The Untravelled World: Walking on Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria

I fear that I had always had my doubts about the Canaries as a destination for a “quality” holiday. Yet the more I read about the islands, the more I realised that this was stupid. I was attracted to Tenerife’s 3718 m summit and La Palma’s spectacular scenery, of course, but for a first (winter) trip I settled upon Gran Canaria. My initial impressions of the airport and the coastal strip were that my prejudices might be correct! But (as ever) as soon as I started to explore the mountainous, green interior of the island on foot that impression was changed forever. Some simple maps of these walks are available.

Costs. Flight £102. Las Palmas hotel 1 €40. Juncalillo hotel (B&B) €49. Cruz de Tejeda hotel €69. Santa Brigida hotel (B&B) £48. Las Palmas hotel 2 (B&B) €65. Glasgow–Edinburgh Airport bus (return) £13. Airport–Las Palmas bus €2.30. Las Palmas–Agaete bus €4.30. Las Palmas–Airport taxi €32. Typical evening meal with drinks €12–€22. Travel insurance £6. Total cost of trip £485.

Places I stayed and was happy with. Hotel Valencia, Las Palmas (Day 1, Read my review); Hotel Rural Juncalillo, Juncalillo (Day 2, Read my review); Hotel Rural El Refugio, Cruz de Tejeda (Day 3, Read my review); Hotel Escuela Santa Brigida, near (!) Santa Brigida (Day 4, Read my review); Hotel Parque, Las Palmas (Day 5, Read my review).

Books. Walking on Gran Canaria by Paddy Dillon (Cicerone, 1st edition); Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe by Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra and Richard Lewington (Bloomsbury Wildlife, 1st edition); Collins Butterfly Guide by Tom Tolman and Richard Lewington (Harper-Collins, Paperback edition).

Maps. Gran Canaria, 1:50,000, Kompass.

Day 1: Travel to Las Palmas. Left home on foot at 8.15 am and caught bus into city centre and then another one to Edinburgh airport, arriving 10.10 am. My slightly delayed flight left at 12.25 pm and we landed at 4.45 pm local time (which is the same as UK time), 15 min late. I was not allowed on the 5.15 pm bus to Las Palmas (too crowded) and instead caught the 5.50 pm, which took me to the wrong bus station (San Telmo) for the hotel I had booked. This meant an unpleasant 1 h walk through the city as darkness fell. Found hotel (pre-booked) and went out for pizza and beer (and cheered up).

Day 2: Travel to Agaete; walk to Juncalillo (see maps). To my delight, I discovered that I did not have to return to San Telmo to get my bus to Agaete, but could catch it from the main shopping street near my hotel. Caught 9.07 am to Agaete, arriving about 10 am. Started walking 10.10 am. Followed Walk 41 from Walking on Gran Canaria (see Books) as far as the signposted junction near Montana Bibique/Roque Bermejo but then descended horrifically eroded path past some Guanche cave dwellings into San Pedro, where I stopped for a small beer. Then I carried on up the Agaete valley, following part of Walk 13 from Walking on Gran Canaria (see Books) in reverse. I passed through the hamlet of El Hornillo and reached the road junction at the Embalse de los Perez at about 5.10 pm. Luckily, in view of the time and my fatigue at this point, this spot was about 900 m above sea-level, not the 650 m indicated on my wonderful map. Leaving Walk 13, I set off up the road to Juncalillo and reached my hotel (pre-booked) at 6.10 pm (so 8 h of walking). Had excellent dinner in the hotel.

Day 3: Walk to Cruz de Tejeda (see maps). Had breakfast and left hotel at 9.50 am, but was given lift to top of road by friendly German couple. Started walking at 10.05 am. Tried to follow path (shown on my wonderful map) that passed through hamlet of El Tablado and cut across valley to meet the GC-21 road. But, despite several tiring attempts, I could not find this path and I retreated uphill to rejoin the GC-220 road, which I had left 1 h before. I followed the road, joining the GC-21 and then found a nice signposted path, not shown on my wonderful map (of course), that cut up the hill to join the main Artenara–Cruz de Tejeda path. This path followed the ridge around the edge of the Caldera de Tejeda and was utterly spectacular, passing the interesting Cuevas Caballero on the way. I arrived in Cruz de Tejeda at 2.30 pm (so 4 h 25 min walking), found my nice hotel (pre-booked), and sat and read my book in the sun with a couple of beers before a nice dinner in the hotel.

Day 4: Walk to Santa Brigida (see maps). Had breakfast and left hotel at 10.15 am. Walked downhill to village of Las Lagunetas, part of Walk 3 in Walking on Gran Canaria (see Books). Had beer in Las Lagunetas. Zig-zagged down into the Barranco de la Mina and followed Walk 2 in Walking on Gran Canaria (see Books) in reverse. After leaving the Barranco near Cruz Morales, I briefly joined Walk 4 into the village of Santa Brigida. My wonderful map showed my hotel about 500 m outside the village, along a busy main road, but when I arrived there... no hotel. I asked a local and, to my great fortune, she offered to give me a lift in her car the 3 or 4 km (!) along the main road to the hotel (pre-booked), arriving 4.45 pm (so 6 h 30 min walking). Drank beer, read book, and then ate dinner.

Day 5: Walk to Las Palmas (see maps). Had breakfast and left hotel at 10.15 am. Walked along dull suburban backroads through Tafira Alta to the Jardín Botánico. Looked around these gardens for a couple of hours, photographing dragonflies and Giant Gran Canarian Lizards. Then joined Walk 1 from Walking on Gran Canaria (see Books) in reverse, following the Barranco de Guiniguada, and arriving at my excellent hotel (pre-booked) in Las Palmas at 4.20 pm (so 6 h 5 min walking). Drank red wine, read book, and then ate dinner.

Day 6: Travel home. I had an early flight, too early for the buses, and so I had a taxi at 5.10 am; the hotel gave me a packed lunch instead of breakfast. Flight left at 6.45 am, arriving in Edinburgh at 11.20 am. Caught 12 noon bus to Glasgow and arrived in work about 1.15 pm.

Wildlife seen. Giant Gran Canarian Lizard, Red-veined Dropwing, Epaulet Skimmer, Emperor, Broad Scarlet, Island Darter, Canary Island Red Admiral, Canary Island Speckled Wood, Geranium Bronze, Monarch, Painted Lady, Small Copper, African Migrant, Atlantic Canary.