Artenara and the Montaña de Artenara
Artenara, situated at an altitude of approximately 1,200 metres, is the highest village on Gran Canaria. It captivates visitors with its spectacular location in the island’s Biosphere Reserve and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and ravines. Artenara is renowned for its cave dwellings carved into volcanic rock. These unique homes, some of which are still inhabited today, provide natural climate control — cool in summer and warm in winter. A few of these caves can be visited at the small Ethnographic Museum (Museo Etnográfico Casas Cuevas). If you’re lucky, you might even find accommodation in one of these charming cave houses.
Artenara serves as an excellent starting point for walks and excursions into the surrounding mountains. Popular routes include hikes to the Montaña de Artenara and other landmarks such as the Roque Bentayga. Here, I’ll introduce you to a delightful and scenic short circular walk around the Montaña de Artenara.
General Information about the Montaña de Artenara Circular Walk
Starting Point and Directions
The walk starts in the centre of the little village of Artenara.
Access by Car
Several roads from all parts of the island lead to the central region, converging at Artenara via the main roads GC-21 and GC-210. Artenara is well signposted, so it’s easy to locate even without GPS. Parking is available in the village centre, though it can fill up quickly during the day. Additionally, large designated parking areas can be found along the GC-21.
Access by bus
Bus line 101 from Las Palmas and line 220 from Teror both stop in Artenara. For detailed information, visit the GuaguasGlobal website.
Time
I avoid giving general time estimates for hikes, as these can vary greatly. For this leisurely loop, we took about 1.5 hours, including a break.
Elevation and Distance
The hike covers approximately 5 kilometres with an elevation gain of around 250 metres.
Difficulty
The entire route follows well-maintained trails and paths.
Refreshments
Refreshments are only available in Artenara, so ensure you bring sufficient water.
Variants
Artenara is a hub for hiking trails, so this short walk can easily be combined with other routes. A section of this walk overlaps with the well-known trail between Artenara and Cruz de Tejeda, which I’ll describe on SiebenInseln soon. Below, I’ll also introduce an extended version of this walk that adds about 1 kilometre.
Circular Walk Montaña de Artenara
Section: Artenara to the Trail Junction
Begin your walk in Artenara’s village centre. Start on Calle Párroco Domingo Báez, which offers stunning views of the ravine and peaks such as Roque Bentayga. From here, take the staircase to Calle de la Cuevita, or alternatively, cross Plaza San Matías and turn right into Calle de la Cuevita.
Calle de la Cuevita climbs steeply in hairpin bends along a small paved road. After the initial ascent, you’ll reach the Mirador de Los Poetas, a viewpoint offering beautiful vistas of Artenara and its surroundings — a perfect spot for a short break. Beyond the viewpoint, the road makes a sharp right turn, leading you along the opposite side of the mountain to a small square or junction. Trail signposts mark the start of the main hiking path.
Section: Trail Junction to Montaña de Artenara
Follow the main trail uphill, enjoying the scenic views. After a while, a path branches off to the right — this will be your return route. Stay left on the main trail towards Cruz de Tejeda. The climb becomes steeper, bringing you through pine forests above Artenara. Ignore another track branching off to the right and continue as the trail levels out slightly. Eventually, the forest opens onto a broad plain where the trail continues.
But at the edge of the forest, a hiking trail branches off to the right uphill. It is also signposted to Montaña de Artenara. Leave the long-distance hiking trail and follow the hiking trail uphill through the pine forest. It goes uphill in several large loops. Then you reach the Montaña de Artenara at an altitude of 1455 metres. The view up here is not so good due to the many pine trees. But if you want to reach the summit, you should climb up to here. You can then enjoy the view to the full later on the edge of the mountain.
Variant: Extended Route to Montaña de Artenara
For a longer hike, continue straight on the main trail towards Cruz de Tejeda, passing through the plain and climbing slightly uphill. Eventually, a path branches off to the right, signposted towards the Cumbre and Cueva de los Candiles. Although the cave is inaccessible and on a steep, signposted hazardous path, you can stay on the ridge trail, enjoying stunning views of the valleys and peaks below.
However, you are on the ridge path and keep to the right at the top. Now you are hiking towards Montaña de Artenara with wonderful views of the valleys below you and the mountain ranges opposite. This ridge path is the most beautiful part of the entire hike. After a while, a path comes from the right. This is the path up to the summit of Montaña de Artenara. As described above, the view there is not as good as on the ridge path. If you like, you can of course climb up from here and come back the same way. If you have followed the path described above, you will come back down here on the ridge path anyway.
Section Montaña de Artenara to Artenara
With the first option, you therefore have a shorter route along the panoramic ridge. But even from here, the views are still wonderful. After the path turns slightly to the right, you can also see the small colourful houses of Artenara deep below you. The views along the edge of the mountain continue to be impressive. The path now leads you steeply downhill.
Finally, you can turn right through the forest back to the main path, which will then take you downhill to the left. You can also continue straight downhill on a very narrow little path. This will also take you back to the main hiking trail. Once on the main path, go left downhill until you reach the square again. From there, take the same path via the Mirador de Los Poetas back to Artenara.
And finally
I hope you’ve enjoyed this short but scenic walk around Montaña de Artenara. It’s the shortest route I’ve shared on SiebenInseln, but the stunning views make it highly worthwhile. Wishing you delightful adventures on all your hikes!
Dagmar from Siebeninseln