You don't stop having fun when you get old, you get old when you stop having fun

We are really getting into this Canarian island life.........sandy beaches, smaller cities and towns, and scenic drives around the volcano formed islands. Gran Canaria seemed like a step up for us from Tenerife which we also enjoyed.  Our base for the 5 days was in Arinaga, a small seaside town on the south-east end of the island. From there the southern sandy seashore began leading to over 50 km's of different beaches that we could access by following a shoreline road with terrific views along the way, especially when the road we took left us clinging to the sides of cliffs.

Upon our Gran Canaria ferry arrival we made a short stop in Galdar to visit the historical Cueva Pintada ("Painted Cave") archaeological museum. The middle of the city site wasn't discovered until 1862 and only taken seriously in the mid-1900's. By then buildings had been erected on top of the former Guanches village. Excavation work is still underway and the museum does an excellent job (videos and guides) of explaining the history and lives of the islands' first inhabitants.

Our first full day was spent at Playa del Ingles (near the resort town of Maspalomas), a wide, long beach backed by sand dunes, with restaurants at the back of the beach. The ocean water was warm enough to enjoy after heating up in the sun on our beach loungers. The beach was filled with mostly Europeans seeking warmer temperatures, and consequently as you walked further along the beach away from the food and drink shops you started to realize that clothing was optional. I knew it was time to tun around when I reached the point where all clothing seemed unnecessary........tops and bottoms for both men and women.

Arinaga was also a handy spot for heading inland into the mountainous centre of the island. We started a circle tour but only ended up making it half way because we stopped too many times to admire the picturesque views and have short walks around pretty little towns. The old hillside colonial town of Teror was a hit with us and the most incredible viewpoint we stopped at was La Degollada de Becerra which featured views of both island rock pinnacle landmarks (Roque Nubla and Roque Bentayga) as well as the ocean in the distance. Once again the high elevation drive was much more relaxing and scenic for the navigator than it was for the driver who also had to watch out for hundreds of motorcycles who seemed to be out on some sort of a poker run and in a hurry to get to their next destination because they spent too much time drinking beer at their last stop. Some of their passes seemed very reckless.

We spent another day in Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria, and largest city in the Canaries with a population close to 400,000. It is located at the north end of the island and the peninsula top end allowed for an easy walk to both the east and west side shorelines where we could walk along a lovely promenade. There were many restored colonial buildings making for nice views along the way. A highlight was a visit to Casa Colon which hosted Christopher Columbus several times on his four voyages across the Atlantic to the Americas. The former small palace now houses a museum that did a wonderful job of detailing his 3 ships, his courses for each trip and the challenges he and his crew faced. From my school days I remembered that his original journey was intended to find a shorter route to the Orient and the Americas (South and North) were discovered by accident, but I should have been paying more attention to learn and remember about the rest of the incredible voyage details.

Today we took another ferry to the island of Fuerteventura where we will spend several more days.

After our ferry landing in Puerto de la Nieves on Gran Canaria, we walked around the small town and came across this tiny church. Being a fishing port (now) and a starting point for exploratory voyages in the past, take note of the ships on the walls and in the rafters where many prayers would have been offered in hope that everyone would return home safely.

Every time we are in a fishing village I am always on the lookout for one of my favourite meals......fresh, small fish., sardines in this particular case, while in Puerto de la Nieves.

The Cueva Pintada archaeological site in Galdar. The Painted Cave was underneath some of these former homes and is now closed off from the light to help preserve the art which had been fading over time. A museum guide opened the locked door to let us in and explain the history.

We spent most of the day at the beautiful Playa del Ingles beach in Maspalomas on the southern coast of the island.

The la Degollada de Becerra viewpoint where we stopped for a car snack during our drive around the mountainous interior. The Roque Bentagya pinnacle is on the left and the island of Tenerife in the distant background.

A view of Las Palmas, the largest city on the island. Our drive was filled with views like this all along the way.

The lovely town of Teror where we stopped into during our interior drive so that we could stretch our legs.

The interior of the Santa Ana Cathedral in Las Palmas. We were fortunate to find the organist practicing while we were there with the soft, melodic chords filling the entire Cathedral.

Behind the Cathedral we found the Casa Colon where Christopher Columbus spent time before his voyages to the Americas. As soon as his ships were loaded with months worth of supplies, and final repairs / alterations made to his ships then it was time to start the long voyage and pray that the earth really was round and not flat.

While walking along the Las Canteras beach promenade in Las Palmas we came across some detailed sand sculpting.