Parador de Cruz de Tejeda

The Parador de Cruz de Tejeda takes its name from a cross carved in 1690 that still stands next to the hotel entrance and has served as a local landmark since the 17th century. The project arose as an initiative of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria in 1932, commissioning the design to architect Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre, while his brother Néstor, a renowned painter, was in charge of the interior decoration. Financing problems delayed the works and the parador was not inaugurated until 1945, following the model of a large traditional Canarian house. The original part of the parador, built in 1937, now houses the public areas of the hotel, including the comfortable lounge. The establishment closed in 1983 to begin renovation and expansion work that began in 2004 and was completed in 2007, although the official opening did not come until 2009 as the 93rd parador in the Paradores Nacionales network. The renovation respected the structure of the original building, preserving its historical and artistic value, but modernizing it to adapt it to the demands of the 21st century.

The Parador's architecture responds to the model of the great traditional Canarian house, a concept by architect Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre that honors the local building tradition. The original 1937 building is characterized by its sober lines, thick walls of volcanic stone and spacious interiors decorated by Néstor, the architect's brother and a fundamental figure of Canarian modernism. The 43 rooms, renovated in the 2004-2009 intervention, feature a modern style with abundant natural light and south-facing patios to maximize magnificent views of the peaks. The expansive spa includes the outstanding indoor-outdoor connected infinity pool, allowing swimming from the inside to the outside with panoramic views of the volcanic landscape. The integration of the parador into the mountain setting is exceptional, with verdant gardens contrasting with the surrounding volcanic landscape.

The parador is located in Cruz de Tejeda, practically in the geographical center of Gran Canaria, at 1,560 meters above sea level at the crossroads of the old Royal Roads. It is located between two protected natural areas: the 260 km² Parque Rural del Nublo and the Paisaje Protegido de las Cumbres. The emblematic Roque Nublo, an 80-meter high volcanic monolith formed 4.5 million years ago, dominates the horizon. This natural formation was a place of worship for the Guanches, an indigenous people of the Canary Islands, and today stands in a protected natural area declared a Rural Park in 1994. The area is part of the World Biosphere Reserve of Gran Canaria, recognized by UNESCO on June 29, 2005. The most popular route from Tejeda leads to Roque Nublo, rewarding with magnificent views of the Tejeda caldera, the Pozo de las Nieves and, on clear days, the peak of Teide in Tenerife. The landscape offers the green and volcanic Gran Canaria, far from the tourist beaches, with trails through Canarian pine forests.