Sunflower Books: Landscapes of GRAN CANARIA: WALKS AND CAR TOURS

Gran Canaria, 4th Edition (2004), updated 15/03/08

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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) on Gran Canaria given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

IMPORTANT: There were major forest fires on the island at the end of July 2007. However, recent reports are more optimistic about regrowth. Tejeda was one of the devastated areas, but a reader (3/03) says "Tejeda looked fine to me, and having walked from there to Roque Nublo and done Qalk 2 as well I can report no evidence of last year's fires in that vicinity. " (e-mail, 3/03)

GENERAL: We have recently returned from Gran Canaria clutching 'the little blue book' as we always do! Certainly the walks described by Noel Rochford were brilliant, scenic and hair-raising over the mountain passes. We were as enthusiastic as he is about the local flora which are to found at the different locations and altitudes on the Island and it would have been marvellous to have been able to identify some of the species as we walked.
In the end this was solved by a visit to the excellent 'Jardin Botanico Canario' at Tafira Alta which was set up by a Swedish botanist (Sventenius) assisted by other international experts; well worth incorporating in one of the Car Tours in our opinion. It is a perfect spot for a short walk and a picnic. Our suggestion: I fly-leaf page with, say, 8- 10 thumbnail pictures of the most common wild flowers and shrubs likely to be encountered on walks in the Canaries. Alas we do not possess a 'close-up camera', otherwise we would have provided them for you but I am sure you have other enterprising correspondents. (User, 2/06) [Editor's comment: Originally, all Noel's guides to the Canaries had magnificent line drawings of local flora - done by his sister, Sharon. His Tenerife guide still includes these. Since our books are now in full colour, we have eliminated the drawings, which was probably a mistake on our part.] + We have just come back from 2 weeks walking in Gran Canaria, using your guide all the time! Excellent! (User, 3/07)

Where to stay: We tried booking Hotel El Refugio, but couldn't book on their web-site! Went in to see them whilst there, and they said having trouble with this on-line. San Bartolome - Hotel Las Tirajanas, we did book there but they cancelled 1 month later as closing down for this year! Went to look at the hotel, and well closed. We stayed at Rural Las Calas in La Lechuza, a delightful 8-bedroomed hotel. (User 3/07)

BUSES: Anyone using the bus should buy a 12-Euro bonobus ticket with a magnetic strip (available from ticket outlets like Yumbo centre, Playa del Inglés). A group of people can use the same ticket and it saves 20% of the fare. Tell the driver where you are going and he will validate it. When you have only about 65 cents left on it (not enough for the cheapest fare) you can use the remainder towards your next ticket. (User, 1/04) + Route 18 Maspalomas to San Bartolome now runs at 0800 and 1100. We found it useful that most (but not all) bus stops have the times of services at that stop. One day when we went to San Bartolome the 0800 bus was so full that we had to stand all the way - it certainly made the exciting route even more so! Another day, there were only three people on the bus. To avoid standing, we found it helpful to board the bus earlier than central Maspalomas (Cruz San Fernando): despite being advised otherwise by the Tourist Office, you can board the bus at any of its stops en route from Faro Maspalomas (eg Avendia de Neckerman). By the way, the 08.00 route 18 bus usually stops for 10 minutes in San Bartolome (0850 to 0900), allowing a comfort stop and a hasty coffee from the taverna just opposite the bus stop. (User, 2/05) + You have several references about how to change from bus 30 to Bus 18. The No 18 bus now leaves from the terminus as Faro de Maspalomas, so this is the easiest place to change. (User, 2/05)

Warning: Don't rely on calling a taxi from a remote place. Situated on the road 8 km north of Mogan we called first Mogan taxi central, but they didn't even answer the call, while Socomtaxi flatly refused to send a taxi. A personal call to an individual taxi driver might work better. (User, 2/08)

Driving: to and from Cruz de Tejeda. We drove from San Bartolome to Cruz de Tejeda following the bus route via Tejeda. This was a spectacular drive but it was long. The return drive when we would have been on the outside of the road for most of the way and would have been unnerving. We found the road GC150 past the Mirador de Becerra and eventually the Roque Nublo was fine, in fact parts of it were the best we found in the whole island. It appears on most maps as a rather minor road, but it was the better option. (User, 1/06)

Car Tour 2: Restaurant La Silla in Artenara (P.19) is currently closed. (Gran Canaria resident, 12/07)

Car Tour 3: The "gravel road" from Embalse de la Cueva de las Ninas to Mogan is now
tarmaced all the way. We approached it from the south ,and when we got to Mogan it was signposted as the GC605 (naming Ayacata I think). It was indeed a spectacular drive and needed a driver with a steady nerve but it was perfectly do-able. On the same tour you mention the Mirador de la Sorrueda. This is a lovely spot and, curiously for a mirador, you go down to reach it. You then get a good impression of being in the Caldera de Tirajanas. The walk through the Fortaleza de Ansite does return along quite a narrow ledge, again do-able but a bit nerve-wracking. (User, 1/06)

Walk 1: Do check the route of Bus 18. The day I used it, it stopped at the junction of the GC156 and GC608 instead of going into La Culata itself, which significatly lengthens the walk. (User, 5/04) [Sunflower: In June 2004 bus drivers assured us that most buses DO enter La Culata, but DO ask the driver when you board.] + I would like to suggest an alternative walk from Roque Nublo which we did 1/03/08. Parking as per the short walk, off the GC600, we followed the short walk from there AND descended into La Culata. We then followed walk 8 ( in reverse) from the bus stop, to link up with alternative walk 7 just south of the Mirador de Becerra ( which is then well worth a 10 minute diversion along a path running above the road). From there we simply followed alternative walk 7 back to the car. It was a fantastic day out with glorious views and weather! Perhaps Noel could rewrite the walk 8 connection part, in reverse, to enable others to follow in our footsteps? (User, 3/08)

Walk 2: At 1h45min the sheet of corrugated iron has gone. (User, 5/04) + Walkers should be aware that in the last year one of the viaducts has developed an 8 foot long hole in it. So, it's simply not passable, but all is not lost: you can scramble off the canal, across the barranco, up the other side and along and then back to the canal beyond the hole. Sorry, can't remember which viaduct, I wasn't counting, but you'll recognise it when you see it! (e-mail, 3/08)

Walk 3: (the most beautiful in my opinion). The names of the island's most beautiful villages are not: El Espinillo, El Chorillo, El Manatial and El Carrizal, but: El Espinillo, La Solana, El Chorillo and El Carrizal! I guess the author based himself on the Austrian Kompass Wanderkarte, that's giving the same wrong information. We found this error between La Solana and the beginning of the path to El Carrizal, where we encountered several kind of problems. Unfortunately, that day (a Monday) the bar at El Carrizal was closed. I advise everyone who finds this bar open (next time I'll try to phone it beforehand, its telephone number should be mentioned) to end his walk here and call for a taxi towards the busstop on the GC60 (there lives a taxi-driver at El Toscon, and it should be good if his telephone number could be found and published). It will give you plenty of time to admire the fascinating landscape between the GC60 and El Carrizal. (User, 4/04) [Sunflower: This user is correct. Unfortunately the Spanish base maps were wrong and the villages were not signposted when the latest edition was published. Please amend the map before you set out: from west to east the villages are El Carrizal, El Chorillo, La Solana, El Espinillo. Note also: Casas de la Umbría is commonly known nowadays as Las Moradas de Tejeda. Corrections in the text should be: Page 46, lines 5-6: From Casas de la Umbría (Las Moradas de Tejeda) start out along the G607 road to Roque Bentayga, El Espinillo, La Solana and El Chorillo. Then take the first left to Roque Bentayga and El Espinillo. All references to El Chorillo should read La Solana; all references to El Manantial should read El Chorillo! ]

Walk 5: Much of the path between Hoya de Pineda and Casas de Anzofe seems to have been recently rebuilt. It would be nice to have more information and times for the last hour of the walk. (User, 2/05) + At the 3h20min point is a bus stop whith bus 106 leaving for Galdar shortly after 16.00 (not on sundays and holidays). (User, 2/08)

Walk 6: Bar El Lomo is still closed. (User, 12/07)

Walk 8: Cruz de Tejeda, La Culata - P66, at Mirador de Becerra the path now goes straight up on the right-hand side of the road immediately after the Mirador, so no road walking needed at this point. It's approx. 5 minutes to the junction where you 'keep right at fork almost immediately'. (Gran Canaria resident, 12/07)

Walk 13: We did part of this in reverse, starting in Santa Lucia, reaching roughly your 55min mark. This was a very pleasant, easy walk with a long contouring section leading to Taidia and the climb up from there was not too bad. We did retrace our steps, but given that the views were quite different coming and going this was not a drawback. This is a good option if the cumbre itself looks cloudy
or unsettled. The walk was easy to follow as there were clear fingerposts naming La Calderilla along the way. (The book says that signposting in Gran Canaria is virtually non-existent. This must have changed recently as several of our walks had new fingerposts, somewhat larger than standard English ones, reasonably consistently along them.) (User, 1/06)

Walk 14, page 86, para 3: After 6 mins the "parking bay filled with rubbish" is no longer there. It has been covered in and smoothed over, and barriers across the entrance. (user, 3/07)

Walk 16: Near the start of the walk you turn right on Camino del Pinar and later keep right up Camino del Pinar; there are "GC PR 40" signposts at both junctions... You pass piggeries (45min) and, about 15 minutes later pass a large rock fall (with care)... You turn left at the Degollada de Manzanilla (1h15min), signposted to Maspalomas, then, after 10min take a cobbled path descending to the right (signpost) and cross a forestry track (signpost). At Las Tederas (2h40min) the path leads past an old building; what appears to be the main village homestead lies along to the right. Disappearing into scrub, the path takes you down... (Conny Spelbrinck, who revised the 4th edition, 4/06) + At the 2h05min-point (Pino de Pilancones) it is interesting to read the comments in the visitors' book kept in the tree trunk and sign it if you wish... At the 5h25min-point take the second track on the right, before the brown information sign 'CIMA PEDRO GONZALEZ 490m'. (User, 3/04) + The walk is beautiful, but goes through the area most affected by the 2007 summer fires, so the views are great, but the surroundings very blackened. Pino de Pilancones & the hamlet of Las Tederas have all been affected. The signs that used to say 'Camino del Pinar' now say 'Degollada de la Manzanilla' until you reach this pass. Then they mainly say 'Maspalomas'. At the 5h25min point, the track down to Los Palmitos is now taped off in several places and clearly marked 'authorised persons only' in 3 languages. As Palmitos Park is now closed and needed massive repairs, the bus service (no. 45) no longer runs. Possible alternatives: Approx. 7km road walk (makes a long walk even longer!) from 5hr25min point (waymarker says 'Maspalomas') to Aqualand - frequent buses to Puerto Rico and Maspalomas. Or a taxi from Ayagueres (saves the hour-long uphill road slog!) and walk down that road to Aqualand, but that may be quite far. I hitchhiked - it's not usually done here, but can be useful in emergencies! (teacher living on Gran Canaria, 12/07) + The Pinos de Pilancones (see above), the 400 year old pine tree in the Barranco de la Data has blown down. It was badly damaged in last year's fire and came down in high winds on 31/01/08. (e-mail, 2/08, from a user who also sent the sad photos...)

Walk 17: At 2h45min, on reaching the parking area in a couple of minutes, the bar
(for jeep safaris) has been closed. (e-mail, 12/04) + page 95: The Bar/Rest in Cercados de Arana closed and For Sale. We then got lost coming out of the village, but probably our fault!! Page 96, 2nd para "A rough concrete lane takes you uphill" This is no longer so, you have to take the path to the right before the path goes uphill. Follow this path round to the dam, and then it was some scary scrambling across to the dam. We nearly gave up and were just about to walk back to the road and follow this back to the car, but 2 young Spaniards, luckily, came along and they too couldn't find the way. They went back to the farm and asked the way from the farmer. The scramble is not for the faint-hearted! (User, 3/07)

Walk 18: For both the main and short walks, we found it confusing trying to follow the directions from Cruce de la Data (2h20min) via "road, "track and "path, and ended up at the dam wall. Perhaps conditions have changed, but we found it very much simpler to proceed as follows: "Drop down to the GC605 at KM64.7 (Cruce de la Data; 2h20min; the Short walk joins here). Cross the road and set off on the narrow tarmac road (closed to motor traffic by a locked barrier) towards the dam wall. After about 15 minutes, turn left up a path marked by a fingerpost signposted "SORIA 1500m. Follow this path (ignoring any branches to the right) on the left side of the ridge below the crest, now referring to the map on pages 94-95." The rest of the route down the excellent path to Soria was clear and straightforward. (User, 3/07)

Walk 19: Where the road ends in Arteara (15min) the sign for the archaeological site and the path to the left of it are no longer there. Instead, go straight on, taking the new concrete path to the Guanche necopolis. Note also the comments on Walk 16 above, to end this walk. (User, 3/04) + User 3/04's update is essential, but even then is not quite adequate to find the way easily. At the end of the track through Arteara, we advise to proceed along the concrete path into the landslip area, soon leaving the concreted section for a path that wanders through the rocks past various information boards. At the path junction, take the path to the lookout (mirador) rather than the circular walk back to the start. From near the lookout it is relatively easy to reach the track. An alternative and much easier route (but which misses going through Arteara itself and the landslip area and is a little longer) is to get off the bus later than Arteara, at a brown sign which says "GC602 Presa de Ayagaures" and follow this track which is the one reached from the Mirador in the landslip cemetery. Although the walk says keep on the main track, at one junction not long after joining the track from the mirador it is not at all that clear which is the main track. This junction is shown on the map on page 88/89 (at the edge of the page), and walkers should veer right, slightly uphill.(User, 2/05) + The start of this has changed somewhat ( one of your existing updates refers to this). The cemetery is now laid out with paths and you need to follow the main one through towards the mirador and then keep going to leave the cemetery and head up the hill. Your instructions say 'ignore a minor path to the left and head up a grassy strip of hillside'. But at present the left path is the best choice; it is marked with a small cairn and it takes a zig-zag path to the
track above. Your route turns into a scramble - not such a problem if you are doing the full walk but it would not be a good way down if you are doing the Short Walk which returns the same way. If you are returning, note where you join the track. This is also marked with a small cairn which you need to recognise on the way back. As for parking, there is a parking area just off the main road which means you don't have to drive through the very narrow lane of the village to reach your suggested parking spot. This is in fact the place the villagers would prefer us to use: there are a few information boards up in the village which refer to this as the 'aparcamiento'. (User, 1/06) + The path to the left is now marked with cairns, although easy to miss. If you follow this path there is no scrambleing, it is easy. If you miss it the walking becomes difficult quite quickly although tantilisingly close to the track. (User, 10/07) [Editor's note: we presume this update refers to the 'left path' referred to in the previous comment.]

Walk 20: There is very little left of the gateway 10 minutes after the 3h20min point and the two signs (Prohibido ...) and (Finca ...) are gone, but it is clear when you see the finca. It is, however, not so clear where to turn left while following the "stream", but there is a clearly marked path once you have crossed the crest. Follow this path to the right (look carefully out for the small stone walls), go to the left of the "eye-rock" and the path leads you down to the track beside the small dam (Presa del salto de Perro). (User, 2/08)

Walk 21: I would also like to suggest reversing the whole of walk 21. Forest fires have affected this area and the 1h15m walk between Casas de la Inagua and Degollada de las Brujas is, quite frankly, an uphill joyless slog! This less intersting section could be completed more quickly and easily going the other way! Otherwise it was fantastic. Cracking lunch spot some 5-10 minutes beyond the Degollada with super views across the valley. (User, 3/08)

Walk suggestion: An interesting walk (all on a minor raod) and taking about three hours, is along the GC654 from about 1 Km north of San Bartolome (on the Bus 18 route) via La Culata and Taidia to Santa Lucia. We set out on a day of very low cloud and intermittent drizzle when many other walks would probably have been pointless or dangerous, and were rewarded as we approached La Culata when at first one or two high peaks appeared above the swirling cloud and shortly thereafter all the Picos de Las Nieves appeared in their grandeur. This gave an interesting perspective on the ridge and also passed many small homesteads of interest. It had the further bonus for weary legs of being almost all downhill. At Santa Lucia, the bus to San Bartolome or El Doctoral can be taken. (User, 2/05) + The tourist office in Puero Rico hands out a nice walking guide (in spanish), "Guia de senderos Costa Mogan" with some very fine walks. (User, 2/08)

General (accommodation, etc): Below we reproduce some notes from an enthusiast which may prove of interest.
Here are some comments on accomodation and transport for Gran Canaria hikers who prefer rural accomodation and who don't want to hire a car.
As you can see on the Kompass Karte 1/50000 (www.kompass.at <http://www.kompass.at> ) the area west of the axe Maspalomas - Tejeda - Agaete is scarcely populated (contrary to the north-eastern site). As there is a good bus connection between Maspalomas and Cruz de Tejeda, (bus 18), I think it is a good idea to look for a hiking base along that axe.
7 km southeast of Agaete, at Los Berrazales, there is a hotel called Hotel Princesa Guarmina, www.hotelguayarmina.com <http://www.hotelguayarmina.com> . It is a good 2 stars family hotel, where the service is very friendly and the food delicious and copious. But its location is not so good if you want to discover the central and southern parts of the island by bus.
Hotel El Refugio (928 666513) at Cruz de Tejeda (1510 m. altitude) is a rural hostelry that can make a good base for a few day's walking; but if you're on a longer walking holiday I should advise to look out for a somewhat less expensive hotel.
At the mountain village Tejeda (1100 m) we slept in Restaurante/Bar Tejeda, tel 928 666055, 25 euro for a nice room with bathroom. If you prefer an apartment, then go to Restaurante/Bar Gayfa, tel 928 666230, 30 euro per night (and perhaps less if you're staying longer than 3 nights).
At San Bartolome there is a luxury 4 stars hotel overlooking the immense barranco de Tiranjana, called Las Tiranjanas, www.hotel-lastirajanas.com <http://www.hotel-lastirajanas.com> .. The busstop is only at 5 min.walking from the hotel.
Fataga, situated at 600 m altitude, seems me to be a very good hiking base. The Fataga barranco is very beautiful, its bed is full of palmtrees. The village is on the bus line 18 (Maspalomas - (Cruz de) Tejeda. As for accomodation you can find:
- bar Albaricoque: it has 2 appartments, the one with te terrace costs 25 euros a day, the other one 20 euros a day. You have to add 5 euros a day if you're staying 3 nights or less. Tel. 928 798654
- on the web I found 3 casas rurales, situated in the village: 1. Falcon, www.ecoturismocanarias.com/grancanaria/falcon <http://www.ecoturismocanarias.com/grancanaria/falcon> 2+3. Villa Pino Diaz A+B, www.ecoturismocanarias.com/grancanaria/es <http://www.ecoturismocanarias.com/grancanaria/es>
- a British couple living at Fataga offers Bed and Breakfast; see www.fincabritanica.com <http://www.fincabritanica.com>
- there is also a rural hotel called Molino del Agua; the website address seems to be www.molinodefataga.com <http://www.molinodefataga.com> , but neither myself nor the Tourist Office at Maspalomas (cit@grancanaria.com) could at 07-05-04 open that website. So I give here their phone number 928 172089, and fax their fax number 928172244.
Some 8 km northwest of Maspalomas there is a Park and Sport hotel Los Palmitos, www.lospalmitos.com <http://www.lospalmitos.com> Its location is mouthwatering, and it is connected by bus to Maspalomas; but to have to take into account that its prices are rather high, as they offer a range of sporting facilities.
Camping facilities: we had a look at some of the (for free) camping grounds of the Forestry Autority. Tamadaba + Llanos de Garanon (east of Tejeda) disappointed me because mobile homes and caravans are allowed, and they are situated at 1200 and 1600 m altitude, so it can be rather cold up there. But we met a small camping ground near the Casa Forestal del Cruz Grande, that looked attractive to us: only for tents, and the busstop of the line Maspalomas - Tejeda is at less than one kilometer! Ask the Forest Service for a permit in advance!
Transport by bus: the website of the bus company, www.globalsu.net <http://www.globalsu.net> is very informative. What you need to do at arrival is to go at a ticket outlet (you can find the list of those outlets by clicking first on 'Tarifas' and then on 'Puntos de Venta'; ) and buy there a 'Tarjeta Insular', giving you a discount of 20% compared to the normal fare. Ask also for the printed 'Horarios', one leaflet for the South and another one for the North. According to a reply email communication of Globalsu (11 may 2004) the price is 15 euros, and a Tarjeta Insular can also be bought in the neighbourhood of the aerport: 'En las inmediaciones del aeropuerto existe una estacion de gasolina llamada Texaco que venden las tarjetas' . But of course you can also just bump up the buys at the aerport, buy an ordinary ticket (for instance: a ride from the aerport to Maspalomas costs 3 euro) to one or another town and buy then there an 'insular ticket'.
Tourist Office Gran Canaria: www.grancanaria.com <http://www.grancanaria.com>