A travel guide to 'The Road Trip’s' Gran Canaria
Follow the cast of new TV drama The Road Trip, and find your own adventure on Gran Canaria.
There’s so much sunshine in the new six-part Paramount+ drama The Road Trip, you can almost soak up the vitamin D through the screen. Based on the bestselling novel by Beth O’Leary, it follows Addie (Emma Appleton), a spirited 20-something who’s spent two years living on her sister Deb’s couch after a romantic break-up. Now she’s taking a ferry from Bristol and driving through Spain in her campervan to get to a wedding at which her ex, Dylan (Laurie Davidson), will also make an appearance. But even before she’s cleared the border, a car accident forces her to allow Dylan – and his mate Marcus – along for the ride, together with her sister and a fellow wedding guest, Rodney.
The drama flip-flops between two timelines – the tumultuous road trip through Spain, and the early days of Addie and Dylan’s relationship that, coincidentally, begins as a holiday romance in Málaga – and it’s set against a backdrop of mountainous terrain, coastal drives and quaint pastel-coloured villages. It’s the perfect sunny summer holiday, served up on a television-sized platter.
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Following in Addie’s flip-flop prints – on Gran Canaria, where the show was shot – I arrive at the resort town of Maspalomas, and savour those famously reliable rays of Canary Island sunshine on my skin. I’m staying at Seaside Palm Beach (hotel-palm-beach.com), a five-star resort on the coast, where pristine white umbrellas shade sun-kissed retirees sipping cocktails and completing crosswords. I dive into the turquoise blue pool and swim to the island in the middle; looking out, green-topped palm trees and clear blue skies are the only things I can see.
In the evening, I stroll through the “Little Venice of the Canaries”, Puerto de Mogán. It’s a picturesque marina and the sunset burnishes its beauty, reflecting the yachts in the glittering water. The harbour front is alive with vibrant restaurants and the delicious scent of meat grilled over charcoal. The surrounding streets are lined with white houses and their brightly coloured doors and windowpanes; trellises are bejewelled with pink and purple flowers. The location exudes romance – Addie and Dylan first meet at a charming local restaurant – and it’s easy to see why Gran Canaria, with its bustling, delicious night scene, has been chosen as the backdrop for their love story.
It’s a short drive from here to Restaurante 360, which boasts fine dining and a panoramic view of a lit-up Maspalomas (bohemia-grancanaria.com/es/restaurante-y-cocktail-bar). The place has an elegant ambience, with refined décor, but it’s the food that takes centre stage. The tasting menu has five main dishes, followed by dessert – all paired with wine sourced from the Canaries. The crispy octopus croquettes, wrapped in a salty serrano ham and coated in a rich piquillo sauce, are delightfully crunchy, while the lamb shank terrine is so soft it flakes under the slightest pressure from my fork.
The next morning, I leave Maspalomas behind and enter The Road Trip territory, driv[1]ing through winding roads that curve through mountainous peaks. The landscape, like that in the series, is arid, the desert-like terrain a stark contrast to the bright-blue sky. I stop at a viewpoint, Mirador Astronómico de la Degollada de las Yeguas (you’ll be able to spot it in the show), that overlooks a rocky valley scorched by a dirt road zigzagging through it. As I drive higher up, the terrain shifts, giving way to rolling hills that feel almost alpine. I get out of the car and enjoy the tranquillity as the clouds drift over the mountain range.
Next stop on my tour is the village of Agüimes, where I get to watch, briefly, a scene from The Road Trip being filmed in a portion of the village that has been cordoned off. It’s a scene close to the climax of the drama, and the sleepy surroundings contrast with the heightening tension between Addie and Dylan. A brilliant white church looms majestically – and filming is briefly interrupted as its bells ring out.
The final leg of my journey is to the capital of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, where cast and crew were put up during the shoot. (Its cobbled streets and sandy-coloured buildings also feature in the series.) I’m particularly moved by the Catedral Metropolitana de Santa Ana de Canarias, which stands majestically at the head of a square. It has an elegant, unfussy façade – but as I venture closer, I see the intricate design of the stained-glass windows and how the light plays with their rich colours.
People-watching in the square is equally enjoyable: an old couple sit hand in hand on a bench, deep in conversation, youngsters mill about laughing and flirting, tourists take pictures. For dinner, I eat local at Casa Montesdeoca (restaurantecasamontesdeoca.com), with fairy lights on its bare stone walls and tables set among trees growing in its courtyard. The next day, I say goodbye to the unflinching sunshine and leave for the UK. No more three-hour lunches with crisp white wine, but at least I can watch The Road Trip for a fix of vitamin sea.
