This is really the place to visit if you have a hire car as to get there by bus is quite a treck (go to Las Palmas first then change) and takes a couple of hours or more. By car you're there in little over 1 hour and it's a nice drive, easy motorway 3/4 of the way with the last 20 minutes or so through some nice countryside.

If this is on your list, try go on a Sunday as the best market on the island is here. Very big, nice and busy, lots of craft, produce traditional stuff as well as clothes, souvenirs and pretty much anything and everything you'd get on a market including livestock!

The town itself is home to the Patron Saint of the island, Santo de Pino (celebrated 8th September with a 24 hour pilgrimage) so of course there's an impressive and very busy church in the town square. The main attraction other than that and the market is the architecture; traditional white stone buildings with dark wooden roofs and ornate balconies line most of the streets.

There's a museum, a gallery, lots of history dating back to the 1600s, it really is a place to soak up some Canarian culture after a few days in the purpose built tourism of the south.

As mentioned, the drive up is quite nice passing some very picturesque countryside once you're up in the north and if you're after a full day out, after the market and lunch carry on up to the center (Cruz de Tejeda) via the pine forests then back down south via Fataga and the canyons.