One of the three great barranco drives up into the Gran Canaria highlands, the GC 605 hairpins its way up the Mogan Valley until it reaches the cumbres at Ayacata village just below Roque Nublo.

The Tamadaba loop road gives you the best views out over the Atlantic Ocean towards Tenerife and Teide volcano. It's a driving must in Gran Canaria.

This little-known rural road winds up through the northwest of Gran Canaria past cliff-edge villages and flower meadows and brings you to the wild pine forests of Tamadaba. 

As Canary Islands photographers we've visited most of the 500 beaches in the archipelago. It's tough to narrow them down to a Top Ten so we cheated a bit, but here's our pick of the best places in the Canaries to spend a day on the sand.

Nudists love Gran Canaria because it has naked beach spots to suit all tastes. Here's our pick of the best places to get an all-over holiday tan. Click on the beach name to see more detailed info on each one.

Germans know how to bake bread and this little bakery/cafe sells some of Las Palmas' best rolls, along with a range of excellent cakes and pastries. 

Tranquil Pasito Blanco is as close to a private beach as you get in Gran Canaria but is open to all. 

You don't know Gran Canaria until you've ventured beyond the gates of the resorts. Here's the five things we think you have to do if you're in Gran Canaria this week.

Hoya del Pozo beach is low-key even by east Gran Canaria standards, but it is clean and a pleasant place to sit in the sunshine.

Agualdulce is the prettiest beach on Gran Canaria's east coast and one of the island's best small beaches.

Las Palmas' excellent museums and galleries have everything from mummies and modern art to interactive science experiments and Columbus' notebooks. Here's the ten cultural spots you have to visit in the city.

La Garita is popular with Telde locals thanks to its famous fish restaurants and wide, black sand beach. 

Golden El Cabron's beach is famous amongst divers but only gets a few local visitors. The snorkelling is spectacular, and it was named after a bucaneer.

Arguineguín's shops sell useful stuff for residents rather than souvenirs for tourists. It's where the south Gran Canaria locals come to do their shopping. Except on Tuesdays, when the big street market comes to town.

Walk downhill in Arguineguín until you hit the sea and it's an easy place to explore; the seafront promenade runs the whole length of town. All you have to do to start is work out where you are. 

Think you know everything there is to know about Maspalomas resort and beach? Test yourself with these 10 little-known facts.

There are lots of things in Gran Canaria you can do and plenty of things you should do. Here are ten things you have to do. It's an order!

We've got them so we know that once you've got kids, going to the beach becomes an expedition. Here are the Gran Canaria beaches that have the safe water, easy-access facilities and activities to make a family beach day as effortless as possible. 

Every tourist coming to Gran Canaria comes within metres of Ojos de Garza beach, but nobody ever visits.

Tufia hamlet is famous for it's existential battle against the Spanish government. Its beach, tiny as it is, is the headquarters of resistance.