An Island Sojourn: Why Every Traveller Needs To Visit Spain's Gran Canaria

They are the best boys.

Eight dogs, seated regally in different poses, their noses shiny but their tails quite still. Though statues cast in iron, the dogs look realistic, from the droop of their ears to their piercing eyes. Los Perros de la Plaza de Santa Ana (the dogs of Santa Ana Plaza) is one of the symbols of the island of Gran Canaria.

The dogs stand guard facing the Cathedral of Santa Ana, the island's most important religious building. These aren't just ordinary statues meant to look cute—immortalised here are eight of Spain's 12 dog breeds.

On my maiden visit to Gran Canaria, I soon learned that history and whimsy make for compatible bedfellows.

Gran Canaria is part of the Spanish Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Morocco. It is the third-largest island in the Canaries, and almost half the population lives there. Gran Canaria is a popular destination because of its beaches, little rain, temperate climate, and landscape that changes every few kilometres.

It's a haven for water bodies.

Early one morning, I step away from my beach-facing resort at Las Canteras and make my way to another water body. Agaete, in the north of the island, is a place where people can unwind. It is blessed with rocky mountains, old blue and white homes, giving it a Mediterranean vibe, and an impressive coastline. The streets are quiet because everyone is down by the waterfront, walking the promenade. At one end of the promenade are three volcanic sea pools — placid, clear, and ideal for a swim. These natural pools are by a cliffside and a great spot to spend a morning.

A leisurely walk on the promenade takes me to the other end, where older folk, skins tanned red, are discussing the latest football match in between swim breaks. Some are fishing, and the chatter breaks the sound of the waves. I sip on that typical Canarian morning refreshment, Leche y Leche (a cortado with condensed milk), and watch the activities. Far out in the distance is the remains of El Dedo de Dios, a natural rock formation affectionately called God's finger.

Time moves slowly in Agaete. Away from the sea pools, the town is known for its vineyards and coffee plantations. I get a glimpse of this heritage at Bodega Los Berrazales.

On the foothills of the cliffs of Tamadaba, amid a lush century-old forest, sits the 200-year-old Finca La Leja coffee plantation and winery. A guided tour showed me how coffee and wine are made. I walk under grape-laden vines, taking in the fruiting mango trees and admiring the flowers bursting out of every corner. After the tour, there is a tasting of the coffee and the wines followed by a special treat: a picnic in their vineyard. It's quite the romantic setting, sitting under the shade of a tree, snacking on local cheese, homemade spreads, fruits, crackers and their homemade apple and coffee jam.

Simple food never tasted this good.

In search of more local food, I make my way to the Teror, a beautiful town up in the mountains blessed with old houses and historic buildings, many of which sport traditional Canarian wooden balconies. While different towns in Gran Canaria have markets on different days, the Sunday market in Teror is special. The courtyard outside the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pino (the island's patron saint) is abuzz with activity. As I walk the stone streets, the music of the timple (a small guitar with five strings) reaches my ears while I take in all the local food on display. There is the famous chorizo ​​de Teror—a spicy pork spread, aged cheese including the unique queso de flor (made with thistle flower), sweet fried snacks, sugarcane juice, Canarian wines and the refreshingly sweet Clipper drink. While the market is great for fresh produce, there are many shops selling curios and souvenirs. The sweet scent of flowers leads me into Casa del Perfume Canario, a 500-year-old home that is a perfumery and a perfume museum.  There, I learned the story of three generations of perfume-makers and how they use local ingredients (like the Canary Island dragon tree sap) in their scents. I am fascinated by their jewellery, which contains small pads which can be soaked in perfume, so the fragrance follows you through the day.

The scent of a morning well-spent lingers on.

While Teror is good for a casual stroll, my stamina and fitness levels are tested at a hike through the pine tree-laden Tamadaba forest. On the way, I pause to take in breathtaking views of the valley and listen to the tinkle of the bells of sheep and goats grazing by. As a reward for not collapsing on the hike, there's lunch in another beautiful town.

Artenara is the island's highest town (1270 metres above sea level) and enjoys a spectacular location: in the heart of Tamadaba Nature Reserve, and looking out onto the popular summits of Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga. Artenara is fascinating because of its cave houses. Once a way of life for the Canarian aborigines, most residents still live in these cave dwellings, many of which are open to the public (to rent). Instead, I visit the Museo Etnográfico Casas Cuevas de Artenara (Cave Houses Museum) to see a glimpse of what life is/would've been like inside these homes. People would use the cave dwellings for sleeping and storage while the patio was where everything else happened. There's a noticeable dip in temperatures as I enter the caves, many of which have been set up to showcase the island's culture and crafts.

My fascination with Gran Canaria lies in how quickly the island changes— in climate, landscape, terrain, and even architecture—as I traverse it. Little wonder then that it is sometimes called a 'continent'. It's an island with many faces—from the cool climes of the cave houses to the five-century-old Columbus House (and museum) in the old town, from the black sand at one end of the popular Las Canteras beach to the sand-sculpted dunes on the equally buzzing Maspalomas beach, from the Gothic Revival stone Arucas Cathedral to the wooden balconies of Teror, and from the volcanic basin of Caldera de Bandama to the Barranco de Guayadeque ravine with its endemic vegetation.

There's something for every kind of traveller in Gran Canaria. Even the dog lovers.