Gran Canaria - Puerto Mogan and Troglodyte valley
17/11/07 20:14 Filed in: Gran Canaria | Canaries
In the morning I took a tour boat along the coast to Puerto Mogan. Firstly there was heavy development, then the coast was in virtually it's natural state before reverting to heavy development.
Puerto Rico beach with the town beyond.
Industrial strength tourist development. A huge hotel just to the west of Puerto Rico..
...Followed by an unspolit bay...
...and on to the entrance to Puerto Mogan.
I spent an hour wandering around Puerto Mogan. There were a lot of yachts for sale and a few projects including "Fossil" from Dover.
Detail of repairs on ferro cement yacht "Fossil".
I caught the next boat back to Puerto Rico.
Tourist day trip schooner.
More undeveloped volcanic coastline.
Back in Puerto Rico, Tomas had returned and we set off on the afternoon tour. I had been told that Pasito Blanco was one of the best Marinas in the Canaries so we went to have a look. It wasn't bad. Set on a private development and providing berths for those who had bought houses. There were only a few berths for visitors.
We went north to San Bartolome on the road we had travelled a couple of days ago. It was just as spectacular going the other way. At San Bartolome we turned right towards Santa Lucía and Argüimes. It was a hairy drive down the C815 with often very little or nothing to prevent a car plunging down into the valley. Spanish drivers are different! Space between vehicles is not an established driving tactic here. Nor is using gradual braking or attempting to avoid high G forces on corners. I was a jibbering heap by the time we got to the bottom. This was my last day as passenger!!
Next we turned onto the Guayadeque road. This winds up a steep sided valley to what was marked on the map as the town of Guayadeque. When we got there the road stopped. There was a car park, a restaurant, a few normal houses and paths leading to many troglodyte houses (caves).
Valley road.
Troglodyte storage cave with old fridge and washer.
Nicely landscaped path complete with garden gate leading to troglodyte cave. We didn't see any troglodytes but there seemed to be quite a large community.
Cloud spilling over the mountain into troglodyte (Guaydeque) valley.
Troglodyte caves. They have metered water and electricity in some caves. Note twee street lamp.
On the way back to Puerto Rico we made a brief stop at Maspalomas to visit the Dunes. These are a protected area of wind driven sand dunes at the extreme south of Gran Canaria and look like something out of Lawrence of Arabia.
Dunas de Maspalomas with a freighter steaming north in the background.
Puerto Rico beach with the town beyond.
Industrial strength tourist development. A huge hotel just to the west of Puerto Rico..
...Followed by an unspolit bay...
...and on to the entrance to Puerto Mogan.
I spent an hour wandering around Puerto Mogan. There were a lot of yachts for sale and a few projects including "Fossil" from Dover.
Detail of repairs on ferro cement yacht "Fossil".
I caught the next boat back to Puerto Rico.
Tourist day trip schooner.
More undeveloped volcanic coastline.
Back in Puerto Rico, Tomas had returned and we set off on the afternoon tour. I had been told that Pasito Blanco was one of the best Marinas in the Canaries so we went to have a look. It wasn't bad. Set on a private development and providing berths for those who had bought houses. There were only a few berths for visitors.
We went north to San Bartolome on the road we had travelled a couple of days ago. It was just as spectacular going the other way. At San Bartolome we turned right towards Santa Lucía and Argüimes. It was a hairy drive down the C815 with often very little or nothing to prevent a car plunging down into the valley. Spanish drivers are different! Space between vehicles is not an established driving tactic here. Nor is using gradual braking or attempting to avoid high G forces on corners. I was a jibbering heap by the time we got to the bottom. This was my last day as passenger!!
Next we turned onto the Guayadeque road. This winds up a steep sided valley to what was marked on the map as the town of Guayadeque. When we got there the road stopped. There was a car park, a restaurant, a few normal houses and paths leading to many troglodyte houses (caves).
Valley road.
Troglodyte storage cave with old fridge and washer.
Nicely landscaped path complete with garden gate leading to troglodyte cave. We didn't see any troglodytes but there seemed to be quite a large community.
Cloud spilling over the mountain into troglodyte (Guaydeque) valley.
Troglodyte caves. They have metered water and electricity in some caves. Note twee street lamp.
On the way back to Puerto Rico we made a brief stop at Maspalomas to visit the Dunes. These are a protected area of wind driven sand dunes at the extreme south of Gran Canaria and look like something out of Lawrence of Arabia.
Dunas de Maspalomas with a freighter steaming north in the background.