Lördag 15 okt 2011 Arguineguin, Gran Canaria
Trip: 340 nm Totalt: 3740 nm
Seglatsen från Madeira till Gran Canaria tog 2½ dygn, snabbare än beräknat tack vare mycket motorgång. Kl 21 seglade vi in i Las Palmas stora hamn, hittade den lilla öppningen till marinan i alla störande ljus ifrån land. Nästa morgon ropade någon på oss, det var Janne och Lisbeth på Daphne från vår segelklubb. De har övervintrat här och ska nu fortsätta västerut. Här fick vi bara stanna i 2 dagar p.g.a. att ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) med 250 deltagande båtar har bokat hela marinan. Nu var goda råd dyra. Var hitta en hamn där vi kan lägga båten för en längre tid? Våra goda vänner Ina och Alf, med hus på ön, kom och hämtade oss med bil och tillsammans letade vi efter en marina med lediga platser. Vi fann en i Anfi del Mar vid Arguineguin
på södra kusten. En liten marina vid en stor norskägd time-share anläggning. Otrolig lyx, men båtplatsen kostar bara 16 euro/dag. Vi är den enda gästbåten, så personalen månar om oss på alla sätt. De övriga båtarna ägs av spanjorer och norrmän som köpt andelar i anläggningen. Här finns en privat badstrand, många restauranger och fina affärer med dyra varor.
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Anfi del Mar |
Vi tillbringar flera dagar hos Ina och Alf i Taurodalen, badar i deras pool och njuter av deras gästfrihet. Provianteringsturer görs till jättelika varuhus, nya cyklar inhandlas och även IKEA får ett besök, där lingonsylt och glögg inhandlas.
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Avbrott i seglandet / Break from sailing |
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Förstår inte vad de klagar på, maten var utmärkt!
Don't understand their complains, food was excellent! |
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Hotellen klättrar uppför bergssidorna
Hotels climbing on the mountain sloops |
Större delen av Gran Canaria är mycket torr och ökenartad. På den regnigare nordsidan finns banan- och tomatodlingar under säckvävstak. Annars verkar turismen vara den stora inkomstkällan med hotell och lägenhetskomplex klättrande på de branta bergssidorna. Miljörörelsen stoppade utbyggnaden innan hela kusten var exploaterad. Sydvästkusten är därför orörd och svårtillgänglig.
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Typiskt landskap med torra berg
Typical scenery with arid mountains |
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Biltur i bergen / Car ride in the mountains |
Namnet Kanarieöarna kommer inte från fågeln utan från hundarna, hundarnas öar, på latin Insulae Canium, vilket blev Kanarieöarna.
Saturday 15 Oct 2011 Arguineguin, Gran Canaria
Trip: 340 nm Total: 3740 nm
The sail from Madeira to Gran Canaria lasted 2½ days and nights, quicker than calculated due to much motoring. 9 pm we entered the large harbor of Las Palmas, found the narrow entrance to the marina among all disturbing lights in the background. Next morning somebody shouted, it was friends from our yachting club who had stayed here over the winter and were now planning to continue westwards. We were only allowed to stay here for 2 days due to ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) with 250 participating yachts had booked the whole marina. What to do? Where to find a marina where we can leave our yacht for some weeks? Our dear friends Ina and Alf, with a bungalow on the island, took us in their car and we went for marina search. We found Anfi del Mar close to Arguineguin on the south coast. A small marina at a Norwegian owned huge time-share complex.
Incredible luxury but only 16 euro/day for a berth. We are the only visiting yacht, thus the staff is taking well care of us. The other yachts are owned by Spaniards and Norwegians who have bought shares in the complex. Here is also a private beach, many restaurants and nice shops with expensive goods.
We spent several days with Ina and Alf in the Tauro valley, swam in their pool and enjoyed their hospitality. Provision tours were made to giant shopping centers, new bikes were bought and also IKEA was visited, where typical Swedish food stuff was bought.
Major part of Gran Canaria is very dry and looks like desert. On the rainier north side there are banana and tomato plantations under fabric roofs. Besides, the tourism seems to be the great source of income with hotels and apartment blocks climbing up steep mountain sides. The environmentalists stopped the expansion before all coastlines were developed. Thus the southwest coast is untouched and difficult to access.
Ina gives us a full day trip by car along winding mountain roads in the dry nature. High in the mountains are pine forests, otherwise different sorts of cacti. Roque Nublo, the second highest peak on the island is climbed, 1,740 m high with fantastic view and two remarkable giant rock formations. The rock has eroded during millions of years, but left these formations, one of them 80 m high. It is easy to understand that this place was a place of worship for the Guanches, the native people of the Canaries.
The Guanches were not seagoing but agricultural people living in caves and of north African origin. Around year 0 AD Europeans began to visit the islands for trading. Not until the 15th centuary the Spaniards occupied the islands after long and severe fights with the Guanches, who made stiff resistance although they had only primitive weapons. Columbus visited Las Palmas 1492 on his way to discover America. Thereafter the islands became an important stopover on the route Europe to America. The English attacked the islands at several occasions, Drake was here and lost his flagship, Nelson lost his arm at another attack. Franco was governor here when he started the revolt which led to the Spanish civil war.
The name Canary Islands does not origin from the bird but from the dogs, islands of dogs, in latin Insulae Canium, which became The Canary Islands.
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