4-Xtremes – Part 50: An intrepid journey through the mountains
Series: 4-Xtremes – The World Tour
Andrea and Mike take the opportunity to go for one last tour on the largest Canary Island. From the coast to the mountains, once again, their Axor takes them to some surprising places!
On the way to the Guayadeque Valley.
We've got lots to tell you about this latest stage of our trip! Before we leave the Canary Islands, there are still a few roads left for us to conquer - ones that may not even be built for trucks necessarily! It's the mountains that we consider the most intriguing here in Gran Canaria. Here, the roads aren't as well developed as they are down by the coast.
But first, we drive into the beautiful, green Guayadeque valley, where we are able to hike for hours on end. We also see lots of cave houses, where families still actually live. Before we head back into the mountains, we visit a small harbour village, Puerto de Mogán. A good place to stock up on supplies!
You can hike for hours on end around here.
You can hike for hours on end around here.
You can hike for hours on end around here.
Well stocked up: off into the mountains we go!
First, we head to a reservoir, where we set up a simple camp on a pitch provided by the municipality. There are several of these on the island. All you have to do is log in via a portal and book a pitch.
This is great for us as it means we can stay overnight in the national park. We spend several days here exploring the area with our mountain bikes and kayak.
A chapel carved directly out of the rock.
A chapel carved directly out of the rock.
After so much nature, we next visit a small village in the mountains with a very special chapel. Legend has it that “Ermita de la Cuevita” was carved into the rock in 1865, along with the altar and pulpit.
Then things get really exciting! As mentioned at the beginning, the roads in the mountains are narrow, but not only that: unlike in the villages, there are no warning signs for length and height limits. So, like it or not, we have to proceed how we think is best. Our journey starts with a narrow track: nothing new on the Canaries. It takes us through idyllic gorges and we get a beautiful view of Roque Nublo.
Heads in!
Then we reach a tunnel that has been roughly carved through the rock. We want to make sure that the camper body isn't damaged by any protruding rocks, so one of us walks in front of the Axor as a scout but in the end, there is no problem at all.
Our journey takes us along countless winding roads. Every now and again, we come across another car along the road...other drivers always looked rather bewildered when they saw us! Halfway through our journey, there is a sign saying "carretera peligrosa" – circule con precaución” (dangerous road – drive carefully). The last opportunity to turn back was now a good few kilometres behind us; would it really be a good idea to reverse back up those narrow, winding roads...? We had no other option but to continue! And we kept thinking "how bad can it really get!?“
The answer: not particularly! Although there were a few places where the gap between the rock and crash barrier was very narrow indeed, which didn't leave much room for manoeuvre. The road was perfect for our little Axor!
A daring journey through the mountains: there aren't any warning signs here!
A daring journey through the mountains: there aren't any warning signs here!
A daring journey through the mountains: there aren't any warning signs here!
A detour also takes us to our destination.
The last hurdle, as is often the case, is the village. The main road passes through the centre and there's a sign saying there's a length limit of seven metres. Our Axor is longer, so we look for a suitable route through side streets. In the end, we come out scratch and dent-free onto the large coastal road. From here, it's a relaxed drive with cruise control on to Las Palmas. This is our last stop before we catch the ferry back to the mainland. We arrive there at midnight and set up camp at the first available pitch.
Now it gets colourful!
In the morning, we are suprised to encounter a great flurry of activity in the village square. People, horses, carriages... almost all in traditional costumes. We are told that today is “Romería”: a pilgrimage where a statue of a saint is taken on a colourful procession from one church to the next. What a stroke of luck that we happen to be in this village on this very day! Occasions like this are a great to take pictures. What a fantastic way to round off our time in Spain! Our next destination will be Portugal!
A happy coincidence: we get to see the “Romería”, a pilgrimage.
A happy coincidence: we get to see the “Romería”, a pilgrimage.
A happy coincidence: we get to see the “Romería”, a pilgrimage.
A happy coincidence: we get to see the “Romería”, a pilgrimage.
A happy coincidence: we get to see the “Romería”, a pilgrimage.
Are there any places we could visit on our trip that you would like to suggest? Or perhaps a nice route for us to drive along in our Axor?
4-Xtremes – The World Tour.
An unparalleled journey.
Andrea and Mike Kammermann have been on tour in their Axor for three years. "4-Xtremes – The World Tour" is the motto of the journey that the two Swiss nationals embarked on in mid-2020 and which they share with the RoadStars community. Keep up to date and don't miss out on any of the stunning destinations visited by the adventurous pair.
You can find the current parts from the “4-Xtremes – The World Tour” series here.
You can find the route of the trip before the crossing to South America here.
Photos and video: 4-Xtremes
Comment
Please log in to post a comment.
16 comments
Tolle Fotos natürlich.
Gruss Andreas
Tolle Fotos natürlich.
Gruss Andreas
Der Weg gerade so breit wie ein Fahrzeug, keine Ausweichstelle zu sehen,
die Serpentienen eng - wie steil es ist läßt sich nicht gut einschätzen, aber solche Ringelstraßen baut man nur um deutlich Höhe zu überwinden.
Der Fels wird nicht nachgeben, also nicht daran entlangschrammen...
Jede Geschichte anders, jede Region hat ihre Besonderheiten, ein weiterer schöner Bericht, danke!
Gruß
Klaus
Der Weg gerade so breit wie ein Fahrzeug, keine Ausweichstelle zu sehen,
die Serpentienen eng - wie steil es ist läßt sich nicht gut einschätzen, aber solche Ringelstraßen baut man nur um deutlich Höhe zu überwinden.
Der Fels wird nicht nachgeben, also nicht daran entlangschrammen...
Jede Geschichte anders, jede Region hat ihre Besonderheiten, ein weiterer schöner Bericht, danke!
Gruß
Klaus
Liebe Grüsse aus Portugal 🙋♀️🙋♂️🐕
Liebe Grüsse aus Portugal 🙋♀️🙋♂️🐕
Und wie Manfred schon schreibt: es macht Lust auf selbstfahren!
Solche Art Straßen sind auch nach meinem Geschmack! 😍
Und wie Manfred schon schreibt: es macht Lust auf selbstfahren!
Solche Art Straßen sind auch nach meinem Geschmack! 😍
Ich freue mich schon auf dwn nächsten Bericht von Eurer Reise!!!!
👍👍👍👍👍👍⛰⛟⛰⛟😎
Ich freue mich schon auf dwn nächsten Bericht von Eurer Reise!!!!
👍👍👍👍👍👍⛰⛟⛰⛟😎