When it comes to Gran Canaria, many people associate characteristics about the island that are actually quite logical to think of: beautiful beaches, amazing weather, great landscapes and a gastronomy that is quite exotic and influenced by many cultures. 

Now, there is more to this region in the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands than just what everybody seems to know at first instance, with highly valuable elements in terms of culture, social customs, natural places and festivities that are definitely worth recognizing. 

These cultural features of the island can be noticed in venues like museums and parks, squares, architecture and structures, food, holidays and other types of patrimony that is very interesting from many points of views and therefore they deserve to be taken into account respecting visits made to the island. Let's address the cultural destinations of Gran Canaria in detail. 

Roque Bentayga 

Roque Bentayga is the magic door that gives access to the aboriginal world of Gran Canaria, becoming one of the main natural and cultural destinations on the island by far. The rock formation is next to three structures that build a sanctuary from which Canarian ancestors looked at the sky in the best way possible. 

Despite the exotic and mysterious characteristic of Roque Bentayga, it is possible for visitors and tourists to go there and explore more than 300 doors that give access to distinct pathways. 

For this to happen, new people arriving count on the Centro de Interpretacion or Interpretation Center that will help them explore the place and enjoy this magical experience, where rites, cults and ceremonies will be explained with state-of-the-art technologies. 

Cueva Pintada 

Cueva Pintada is an archeological museum and park located in Gran Canaria, specifically in the municipality of Galdar in Las Palmas and capital of the island. This place is the result of more than 20 years of archeological and historic research, with the intention of showing the prehispanic findings in the region with a lot of historical and cultural potential.

For example, after different excavations and digging many pieces of ancient Canarian cultures were encountered, being in the same place where the museum and archeological park was built in the first place. These aboriginal Canarian cultures left many elements that are incredible from the anthropological point of view, and visitors can see them in detail. 

From paintings and hieroglyphs to actual caves where these Canarian ancestors lived, there is a lot to see at Cueva Pintada as a place that is the most important respecting cultural and scientific purpose in the island. 

Maipés de Agaete 

Maipés de Agaete is a destination that is part of the Parque Arqueológico del Maipés. This is considered a sacred place as an ancient cemetery with more than 600 graves, now mixed with rests of volcanic rock and accumulation of stones that can reach up to three meters high. 

This place is considered of the most valuable locations in Gran Canaria in terms of patrimonial and archeological resources, as a memory of the first Canarians that lived in the archipelago, at least 1300 years ago. 

Since 1974 and to this day, Maipes de Agaete can be visited and explored by tourists and anyone with a cultural and archeological interest, receiving hundreds of them and especially scientists and anthropologists from all over the world. 

Cultural patrimony of the island of Gran Canaria 

Of course, the cultural benefits of Gran Canary are not only related to ancient findings, previous civilizations and Canarian ancestors, but the culture that has been passing from generation to generation and from town to town in the form of social expressions and customs that remain to this day. 

In every little town and in the big cities as Las Palmas and others there can be seen and perceived a historical and rich past from at least 5 generations. 

Clear examples are places like Vegueta as a town that was built in the 15th century, the many constructions and buildings that show how the architecture in the island developed to this day, as well as the monuments, churches and so many more, without mentioning the impact immigration, location and tourism have had on the island as well over the years of history, which is not small by any means.