Hiking in Gran Canaria
One of the most astonishing things about Gran Canaria, is the impressive variety of its scenery. The island can offer not only lots of golden beaches, but also a spectacular mountains landscape, with a maximum altitude of 1,949 meters. There are plenty of possibilities for hiking in Gran Canaria. You can choose from the easy and short hikes to the more challenging “caminos reales” (king’s highways).
There are some ideas for hiking in Gran Canaria:
Barranco de los Cernícalos. Take a marked path from Lomo Magullo to Los Arenales, leading through the lush valley to some waterfalls, which is a rear view in Gran Canaria. As the valley is well watered, it is a perfect trip for flora lovers. An out and back hike takes about 2-3 hours. The route is not very difficult, but be careful at some places, as the path might be slippery. In period of rainy days the path may be impassable at all.
From Santa Lucía to La Fortaleza. It is a 3 hour hike, which starts at the 49th kilometre of the GC-65 road. During this hike it is also recommended to visit an amazing La Sorrueda reservoir.
Barranco de la Virgen. A 3 hour hike starts at Valleseco, leads through Valsendero and ends at Las Madres. It is another great opportunity for flora lovers to see rare native plants.
Visiting the dams. It is one of the best routes for hiking in Gran Canaria. During the 7 hour trip you can visit three of the island’s reservoirs. The hike starts at GC-605 road at the north of the reservoir of Cueva de las Niñas and ends at Cruz Grande. During the trip also the reservoirs of Soria and Chira are visited.
Roque Nublo. As it is one of the most visited places on the island, it is probably one of the most popular paths for hiking in Gran Canaria. The route is based on “camino real” – the ancient mountain highway. It is quite an easy and short hike, starting at the La Goleta car park, two kilometres away from Ayacata. It will take about 50 minutes to get to the base of the Nublo.
Roque Nublo, Gran Canaria
If you are looking for a longer and more difficult hike, there is an alternative. Start your trip at La Culata and follow the marked path to La Goleta. It will take another 50 minutes.
Hiking nearby Cruz de Tejeda. Many years ago there was a crossroad of caminos reales (king’s highways). The paths were well restored and offer a big variety of routes around the island’s centre. If you are looking for a tougher trip, try a hike from Cruz de Tejeda to Puerto de las Nieves, located on a northwest coast.
A hike to Güigüí beach. It is one of the best destinations for beach-lovers, who would also like to try hiking in Gran Canaria. There are two possible routes to reach an almost mythical Güigüí beach: from Puerto de la Aldea and Tasartico. Both routes are quite difficult and the shorter hike from Tasartico will take at least 2 hours.
A trip to Caldera de Bandama. Hikers can take a journey down to the crater bottom, which is 200 meters deep. This trip is preferred by fauna and flora lovers.
Barranco de Guayadeque. It is a paradise for hiking in Gran Canaria, as there is a big variety of routes of different difficulty. Ask at the tourist office in Ingenio for a map where all the paths are marked. It is another great place for flora and fauna lovers, as you may see 80 species of plants, lots of reptiles and even the only island’s native mammal – bat.
Visiting Pino Grande. Take a two hour long downhill trip from Cruz Grande, which will lead you to the Pino Grande, the tallest pine tree in Gran Canaria. It is a perfect journey full of tranquillity and wilderness, as this place is rarely visited.
Island’s mountainous relief brings a lot of possibilities for hiking in Gran Canaria. Although there is a good network of routes, some of them might be out of date or damaged by heavy rains. It is advisable to ask for hiking maps at the tourist information office. You may also ask the local people if the path still exists. For the best Gran Canaria resorts visit Luxury-resort-guide.com. For more tourist activities and things to do in Gran Canaria go to SingleTripAdvisor.
As the paths usually lead through the places with no shadow, it is important to take plenty of water and hat.
More Gran Canaria Travel Tips
Cycling in Gran Canaria
Climbing in Gran Canaria
Sights in Gran Canaria
