A Little Desert on Gran Canaria
The island of Gran Canaria was the first of the Canary Islands archipelago that I visited. I flew out in February, mainly wanting to get up into the mountains, to hike as much of them as I could and discover some interesting places. The whole of the Canary Islands is a popular winter destination, because the weather here is quite pleasant year-round, and on top of that you can get here very easily from a number of European cities. I flew here from Bratislava, though I think that particular route no longer exists.
After landing I rented a car at the airport and set off to my accommodation, which was almost in the very center of the island, not far from its highest point, Pico de Las Nieves at 1,949 meters above sea level. On the way I had to climb quite a lot of vertical meters on a terribly winding road that snakes up here from the seaside resorts. By about the fifth time I drove this road, all that turning of the steering wheel was making my shoulders ache.
Since I'd expected to enjoy a bit of warmth here too, I was rather taken aback that on arrival at the guesthouse the thermometer in the car showed some 8 degrees Celsius. At that moment it was overcast, the odd raindrop was falling, and the weather really was quite unwelcoming. It was early morning, so I decided to first drive around the island by car to get my bearings a little.
Right nearby lay the little town of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. When I drove up into the hills above it, I was treated to a magnificent view of both the town itself and the surrounding landscape and roads, which wind across the slopes and valleys like long, skinny snakes. I kept going, and wherever the weather allowed, I stopped and photographed the beautiful views. In the end it turned out that on the first day I drove around almost the entire island and spent the early evening in Maspalomas. It's a classic resort full of hotels, but you'll find one natural curiosity here that makes it worth the trip. It's a roughly 5 km long belt of sand dunes. I had the chance to photograph and admire a place that is a kind of little Sahara of this island. The sand wasn't blown here by wind straight from the Sahara, as many guidebooks claim, but is of marine origin. The early evening and sunset here are truly magical. The light sets off a beautiful play of shadows, and the dunes become sculptural and more photogenic than under the harsh daytime sun. The only thing that troubled me and my gear here was the strong wind, which constantly whipped the ever-present sand into my eyes, so sunglasses and a scarf came in handy. And it's also good to have some sort of little brush for dusting off the lens and camera.
I was thrilled with Gran Canaria from the very first day and couldn't wait for the days and other islands ahead that I planned to explore. It's a good idea to avoid the rather monstrous hotel complexes and find more modest accommodation in one of the villages. Only then will the Canary Islands speak to you with the right atmosphere and win your heart.
Tip 1: On the dunes a wide-angle lens with a polarizing filter will come in handy. Definitely wait here for sunset, or at least until the sun is very low. The dunes will be more photogenic.
Tip 2: If you don't have a polarizing filter, at least a UV filter will come in handy to protect your lens from the sand. Watch out for that sand, because once it gets into any of the lens mechanisms, it's quite a problem. So you'll appreciate a cleaning brush here too. Years ago I ruined a lens on an ancient ultrazoom Olympus this way on a beach in Turkey, so I know what sand can do.
Gear: Once again I'll bring up the tripod and how you should use it in windy conditions. On the Canary Islands strong wind is an almost daily occurrence, so remember to extend the tripod only low above the ground and, ideally, weigh it down with your backpack as well. You can also stand on the side the wind is coming from and shield the camera from the gusts.
[caption id="attachment_715" align="alignnone" width="900"]
SONY DSC[/caption]