Gran Canaria: VW Beetle Convertible Mountain Tour & Canarian Lunch

4.95

(272 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the curves,” our guide grinned as we buckled into the VW Beetle convertible — bright blue paint already dusty from the last run up Gran Canaria’s mountains. I’d never driven anything like this before. The roof down, sun on my arms, and that first stretch out of town felt oddly freeing. There was this scent of wild herbs on the air (maybe thyme?) and every time we slowed for a village, locals waved or nodded — not in a touristy way, more like they were just used to seeing these quirky cars snake through.

The climb got serious after Santa Lucia. We zigzagged past stone terraces and suddenly there was this view — La Fortaleza de Ansite jutting out over the valley like something from an old legend. Our guide told us about its history with a kind of quiet pride; I didn’t catch every word but I could tell it mattered to him. At one point we stopped at a lookout and someone handed around papas arrugadas with mojo sauce (that salty skin and garlicky kick — honestly, I’d eat those every day if I could). The wind up there was sharp enough to wake you up if you started drifting off in the sun.

I kept laughing at how everyone in our little convoy would honk or wave when we passed another Beetle. In Fataga, we parked under palms and wandered into a church courtyard where old men played dominoes in the shade. The light was so bright it made everything feel almost unreal. Later at the aloe vera farm — well, Li laughed when I tried to say “aloe” in Spanish (I definitely butchered it), but she showed us how they cut the leaves open and let us rub some gel on our hands. It smelled green and sort of bitter-sweet.

I still think about that last stretch up toward Roque Nublo — clouds moving fast overhead, nothing but mountains all around. It wasn’t perfect driving (I stalled once on a hill), but nobody cared; it just felt like part of the day. If you want to see Gran Canaria’s wild side without feeling herded around, this VW Beetle tour is honestly something different.