Visiting Pico De Las Nieves, Gran Canaria

I recently booked a last-minute family holiday to Gran Canaria to get a bit of Winter sun. I spent 5 days on the South of the island in Maspalomas. Even though it was meant to be a chilled out holiday, I still wanted to get out and about and see the local sights.

After a bit of research and speaking to the staff at the Riu Club Hotel I was staying at, the top thing to do on the island was visit the highest peak on the island Pico De Las Nieves, which stands at 1949 metres above sea level. As I’d hired a car for my stay I decided I had to take the 1 hour 27 min drive from Maspalomas to Pico De Las Nieves. This post is heavy on the pictures so be warned, I hope it helps you plan your visit.

Before setting off for the trip I did a weather check. If it is really cloudy you wont get great views but on the other hand you’ll see a bed of clouds if that’s what you want to see. The peak can be seen from all around the island so a quick glance at it will help you decide if it’s a good day to go.

On our first full day there we were lucky that we had a beautiful blue sky and not a cloud in sight. We grabbed this opportunity and set out at about 11:30am. The actually drive from Maspalomas to the top of the peak is 1 hour 27 mins, but including toilet breaks and breaks to see the views along the way I think you should put aside 6 hours for the entire return trip.

Here’s a picture of the peak from the hotel.

Pico De Las Nieves

There are various routes available to the top the peak from Maspalomas and here is the route I decided to take as I was told it was the most picturesque and goes through many local villages.

The roads on this route can be quite narrow at times and very windy but the roads are newly laid and smooth. I’ve been driving for well over 10 years in the UK and I would class myself as a confident driver. I’ve only ever driven a left hand car on the right hand side of the road once before in Ibiza, so I’m no expert and i managed to drive to the top without any problems. If you are not a confident driver and think the route may be too challenging for you there are alternatives that go along the coast on the motorway GC-1.

During the journey there were more cars going up and the odd few coming down. Be warned that this peak is highly popular with cyclists. In fact I think I came across more cyclists than I did cars during the entire drive up.

The speed along this route varies between 40-50km and does not exceed this. Many of the locals seem to drive faster (even though they shouldn’t be) as they are confident with the route, but there are many areas along the route you can pull to one side and let the traffic go. I decided to go for an automatic car due to injuring my left ankle a couple of weeks prior to going on holiday and i think it worked out perfectly because I didn’t need to bother shifting gears. Along this route there are many little villages, shops and restaurants to stop off and have breaks. Also I would suggest stopping at the second highest peak, Roque Nublo. There is a limited amount of parking available here. From the car park it is about a 10 min climb to the top.

Roque Nublo

Roque Nublo

The views along the route are so beautiful and I really don’t think any picture can capture the beauty you see with your own eyes.

Pico De Las Nieves

Once you arrive at the top of the peak there is a small car parking area. A short 1 min climb will take you to the top where you will get magnificent views. In the image below you can see Roque Nublo and the neighbouring island, Tenerife which was taken from Pico De Las Neives. The entire journey to the top was amazing and i’ve never seen anything like it. I would really recommend to take the time out and go visit this beautiful place, its worth the drive.

View from Pico De Las Nieves

I’m sure i’ll visit the island again at some point and if i do i’ll try hiking to the top.

If you are interested in what i’m wearing

Topshop Lover t-shirt  – £14

MOTO Bleach Super Ripped Jamie Jeans – £46

I have to add how much i love the Toyshop Moto jeans. They are the only jeans i will wear as they fit and last so well.