telde, Gran Canaria

In the very north of the city, you will find the old, historic Telde. In the district of San Juan, in the center of which stands the "Basilica de San Juan Bautista", you can still find numerous historic buildings that form entire streets. This is where the old sugar cane barons lived, who built their mansions on this spot. After a stop at a bar, which we simply can't miss, we reach the bus stop at the Mercado Municipal again. An older man, with a walking stick, waits with us for the bus, which is also not long in coming. So we stand, as usual here, at the side of the road and raise our arm as a sign that we want to be taken along. The bus driver takes no notice of us and the elderly gentleman, waving his stick wildly in the air, shouts a few naughty words after him and then departs. The bus turns the corner and is gone. "Are you sure this is the right place?" says Gaby. Sure, I'm sure. We wait for the next bus and brave as death I stand with one foot on the street to throw myself in front of the bus, if necessary, as a last resort, so to speak. However, this is then not necessary, because the bus stops also with normal hand signal and brings us back to Las Palmas.

Parque San Juan Telde, Gran Canaria

We are not irritated by this experience, after all we already went through a hard "bus driving school" in Italy and this time we drive to Agüimes. For four centuries, Agüimes was the seat of a bishop, which explains the parish church of San Sebastian, built as a cathedral. The houses in the town center are composed of farmhouses, burgher houses and workshops. Connected by narrow streets, the Plaza del Rosario leads to the Plaza de San Anton, where the Interpretation Center is located, where the architectural peculiarities of the town center are explained. Also in the square is the Terraza San Antón bar. A small tapas bar frequented by many locals. We sit in front of the restaurant, watch the people and enjoy the excellent tapas.

Parroquia de San Sebastian Agüimes, Gran Canaria

On the squares and in the alleys you can always find life-size bronze figures that suddenly appear behnd a corner or sitting on a park bench. Whether it is a lying dromedary or a group of men sitting on a bench, the figures never seem out of place, but rather one gets the impression that they belong there. 

Plaza del Rosario Agüimes, Gran Canaria

Agüimes has presented itself to us as a contemplative place, with little tourism, which is well worth seeing. Bus-experienced, we manage to find the bus to Las Palmas, to meet the invitation of MariaNoa in the evening. With Brigitta and Hannes we spend a wonderful evening and are already looking forward to the revenge.

Bronze figure Agüimes, Gran Canaria

What else we experience in Las Palmas, we tell you here on www.glenswelt.com in our blog. We wish you until the next time, always fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.