Roque Nublo

Roque Nublo, or the Cloud Rock, is one of the world's largest free-standing rocks and Gran Canaria's most striking natural icon. Formed over 4.5 million years ago, this volcanic rock has been shaped by the elements over millennia into an 80-meter (262-foot) tall monolith at a height of 1,813 meters (5,948 feet) above sea level. Outdone by only the Pico de las Nieves, Roque Nublo is the island's second highest peak. Sweeping views of the surrounding countryside lay sprawled at its feet, like a patchwork quilt of pine forests and farmland arranged in deep, plunging folds. Often shrouded by a bank of clouds or icy mist, the enigmatic Roque Nublo is surprisingly accessible, and it is possible to walk right up to its base. Scaling its sheer face is another matter altogether, a feat braved only by experienced climbers with the right kind of equipment. Described by the Spanish writer, Miguel de Unamuno, as a storm turned to stone, Roque Nublo is a sight of striking beauty, rising from the ground like a defiant behemoth frozen in the guise of a jagged pinnacle.