Weekend on Gran Canaria: Cheese in Guía, Yoga in Maspalomas, Books Everywhere

Saturday: Fiesta del Queso in Santa María de Guía

The north smells of Queso de Flor this weekend. The Cheese Festival has been a fixture in the Canarian calendar for decades, and Guía pulls it off without the heavy tourist machine. Anyone who has tasted Queso de Flor — that soft sheep's-milk cheese that ripens with the flower of the cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) — understands why the protected denomination of origin is taken so seriously here.

Saturday 25 April from 10:00 until 13:00, at the Mercado de Guía, there's a tasting workshop titled "El Mágico Mundo del Queso de Flor", run by the Instituto Canario de Calidad Agroalimentaria. Free entry, limited capacity — sign up in the room itself. Children's workshops run in parallel if you bring family.

In the evening at 20:00, the Plaza Grande turns into a dance floor with the Baile del Queso, a traditional folk-dance gathering. Anyone who has been to Guía knows the acoustics of that plaza after sunset. It's not big, it's not slick, but it's exactly right for a spring weekend.

Sunday 26 April continues with the Feria de Gastronomía Tradicional y Artesanía, again on the Plaza Grande, from 10:00 to 15:00. Cheesemakers, regional food producers, crafts. Anyone wanting to buy olive oil, mojo sauces or honey directly from the producer is in the right place. At the Museo Néstor Álamo, in parallel from 11:00 to 14:00, an Aula de Experiencia with tastings — cheese paired with other local flavours.

For anyone coming from Maspalomas or Las Palmas: under an hour by car, GC-2 then GC-291 toward Guía. Parking in the old town is limited, so arrive early or park outside and walk in.

Sunday: Yoga Festival at Parque del Sur

Maspalomas is a different world this weekend. On Sunday 26 April, 10:00 to 15:00, the Parque Urbano del Sur hosts the first International Yoga and Mindfulness Festival — free, in the amphitheatre, organised by Asociación WIP (Walk in the Park) together with the Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana.

The numbers say something about the mood: more than a thousand registrations from 49 nationalities, average age 44, 83% women. Organisers expect up to 1,500 participants on Sunday. It's big without being intrusive — unlike the commercial yoga-tourism events in Mallorca or Ibiza, this feels more like a community project with festival energy.

Registration is mandatory, online at wip.events. Show up without registering and you risk being turned away — registration is free, but they manage the capacity.

What to bring: your own mat, water, sunscreen. Parque del Sur has shade, but midday sun in April here shouldn't be underestimated.

Books and more — if you live nearby

This weekend brings book fairs and readings in several municipalities — the list is longer than fits here. The highlights:

In Gáldar, from 23 to 29 April, the Festival Gáldar en Danza runs around International Dance Day. The fifth edition spreads through the city and its heritage buildings, with workshops and performances. If dance is your thing and you're in the north, the programme is on the municipal website.

In Agüimes, Saturday at 19:00 at the Centro Cultural Guaires, "Tinder Sorpresa" plays — a comedy monologue by Andreu Casanova about dating apps. Not recommended under 16, good for anyone who appreciates sharp humour.

In Vegueta (Las Palmas), as every Sunday, the Mercado is on, which in this weather is a good idea anyway — coffee in one of the cafés on the Plaza del Pilar Nuevo, then a wander through the stalls.

What's not worth it

Anyone planning the weekend purely as a tourist trying to see a lot fast, don't bounce between north (cheese) and south (yoga). An hour's drive each way eats your energy. Pick one focus and do it properly.

And if you thought rally weekend (see our article on the 50th Rally Islas Canarias (CITA)) was the main draw — the WRC stages are enormous for motorsport fans, but anyone living in one of the affected municipalities should plan around the road closures. Valsequillo, Maspalomas, Teror, Moya, Mogán: full closures lasting several hours.

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Further reading: 50th Rally Islas Canarias — Start · Climate Gran Canaria — Guide