Church of Santiago de los Caballeros

Look up once you are inside. The ceiling is worked in grey and white and looks three-dimensional from the floor, and the dome carries its own paintings and stained glass. Two towers stand over the neoclassical front, one for the bells and one for the clock.

The building took nearly half a century to finish, from 1778 to 1826. It is also where Gran Canaria's Camino de Santiago ends: the pilgrimage route starts in the south of the island and crosses its mountainous interior to reach this door. Inside, the baptismal font with its cover sits among the paintings and stained-glass windows.

The plaza in front has flowers, trees and a fountain, with small restaurants around it. It is a good place to sit before the doors open.

• The church is closed on Mondays and opens only for a short evening slot from Tuesday to Saturday. Sunday is the one day with long hours.
• Walking the Camino? Time the last stage for the evening opening or a Sunday, or you will reach locked doors.
• The nearest public toilet, about 150 m away, charges a fee; the toilets closer to the church are for customers only.
• Small restaurants surround the plaza, so a meal fits easily around the visit.

The church faces the Plaza de Santiago in the old centre of Gáldar. Two paid car parks lie about 80 m away in a straight line, and the Huerto Nuevo bus stop is about 250 m away. An information board stands on the neighbouring Plaza de los Guanartemes.

Pilgrims on Gran Canaria's Camino de Santiago arrive on foot: the church is the end of the route, which comes up from the south of the island through the mountainous interior.

Best: Sunday, or Tuesday to Saturday at the evening opening. Avoid: Monday, when the church is closed.

Sunday is the only day the doors stay open for long hours; on other days the window is short, so plan the evening around it and use the restaurants on the plaza either side of it.