Telde travel guide
Basalt churches, aboriginal caves and locals' beaches
Telde is Gran Canaria's second city, on the east coast between Las Palmas and the airport. Its old barrios of San Juan and San Francisco and the cave site of Cuatro Puertas make a good half day, with local beaches at Melenara and Salinetas. The climate is mild all year.
Telde lies on the east side of Gran Canaria, between Las Palmas and the airport at Gando, and it is older than either: the island's first town, a seat of Canarian aboriginal power and, from 1351, a bishopric. Seen from the GC-1 it looks like warehouses and supermarkets. Leave the motorway and the old quarters of San Juan and San Francisco tell a different story.
Barrio de San Juan centres on the church of San Juan Bautista, begun around 1520 in volcanic stone of different colours, with a late Gothic main facade and a Flemish altarpiece about five centuries old. Nearby, Museo León y Castillo occupies a Canarian mansion with wooden balconies and a courtyard. It tells the story of the brothers behind the port of Las Palmas. San Francisco, a short walk away, is a quiet barrio of narrow lanes around a former monastery church.
The coast is where locals go. Playa de Melenara, Salinetas and Playa del Hombre are town beaches with few foreign visitors. South towards Ingenio, beside the GC-100, the 319-metre Montaña de las Cuatro Puertas has a cave with four doorways cut by the island's first inhabitants, a sacred site with views over the coastal plain.
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Top things to do in Telde
Old stone churches, a Canarian mansion museum, an aboriginal cave site and quiet local beaches.
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Best time to visit Telde
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 21°C to 26°C, good for walking the old barrios and climbing to Cuatro Puertas.
Highs of 25°C to 28°C and no rain to speak of, with trade winds cooling the coast; the town beaches fill with local families.
Still around 21°C by day, with the odd shower; the busiest months for visitors to the island.
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Getting there
Global lines 36 and 90 from Gando
Gran Canaria airport sits on Telde's south-western outskirts, between the GC-1 motorway and the sea, so arrival could hardly be quicker. Two Global routes, the 36 and the 90, call at the terminal on their way between Telde and the south of the island, and a taxi to the old town takes only a few minutes. From Las Palmas, about 15 km north, line 12 links the two cities. Drivers should leave the GC-1 at exit 8 and head west on the GC-10, following signs for Barrio San Juan or Barrio San Francisco; the old centre is about 2 km inland from the motorway.
- Lines 36 and 90
- Airport to Telde, continuing south
- Line 12
- Telde to Las Palmas
- By car
- Leave the GC-1 at exit 8 and follow the GC-10 to Barrio San Juan
- The Canaries run an hour behind mainland Spain; allow for it when booking onward connections from Madrid.
- The tourist office is at Calle León y Castillo 2, in the old town.
Where to stay
Barrio San Juan, San Gregorio or a Melenara apartment
Telde has few hotels, and most visitors sleep in Las Palmas or the southern resorts and come over for the day. If you do stay, the main gain is the airport on the doorstep and a taste of a Canarian town that does not live from tourism.
- Barrio de San Juan
- The old quarter around the basalt church; quiet evenings, but few places to eat
- San Gregorio
- The commercial centre around its church, with bars, shops and the main bus stops
- Melenara and Salinetas
- Seafront apartments by the locals' beaches; you will want a car
- Near the airport
- Practical for an early flight and little else
- Budget travellers can try the Canary Sun Hostel on Calle Navarra, which has dormitory beds.
Getting around
Line 12 north, line 35 inland, San Juan on foot
The old barrios of San Juan and San Francisco are close together and best seen on foot. Telde is also a hub for Global's island buses, which fan out north, south and inland. For Cuatro Puertas and the beaches at Melenara and Salinetas, a car or taxi is easier than the bus.
- Line 35
- Telde to Agüimes
- Line 36
- Telde to Maspalomas via the airport
- Line 24
- Telde to Santa Brígida in the hills
- Do not judge the town from the motorway; follow the GC-10 signs for Barrio San Juan and park once you reach the old quarter.
Know before you go
What makes Telde worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Flemish altarpiece in San Juan Bautista, five centuries old and still the focus of the barrio.
- Cuatro Puertas, four doorways carved into the mountain by the island's first inhabitants.
- A swim at Melenara, a town beach where you will hear more Spanish than English.
Good to know
- Clocks here run an hour behind mainland Spain, on the same time as London and Lisbon.
- The old barrios have few places to eat; there are more bars around the church of San Gregorio and fast food along Avenida del Cabildo Insular.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Telde, month by month
Telde's January averages 21°C by day and 15°C at night, and August peaks at 28°C. December brings the most rain, about 31 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Gran Canaria Airport (World Meteorological Organization, via Wikipedia).
San Juan's Flemish altarpiece to the Cuatro Puertas caves
Telde rewards a day off the motorway. Spend the morning in Barrio San Juan with its Flemish altarpiece and the free Museo León y Castillo, walk to Barrio de San Francisco, drive to the carved caves of Cuatro Puertas after lunch, and end with a swim at Melenara or Salinetas.
Morning: leave the GC-1 at exit 8 and follow the GC-10 inland to Barrio San Juan, or come by bus from the airport. Start at Plaza de San Juan with the church of San Juan Bautista, plain outside but with its Flemish altarpiece within, surrounded by old houses and big trees.
Late morning: walk to the Museo León y Castillo, free to enter, for the mansion's balconies and courtyard as much as the exhibits, then wander up to Barrio de San Francisco and its old monastery church.
Afternoon: drive south towards Ingenio on the GC-100 for Montaña de las Cuatro Puertas and its carved cave doorways.
Evening: finish with a swim and a late meal at Melenara or Salinetas, where the town goes to the sea.
Papas arrugadas, mojo and gofio around San Gregorio
Telde serves everyday Canarian food to a local crowd. Order papas arrugadas with red and green mojo, try gofio in soup or kneaded with broth, and add island cheese or grilled fish; the bars near San Gregorio church and the beach districts of Melenara and Salinetas have most choice.
The essential dish is papas arrugadas, small potatoes boiled in very salty water until their skins wrinkle, served with mojo: red mojo picón made with peppers and green mojo made with coriander or parsley.
Look also for gofio, toasted grain flour that has been a staple since the aboriginal Canarians, stirred into soups or kneaded with broth. Island cheeses and grilled fish are standard on local menus.
In the old barrios choices are limited, so plan meals around the bars near the church of San Gregorio or head to the coast, where the beach districts of Melenara and Salinetas draw local families at weekends.
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How we research our Telde travel guide
Telde facts are verified with the official Telde website and Spain.info; Renfe is listed for mainland travel only.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Telde.
Getting there
The 36, which runs on to Maspalomas, and the 90, which ends at the Faro. A taxi to the old quarter is a ride of a few minutes.
About 15 km south. Global bus line 12 links the two, and the GC-1 motorway connects them by car.
Gran Canaria airport sits on Telde's south-western outskirts, between the GC-1 motorway and the sea, so arrival could hardly be quicker. Two Global routes, the 36 and the 90, call at the terminal on their way between Telde and the south of the island, and a taxi to the old town takes only a few minutes. From Las Palmas, about 15 km north, line 12 links the two cities.
General
For the volcanic-stone church of San Juan Bautista and its centuries-old altarpiece, the free Museo León y Castillo and the lanes leading up to San Francisco.
A 319-metre mountain on the road to Ingenio with a cave cut by the island's first inhabitants, whose four doorways give it its name. It was a place of worship.
Yes. It occupies a traditional Canarian mansion on Calle León y Castillo and covers the brothers behind the port of Las Palmas.
Beside the GC-1 south motorway at about kilometre 6, with an 18-hole, par 72 course.
It is the oldest town on the island and its first capital, a seat of the aboriginal Canarian rulers, and a bishopric from 1351.
From June to September they fill with local families, especially at weekends. Weekday mornings stay calmer.
The old barrios of San Juan and San Francisco are close together and best seen on foot. Telde is also a hub for Global's island buses, which fan out north, south and inland. For Cuatro Puertas and the beaches at Melenara and Salinetas, a car or taxi is easier than the bus.
Families & accessibility
Playa de Melenara, Playa de Salinetas and Playa del Hombre, where most bathers are residents.
Timing & weather
The whole Canary archipelago keeps Western European Time, the same as the UK and Portugal, one hour behind the peninsula.
The best time to visit Telde is All year. Mild in every month; summer is warmest and winter brings the odd shower.
- Best overall: October - May (Highs of 21°C to 26°C, good for walking the old barrios and climbing to Cuatro Puertas)
- Summer: June - September (Highs of 25°C to 28°C and no rain to speak of, with trade winds cooling the coast; the town beaches fill with local families)
- Winter: December - February (Still around 21°C by day, with the odd shower; the busiest months for visitors to the island)
Visa & documents
Spain follows Schengen entry rules. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing in the big cities is Spain's main crime risk for visitors. Pickpocketing is common in Barcelona and Madrid, especially on the metro and in tourist areas. Heatwaves and wildfires occur in summer.
