5 Great Hikes You Can Do in Gran Canaria with Kids
Gran Canaria is famous for it’s great hiking options. In this post we share 5 great hikes you can do when traveling to Gran Canaria with kids and even with babies.
Hiking with a baby could be a challenge. Truth be told we didn‘t hike much when Olivia was still a toddler.
Did we tell you that we love hiking? If you do too, Gran Canaria is a right place for you. Gran Canaria is simply great for hiking with or without kids. Even more during the winter months when temperatures are mild.
Hiking with a baby could be a challenge. Truth be told we didn‘t hike much when Olivia was still a toddler.
We went on our first hike with Olivia in Australia when she was almost 2 years old and didn‘t want to stay in her carrier. Do I need to explain that we didn‘t go far?
With our second kid Max joining the family in September 2018 we wanted to become more active. So with the little guy turning 5 months old and us spending the whole February on Gran Canaria we knew we want to go hiking. At least once. We have been delaying it for way too long.
Northern and Central Parts of Gran Canaria offer various levels of terrain. Unless you are an experienced hiker and know your business we would recommend starting with an easy program so you and your baby have enough time to adjust and work it through together.
All the routes we are talking about in this post are located in the northern and north-western part of Gran Canaria.
The hikes we are talking about here don‘t take more than 4 hours, but we advise you on planning minimum half a day. Why rush? It’s better to enjoy the time with your little one than set records.
Please note, that we recommend these routes only for babies. We wouldn’t take our 3 year old Olivia on any of them since they are not safe for pre-school kids.
We also recommend to wear appropriate hiking shoes for all the routes.
Things We talk About in This Post
Hiking Gran Canaria with Kids – Hike ONE: LAUREL FOREST
Terrain level: EASY
Start point: Casa de Los Tilos (GC-704, 15, 35421 Moya). From there follow the Sendero del Bosque sign.
Time: 2.5 hours
Type of hike: circle
Parking: Next to the hiking start point at Los Tilos. There is limited parking space available so be sure to start early enough to get a spot.
This is a relatively short and easy hike to start with. If you have never been hiking with your baby previously we would recommend you to start with this one.
The elevation level is low so there are many opportunities along the way to stop and check whether everything is fine.
Most of the route is inside the laurel forest – the last piece of what’s left on the island – which makes this hike very appealing during hot sunny days. Trees provide good portion of shade.
Did you know that Gran Canaria hosts a marvellous almond blossom festival? Read all about it in this post of ours.
Hiking Gran Canaria with Kids Hike TWO: CHARCO AZUL
Terrain level: MIDDLE
Start point: Bar Perdomo (El Risco, 1, 35480 Agaete). From there follow “Charco Azul” signs which are hard to miss.
Time: 3 hours
Parking: You can park your car under pepper trees across the street to Bar Perdomo.
Type of hike: One way. You come back the same route as you go.
A lovely hike combining nice views of the area, beautiful stone formations and a walk through a cute quiet village. You will be following the path of a mountain stream ending up at a water reservoir – thus the name “Charco Azul” which means “Blue puddle” in Spanish. Here is some more information about the place.
The first part of the hike goes through a little village with views over Tenerife on a clear day.
The final part of the hike involves some climbing, but you can skip it and start walking back. You will be walking along the water in some parts – be sure to have proper shoes on.
There are enough spots for a picnic or a break, but we’d recommend starting either early or late during the day since most of the route is without shade.
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Hiking Gran Canaria with Kids Hike THREE: AGAETE – PLAYA DE GUAYEDRA
Terrain level: MIDDLE – HARD
Start Point: La Palmita restaurant in Agaete. Start point is the “House with Eggs” at the crossing of GC-172 and GC-200 roads. Over there you will find a map of the area showing detailed hiking routes. You can likewise consult this map for the detailed information.
Time: 4 hours
Parking: Park your car at the Parking lot infront of the Botanical Garden in Agaete (El Paso, 1B, 35480 Agaete). It is free and on the way back from your hike you can have some in the village.
An alternative is to park next to La Palmita restaurant.
Type of hike: One way. You come back the same route as you go
A lovely hike with great views across to Tenerife, the surrounding area and Agaete village. The hike involves some climbing. A part of the hike goes along the road with cars, please take care. First part of the hike doesn’t have any possibilities for a break, but as soon as you leave the road with cars it will get quite and spaceous.
We recommend starting eather early or late during the day since most of the route is without shade. The beach itself has very limited shade as well.
Bring your swimming suit – you can sunbathe and swim at Playa de Guayedra.
Hike FOUR: AGAETE – ERA DEL CARDON
Terrain level: MIDDLE – HARD
Start Point: La Palmita restaurant in Agaete. Start point is “House with Eggs” at the crossing of GC-172 and GC-200 roads. There is a map of the area showing detailed hiking routes. Follow the one heading to Era del Cardon. For the detailed information see this map.
Time: 4 hours
Parking: Park your car at the Parking lot infront of the Botanical Garden in Agaete (El Paso, 1B, 35480 Agaete). It is free and on the way back from your hike you can have some in the village.
An alternative is to park next to La Palmita restaurant which is closer to the start point of the hike.
Type of hike: One way thus you come back the same route as you go.
This hike will bring you to a lovely viewpoint. You will see over Agaete and all the way to Galdar and Valle de Agaete.
We recommend you starting eather early or late during the day since most of the route is without shade. Hiking with kids on Gran Canaria you always have to keep the sun in mind!
This area can be very windy, therefore check the weather conditions before you start and dress accordingly.
The way up is steep, so try to take your time for you and your baby to adjust..
Oh, and you will see plenty of tuna cactus on your sides. Bring a bag and hand protection if you want to take some fruit home and keep your hands spikesless.
Hike FIVE: EL HORNILLO
Terrain level: HARD
Start point: El Sao in Valle de Agaete. First of all follow “El Hornillo” signs along the way until you will find yourself on the turquoise S97 route. For the detailed information see this map.
Time: 4 hours
Parking: Follow the road GC-231 till the very end. You will see a small turning lot where you can also park your car.
Type of hike: One way thus you come back the same route as you go
This hike is probably the most difficult one of all. At least to our taste, because you will be constantly climbing up on stones. The views are beautiful and the path goes along some pretty orchards and blue agaves. You are going to pass by a lovely church, Iglesia de el Hornillo. It also has accommodation and a cafe with an outside seating area serving fresh juices and beautiful views. It is a great spot to have a break with your kids.
From there go back or continue a bit further (this part of the way is easy to walk) to the water reservoir Presa de los Perez, walk around it and head back.
There is certainly enough shade on this route.
Hiking boots are essential!
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