It was in the 16th century, when trips to the Americas truly exploded, when Gran Canaria began to be settled by people coming from the peninsula – a small group of indigenous people resisted in the area today known as Guayedra. Their fierceness and bravery meant that Isabel the Catholic granted them permission to stay on their land and make it flourish. Many years have passed and, by the end of the 20th century, the area had been depopulated and its once rich jungle, largely chopped down. Back then, a man named Manuel Romero bought a plot of land there to enjoy as a weekend getaway. His son, Normando, had a more ambitious vision: to build a holiday eco-resort not for profit, but to prove to tourists that it was possible to visit the island in a different way.
Thirty years later, the team has replanted the rainforest with dozens of native species. Its enormous territory, which extends all the way to the beach, is home to 16 units of apartments and cave houses – dug out of rock, an ancient local form of architecture (one of which is said to have been the home of Fernando Guanarteme, the last great indigenous chief).
As Romero wished, the experience of staying at Redondo is nothing like a regular resort. The up to 16 groups live surrounded by lush mountains in far-apart houses connected by sandy roads with a shared communal space. The area where breakfast, pizza nights and other events take place brings guests together as a community and fosters a deep connection with nature. The estate is populated by peacocks, ducks, goats and sheep; and it is not unusual to see a group of little children running after Julián, after breakfast, expecting the chance to feed donkey Margarita. Two swimming pools and a direct access to the sea ensure the chance to cool down during the warm summer afternoons.
Price: Rooms from around £215 per night.