Natural Monument Barranco de Guayadeque – circular via Montaña de las Tierras and Cueva Bermeja

It was a beautiful but also strenuous tour. You definitely need to be sure-footed and good hiking boots are a must

To say goodbye to our Gran Canaria vacation, we chose this magnificent route that we will remember for a long time. We started in the Cueva Bermeja area, where you can park your vehicle and there are also several restaurants. We began by ascending the GR 131 trail, which runs somewhat monotonously along the bottom of the ravine. This first part is like walking on a Roman road, with the tourist road running parallel to our path. We gradually gained altitude, the trail changes to a path with some concrete sections, and we reach a post where we separate from the GR and continue on the S27 trail. Here the party begins, we have the entire ravine many meters below us, the view opens up to the sea, and we enjoy every step. We have climbed 850 meters of elevation gain, now it's time to descend them. We followed the S27 trail, which sometimes goes close to the edge and sometimes further inland. With sections covered in undergrowth, we reach the edge of the ravine at the trail post where the descent to the bottom begins. This section is truly spectacular, the best farewell party we could have had. An unbelievable descent down a wall that, in just over a kilometer, brings us back to the starting point. One of those routes that leaves you with a smile for weeks.

Superb hike with a nice elevation gain but also breathtaking views. Be careful in the sun (cap and sunscreen required). Don't miss the Cuevas de las Molinas troglodyte dwelling, a real gem maintained by two brothers.

According to Touri-Info, the Barranco de Guyadeque has the highest concentration of archaeological sites (however, we do not plan to visit the relevant information center today). When reading about the Barranco in guidebooks, one of the main things that is emphasized is that it is one of the last places where people still live in caves. Maybe that gives some people the impression of a kind of open-air museum - the comparatively frequent references to private property and passage bans at least suggest this. We park in front of a (also frequently mentioned) pub, or rather a cave pub in the cave village of Cuevas Bermejas, and move up the valley through the Barranco, as we did last. The path is much more reminiscent of a river bed than yesterday - quite rubble, too - so it does justice to the original meaning of the name (»place of flowing water«). All that remains today is a water pipe set in stones - instead, many endemic plants have developed here, which is why the valley was also placed under nature protection. In between, the path changes to makeshift roads, but always returns to narrow, overgrown paths. At another settlement in the upper part of the valley, we switch to another path that leads us up the slope in serpentines. You get a completely different impression here, because from the top you can only see how many cave dwellings there actually are - from the great views over the valley to (later) the coast and (even later) over Agüimes and a large part of the island - Not to mention the east side. We have chosen a section off the official trail, marked by stone markers and taking us past some abandoned troglodyte dwellings - this way you can get an idea without disturbing anyone. The last 1.3 km are again adventurous, since 200 hm downhill have to be covered - one of the few times I thought about hiking poles. 🦯

It's simply a dream when everything is blooming, buzzing, and life is literally exploding with splendor... indescribably beautiful! 🪻🌺🐝☀️❤️

Certainly one of the most beautiful and varied tours on Gran Canaria, with everything that comes close to what a mountain hiker could imagine. Sure-footedness and practiced walking in alpine terrain with well-profiled hiking boots are a must on this tour. Poles are very helpful for the descent. After a sharp climb with a few exposed passages, it goes briefly over the plateau, followed by a long descent. The ground is covered with loose rock throughout the entire descent, with a high risk of slipping. I slipped twice and lay flat. Great views of the Barranco, the rock dwellings and the restaurants, which are also carved into the rock - which can be admired particularly impressively in the Tagoror restaurant - offer a variety of photo opportunities.