Overview
An eight day, self-guided walking holiday along the Gran Canaria GR131 trail, which goes between the north and south of the island. This holiday follows most of the trail, as well as part of the island’s own ‘Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria’, staying at small, locally-owned accommodations throughout. Start in Maspalomas in the south, home to the extensive dunes of Maspalomas Nature Reserve, and finish in Agaete, a historic port town with natural swimming pools and nearby pine forests of Tamadaba Natural Park. In between, hike from ravine to ravine, up to the summit of Cruz de Tejeda (1,560m) and through the Agaete region’s unique coffee plantations.
- Maspalomas Nature Reserve
- Barranco de Fataga
- Caldera de Tejeda
- Roque Nublo
- Guayedra Beach
- Cruz de Tejeda (1,560m)
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Gran Canaria
Arrive at Gran Canaria Airport where you are met and transferred to your accommodation in Maspalomas, a resort town on the southern tip of the island that is also home to Maspalomas Nature Reserve.
- Accommodation: Bungalows Cordial Green Golf or similar in Maspalomas
Day 2: Maspalomas – Arteara | 17.3km
Head north from Maspalomas until you spot the first signs of the Gran Canaria GR131 trail. The path winds through both Barranco de Vicentillos and Barranco de Fataga ravines. Continue walking until you arrive at the village of Arteara where you spend the night. Arteara is famous for Arteara Necropolis, an vast, ancient collection of stone tombs dating back over 2,000 years.
- Accommodation: Masai Mara Resort or similar in Arteara
- Walking for the day: 17.3km, ↑468m ↓121m
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 3: Arteara – San Bartolomé de Tirajana | 10.1km
Today’s route takes you inland, surrounded by Gran Canaria’s mountain ranges. Starting directly in Arteara, follow the Camino de Santiago until you arrive in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The parish church of San Bartolomé, dating from the 17th century, features a Baroque façade and an interior adorned with murals and religious sculptures. Nearby in Santa Lucía de Tirajana, you can visit the La Fortaleza Centro de Interpretación museum, a symbolic enclave of the Guanche resistance to the Spanish conquerors
- Accommodation: Rural Suite Santiago de Tunte or similar in San Bartolomé de Tirajana
- Walking for the day: 10.1km, ↑599m ↓65m
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 4: Tunte – Cruz de Tejeda | 15.8km
Hike into the heart of Gran Canaria: Cruz de Tejeda, located 1,560m above sea level. Follow the trail which climbs to the summit of Cruz de Tejeda, skirting part of the Caldera de Tejeda before reaching the top. From here, take in the panoramic views of the island, including the sight of Roque Nublo, an 80m tall basalt stone that was once a place of worship for the island’s indigenous inhabitants. You also spend the night in Cruz de Tejeda.
- Accommodation: Hotel Rural El Refugio or similar in Tejeda
- Walking for the day: 15.8km, ↑1,061m ↓433m
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 5: Cruz de Tejeda – El Hornillo | 17.4km
Continue along the GR131 trail from Cruz de Tejeda to El Hornillo. As you leave Cruz de Tejeda, the trail descends, passing three dams: Presa de Soria, Presa de Las Niñas and Presa de Chira. Arrive in El Hornillo, a hamlet located in the upper part of the Barranco de Agaete where you spend the night. Alternatively, you are transferred to accommodation in Cruz de Tejeda at the end of the walk.
- Accommodation: El Hornillo Refuge in mixed-gender shared rooms or similar in El Hornillo, or overnight in Cruz de Tejeda
- Walking for the day: 17.4km, ↑657m ↓1,427m
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 6: El Hornillo – Agaete | 16.2km
If last night’s accommodation was in Cruz de Tejeda, you are transferred back to El Hornillo. Descend through Barranco de Agaete, a rich valley with an array of farmed fruit and coffee trees, as this is one of the few places in Europe to grow and produce coffee. Arrive in Agaete, a coastal town full of old mansions that form a central square lined with trees that shade its many cafes. Continue walking until you reach the end of the GR131 trail, at Puerto de Las Nieves which is in Ageate.
- Accommodation: Hotel Puerto de Las Nievas or similar in Agaete
- Walking for the day: 16.2km, ↑779m ↓1,522m
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 7: Agaete
Spend your final day in Gran Canaria exploring Agaete, home to a variety of beaches nestled between the cliffs, including the nearby black sand beach, Guayedra. We recommend visiting Tamadaba Natural Park, a protected area featuring the largest pine forest in Gran Canaria. You can find the park on the highest point of Agaete at an altitude of 1,180m, and 17km away from the centre of Agaete. To get there, take a bus from Agaete to El Risco (San Nicolás) and then walk the remaining 1.4km.
- Accommodation: Hotel Puerto de Las Nievas or similar in Agaete
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism.
Please note that on day five at El Hornillo Refuge, rooms are mixed-gender shared rooms (bunk beds) and shared bathroom. If you prefer a double or single room with private bathroom, we will arrange a transfer to return you to Cruz de Tejeda for a second night at Hotel El Refugio at no extra cost.
Click to view default hotels
- Bungalows Cordial Green Golf (Maspalomas)
- Masai Mara Resort (Arteara)
- Rural Suite Santiago de Tunte (Tunte)
- Hotel Rural El Refugio (Cruz de Tejeda)
- El Hornillo Refuge (El Hornillo)
- Hotel Puerto de Las Nievas (Agaete)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated moderate to strenuous and so you should be an experienced walker in good physical condition. The routes cover steep slopes, dusty trails, pine forests and mountain sections. It requires sure footing and tolerance for steep ascents and tough descents. (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available throughout the year. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date.
Gran Canaria is warm all year, with long days of sunshine, mild winters and almost no rain. Average annual temperatures range between 18-25C, and despite being in the Atlantic Ocean, Gran Canaria sees only 148mm of rainfall per annum. The majority of rainfall occurs between October and February, while July and August are very dry. For more information, see our blog post Best time to go to Spain.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
Our recommended airport for this tour is Gran Canaria Airport (LPA).
- Arrival transfer from Gran Canaria airport (LPA) is included with your package
- For departure, take a bus from Agaete to Gran Canaria Airport (1h 30mins). Catch the 103 bus from Iglesia De Agaete bus station to Las Palmas De Gran Canaria (San Telmo), from there take the line 1 bus directly to Gran Canaria Airport (LPA). For more information, visit Global Las Palmas or use the Omio planner above
- You can also travel to Gran Canaria by ferry with ferry ports in Las Palmas (Puerto de La Luz) and Agaete (Puerto de las Nieves). To travel there from mainland Spain, the port towns are Cadiz or Huelva, which you can book with Fred Olsen or trasmediterranea.es.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 overnight stays
- 7 breakfasts
- Video briefing with our local representative on arrival
- Arrival airport transfer
- Luggage transport between accommodations (one bag per person up to 20kg)
- Digital route descriptions and GPS tracks
- Printed map
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare, departure airport transfer and other transfers not explicitly listed as included in the programme
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. A supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights available on request
- Hiking pole rental
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
