Which hiking routes on Gran Canaria are officially designated?
The official Gran Canaria trekking brochure names, among others, Caldera de Bandama, Camino de la Plata, Roque Nublo, Tilos de Moya, Ventana del Nublo, the dunes of Maspalomas, Puerto de Mogán, the old town of Teror and Las Canteras.
The official tourism website lists hiking options in numerous municipalities, including Agaete, Artenara, Arucas, Firgas, Mogán, Moya, Santa María de Guía, Tejeda, Teror, Valleseco, Valsequillo and Vega de San Mateo.
The central island area covers the municipalities of Santa Brígida, Vega de San Mateo, Tejeda, Artenara, Valleseco and Teror. The highest areas lie at around 1,900 metres of altitude.
For the Camino de la Plata, the official sources contain no reliable details on exact length, walking time, starting point or elevation gain. These details should be taken from the complete official route document before a walk.
What applies to Roque Nublo and the S-70 trail in 2026?
In 2026, access to the S-70 hiking trail at the Roque Nublo natural monument via Degollada de La Goleta is subject to a booking requirement.
60 people per hour are permitted. The official access window is daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and access is checked using the QR code from the booking.
According to official information, people arriving on foot via adjacent hiking trails do not need a booking. Special rules apply to school groups and active tourism companies.
The booking rule concerns the specific access point and not necessarily all trails in the Roque Nublo area. It should be checked again before every walk.
How do I get to the Caldera de Bandama and what can I expect there?
The Caldera de Bandama is around 20 kilometres from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. From the GC-4, the approach leads via the Monte Lentiscal roundabout and the GC-802 towards Bandama.
The official English route brochure gives a trail length of about 3.4 kilometres and a walking time of about 1 hour 45 minutes. The difficulty level is easy, and the route is suitable for families.
The elevation profile is approximately 450–488–443–475–450 metres. One section climbs 200 metres over around 1,000 metres of trail length and takes about 20 minutes on average.
Global bus route 311 serves the area. Taxi ranks are located in El Monte and in the centre of Santa Brígida. The additional walking time to the crater area is about 1 hour 10 minutes.
What rules and safety advice apply when hiking?
The official Bandama brochure recommends always taking enough water, carrying ID and necessary documents, and packing warm clothing. In an emergency, call 112.
Walkers must not leave the marked trails. At the crater rim of the Caldera de Bandama there are spots with a risk of falling and vertigo; loose volcanic gravel can be slippery.
It is prohibited to leave cigarettes or cigarette ends behind and to take plants, animals or other natural elements away. No noise should be made in protected areas.
Before setting off, official closures, booking requirements and the current condition of the trail should be checked. This applies especially to volcanic ground and exposed crater rims.
What alternatives are there to Roque Nublo?
Anyone unable to visit Roque Nublo because of booking requirements, a lack of parking or crowded trails will find official alternatives. The Caldera de Bandama is a short volcano and crater circular walk of about 3.4 kilometres in length.
Tilos de Moya is a forest walk in the north and is particularly suitable as a shorter, shadier alternative. Inagua, Osorio and Finca Tirma are official Cabildo options in protected forest and mountain landscapes.
The hiking areas around Artenara, Agaete, Tejeda and Teror offer alternatives with a stronger cultural and village focus. The official tourism website describes the central island route from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria via the Carretera del Centro towards Tafira as a starting point.
How much does hiking on Gran Canaria cost?
The official sources do not give a general admission price for the hiking trails described. Hiking on the usual public trails is therefore generally free of charge.
However, costs may arise for hire cars, bus journeys, guided tours or possibly special offers. For 2026, the Roque Nublo booking page in particular should be checked before departure for possible fees, shuttle prices and changed time slots.
The official notices regulate access and traffic at Roque Nublo. These include parking restrictions around the area as well as shuttle buses from Tejeda and Cruz de los Llanos.
Global route 18 connects the south of the island with the Roque Nublo area several times a day. This information comes from the official access notices.