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Walking on Gran Canaria

45 day walks including five days on the GR131 coast-to-coast route

ISBN

9781852848545

Availability

Published

7 Jan 2020

Edition

Second

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

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Guidebook describing 45 day walks on Gran Canaria, generally averaging 10 to 12km each. A long-distance coast-to-coast route on the GR131 is included, and shorter walks can be linked to form longer itineraries. One of the larger Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is a popular destination but offers many peaceful, rural areas perfect for walking.

Seasons

High summer is popular, but too hot for walking. Good winter walking is possible, with only a very rare chance of snow on high mountains. Spring is ideal and autumn is tolerable.

Centres

Most people stay in the city or resorts - Las Palmas, Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés - but there are quieter alternatives.

Difficulty

Routes vary from short and easy to long and arduous. Many paths are rough and stony, so good footwear is required. The highest mountains are sometimes covered by low cloud, but sun protection will be needed more than waterproofs. Plenty of water should be carried in some arid places.

Must See

Rugged, well-settled uplands dominated by towers of rock - Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga. Long-distance coast to coast route. Deep and rugged barrancos. Scenery from mountains to extensive pine and laurisilva forests, with semi-desert and amazing cliff coastlines. Peaceful and charming rural locations, despite being in one of the world's most popular holiday spots.

ISBN

9781852848545

Availability

Published

7 Jan 2020

Edition

Second

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

Overview

A guidebook to 40 day walks on Gran Canaria plus a 5-day section of the GR131. Gran Canaria is a popular destination but offers many peaceful, rural areas perfect for walking, routes vary from short and easy to long and hard.

The day walks range from 5 to 22km (3–14 miles) and can be enjoyed in 2–7 hours. The GR131 trek crosses all seven of the Canary Islands, and the Gran Canaria section between Puerto de las Nieves and Faro de Maspalomas is described in 5 stages covering 77km (48 miles).

1:50,000 maps included for each walk
Detailed information on planning, facilities and public transport
Highlights include Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga
Shorter walks can be linked together to form longer routes

Table of Contents

Map key
 Overview map
Location of walks
Introduction
Location
Geology
Wildlife
National parks
The Fortunate Isles
Getting there
When to go
Accommodation
Health and safety
Food and drink
Language
Money
Communications

Walking on Gran Canaria
Introduction
Getting there
Getting around
What to take
Waymarking and access
Maps
Food and drink
Tourist information offices
Emergencies
Using this guide

Santa Brígida and San Mateo
Walk 1 Las Palmas to Santa Brígida
Walk 2 Las Meleguinas to Las Lagunetas
Walk 3 Las Lagunetas and Cruz de Tejeda
Walk 4 Santa Brígida to Teror
Walk 5 San Mateo to Teror
Walk 6 Pico de Bandama and Caldera de Bandama

Valleseco and Teror
Walk 7 Cruz de Tejeda to Teror
Walk 8 Cruz de Tejeda to Valleseco
Walk 9 Cruz de La Laguna and Valsendero
Walk 10 Cruz de La Laguna and Las Madres

Artenara and Tamadaba
Walk 11 Moriscos to Santa María de Guía
Walk 12 Artenara to Tamadaba
Walk 13 San Pedro and Tamadaba
Walk 14 Artenara and Vega de Acusa

La Aldea
Walk 15 Altavista to La Aldea
Walk 16 La Aldea to El Risco
Walk 17 Albercón, Güigüí and Tasártico
Walk 18 Montaña del Viso and La Aldea

Mogán and Las Presas
Walk 19 El Aserrador and El Carrizal
Walk 20 El Aserrador and El Juncal
Walk 21 Presa de las Niñas and Morillo de San Juan
Walk 22 Cruz de San Antonio to Las Casillas
Walk 23 Camino de las Presas

Tejeda and La Culata
Walk 24 Tejeda and Cruz de Tejeda
Walk 25 Tejeda and La Culata
Walk 26 Degollada Becerra and La Culata
Walk 27 Roque Nublo from La Goleta
Walk 28 Cruz Grande to Ayacata
Walk 29 Llanos de Garañón and Pico de las Nieves

San Bartolomé
Walk 30 Santa Lucía and Pico de las Nieves
Walk 31 San Bartolomé and Cruz Grande
Walk 32 San Bartolomé to Arteara
Walk 33 Arteara to Ayagaures
Walk 34 Dunas de Maspalomas

Valsequillo
Walk 35 Siete Fuentes to San Mateo
Walk 36 San Mateo to Valsequillo
Walk 37 Valsequillo to Santa Brígida
Walk 38 El Rincón and Cuevas Blancas
Walk 39 Tenteniguada and Caldera de los Marteles
Walk 40 Caldera de los Marteles to Valsequillo

GR 131 – Puerto de las Nieves to Maspalomas
Walk 41 GR 131 – Puerto de las Nieves to Tamadaba
Walk 42 GR 131 –Tamadaba to Cruz de Tejeda
Walk 43 GR 131 – Cruz de Tejeda to San Bartolomé;
Walk 44 GR 131 –San Bartolomé to Ayagaures
Walk 45 GR 131 –Ayagaures to Faro de Maspalomas

Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Topographical glossary
Appendix C Useful contacts

Updates

February 2024

Walks 41 to 45

For many years, Gran Canaria was the only island that hadn’t designated its stretch of the GR131. In a sudden burst of activity, the island council has signposted and waymarked the GR131, and it runs at variance to what is currently described in the guidebook.

Instead of finishing at Faro de Maspalomas, the route now finishes at Playa del Burrero near the airport. The new route is slightly different on Walks 41 & 42, then in the middle of Walk 43 is runs completely at variance to the route described in the guidebook.

Walks 44 & 45 are not on the newly signposted GR131. Also, in the middle of Gran Canaria, two new long-distance trails have been signposted – the GR138 and GR139 – and signposts for these trails will be spotted on many other routes in the guidebook.

The full extent of the new waymarked trails will be marked on the latest edition of the Alpina maps of Gran Canaria, but it will take a while before these routes are checked and described for the guidebook. The following website is useful https://canarias-maps.info/GR%20gc%20ing.htm

February 2021

Maps

Editorial Alpina has published a set of four maps at a scale of 1:25K covering nearly all of the walks in the guidebook in exceptional detail. The maps cover the North West, North East, South West and South East of Gran Canaria. They show the courses of waymarked trails established by the island council, as well as all the other map details one would expect, including the road network and location of useful services and facilities. See www.editorialalpina.com/en/

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By Paddy Dillon

Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publications and has appeared on radio and television.Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, having been written at the very point at which the reader uses them.Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, Tibet, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US.

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