When you are walking at 1500 m above sea level you easily forget that you are actually on Gran Canaria, the beach and swim paradise. This sunny island offers a surprisingly large variety of scenery. Dramatic canyons ("barrancos"), rugged rock formations, numerous lakes, vineyards, pine and laurel trees, volcano craters and small streams and waterfalls running all year round excite every hiker.
The maximum altitude is at Pico de Las Nieves with 1949m. As the name indicates here there is a chance of snow in the winter – a real spectacle for the locals!
For good information on Gran Canaria please visit:
The three best known landmarks on Gran Canaria are ancient worship places of the "guanches", the native people of this island.
- Roque Nublo (Cloud Rock)
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Roque Bentayga
- Fortaleza Grande (also called Ansite)
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ROQUE NUBLO (1743 m.)
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The characteristic rock needle rises up about 80m from an extensive plateau.
Close by you will see the lower and skinnier monolith "El Freire" ("The Monk"). Standing at the base of
this natural monument the majesty and beauty of the landscape around Roque Nublo is awe-inspiring.
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ROQUE BENTAYGA (1415 m.)
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Roque Bentayga is one of the most spectacular rock monoliths on the island and an
archaeologic site worth seeing. At the top there is one of the most important ancient worship spots. The small visitor centre has a display that tells you about the different worship places and settlements of the native people and also gives information about the battle with the Spanish invaders, that happened in the area around the centre.
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FORTALEZA GRANDE (ANSITE)
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Fortaleza Grande or Ansite is the name of a few huge rocks near the mountain village of Santa Lucía that was sacred to the native people. From a large open space at the base of a big single rock a path leads up to a cave about 100m away. In 1483 in this cave the last natives had fortified themselves and awaited the attack of the Spanish. Then...,
well, you will find out more about how that story continued on the walk "Santa Lucía circle" with Discovery Gran Canaria....!
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