On a cloudy morning at sea level in Gran Canaria, I wondered if it would be the wrong day to drive up into the highlands, would there be any views? Hoping that the progressive warmth of the day would break the clouds, I never realized that the sheer elevation of the island would burst through them. A sea of stratocumulus blanketed the land below, due to condensation that occurs on the downwind side of a mountain, called the Foehn effect.
Standing at 5,016 feet, Caldera los Marteles is a quiet alternative on the way to some of the most popular sights on the island, Pico de las Nieves and Roque Nublo. The crater was formed in an explosive manner when lava interacted with underground water, it is 262 ft deep with a diameter of 1,804 feet. 
Its base shows the patchwork past of agricultural endeavors, but the walls of the caldera are endlessly lush.
The Canary pine trees that once covered the island are growing tall, due to reforestation efforts.
There are a myriad of trails that meander through the mountainside ranging in mileage.
On the opposite side of the road there is another worthy view, through almost in the center of the island the clouds act as an illusionary sea.
The pinnacles Roques de Tenteniguada and Roque Grande are within a reasonable day hike from the crater.