Hotels in Telde

Telde

Telde is the second most populous municipality of Gran Canaria, with around 104,000 inhabitants, on the east coast between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the airport. It is the oldest town on the island: a bishopric was established here by papal decree in 1351, and the town was officially founded in 1483, on the site of one of the main Aboriginal centres of the east. The historic quarter of San Juan grew around the Basilica of San Juan Bautista, whose chancel holds a Flemish-Gothic altarpiece and a crucifix made with the pre-Columbian technique of corn paste. The neighbouring quarter of San Francisco keeps narrow, cobbled lanes of low whitewashed houses climbing towards the heights of Santa María. Telde's ten kilometres of coast alternate cliffs with beaches of volcanic sand, among them Melenara and La Garita, both awarded the Blue Flag, as well as Salinetas and Tufia. The municipality is rich in pre-Hispanic heritage, from the cave complex of Cuatro Puertas to the settlements of Tara, Cendro and Tufia, the largest of all with caves and stone houses. The volcanic caldera of Bandama and its golf course lie within easy reach to the north-west. Telde is also a major shopping centre, known for its furniture trade and traditional crafts such as basketry and weaving. The GC-1 motorway runs east of the town, linking it in minutes with Las Palmas and with Gran Canaria Airport at Gando, in the south of the municipality. Telde suits travellers who want local Canarian life, history and quiet beaches close to the capital and the airport, away from the big resorts of the south.