Discover one of the most beautiful hiking routes in Gran Canaria.
Are you one of those people who every weekend put on their hiking boots and walk through the countryside on beautiful trails in the middle of nature? If so, the blue tajinaste route in Gran Canaria is an experience you can’t miss.
What is the blue tajinaste
The blue tajinaste (Echium callithyrsum) or Tenteniguada tajinaste is a branched shrub that can reach a height of three and a half metres and has blue, fuchsia or white flowers that grow in the shape of a cone. Furthermore, it’s a vulnerable species.
It flowers between January and April, so these are the ideal months to discover them at first hand in all their splendour by walking along the paths in the midlands in the centre of the island.
Blue tajinaste hiking route in Gran Canaria
This hiking route that starts in Caldera de los Marteles and ends in Tenteniguada (in the municipality of Valsequillo de Gran Canaria) is one of those places that anyone who ventures to these latitudes will fall in love with.
Although there’s nothing but nature, there are many surprises on this route through areas untouched by man. In fact, the immensity of the landscape is astonishing. Walking above the clouds isn’t something you normally do.
Along the trail you walk between 1,000 and 1,500 metres above sea level, you can see a wide variety of flora, but the most important species on the trail is the blue tajinaste. In fact, the largest population of blue tajinaste in Gran Canaria is found here.
Be that as it may, you can also see beautiful specimens of other botanical jewels of the island, such as the yellow broom or the Tenteniguada thistle. The result is a serene and beautiful path like few others.
One of the pleasant surprises along the way are the various water points in the form of small springs that wet and give life to the vegetation in the area, as well as some buzzards, kestrels and Canary Island bumblebees.
Itinerary of the blue tajinaste in Valsequillo de Gran Canaria
The route starts in the Caldera de los Marteles (a formation some 80 metres deep and 550 metres in diameter, the result of the mixing of volcanic lava with underground water pockets), specifically in a pine forest to the north of the Caldera.
At the exit, continue for about 960 metres until you turn right, continuing the route in a northeasterly direction towards an area known as Morro del Aguililla, which has numerous caves used by livestock during transhumance.
After about 340 metres of descent we reach a slightly slippery forest track. We then continue for about 540 metres in a northerly direction towards Degollada de los Cardos.
Continue for about 830 metres until you reach a viewpoint over the Mocanal Massif and a place called La Mesa. We then walk on the flat for about 530 metres towards the Bajada de Los Alfaques zigzagging downhill.
Then we walk for about 2 kilometres with many bends until we reach the end of the path, with some houses. We continue along the road for about 660 metres to reach the end of the route: the village of Tenteniguada.
Technical details of the Caldera de los Marteles-Tenteniguada hiking route
- Altitude of the starting point: 1,529 metres
- Altitude of arrival point: 767 metres
- Length: 5,880 metres
- Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Direction: SW-NE
- Elevation gain: +762 metres
- Difficulty: low
Where to stay to enjoy the tajinaste azul
If you’ve felt like discovering this beautiful flower for yourself, and you want to walk this trail, have you considered where to stay yet? The best thing to do is to rest in hotels aimed, among other things, at people who love hiking and outdoor activities in Gran Canaria, don't you think?
Dunas Hotels & Resorts is a chain of establishments located in the south of the island, about 45 minutes from the municipality of Valsequillo. We encourage you to stay in any of them because, as well as enjoying the sun and the beach in the south of Gran Canaria, you’ll enjoy the wonderful landscapes that the rest of the island has to offer.
In these hotels you’ll be able to relax and enjoy a spectacular climate, after having done a route like the Tajinaste Azul, starting with the hotel for adults only like Don Gregory by Dunas, passing through a family hotel like Mirador Maspalomas by Dunas and finishing with the spectacular horizontal hotels Maspalomas Resort by Dunas and Suites & Villas by Dunas, both especially aimed at cyclists and golf lovers.
Do you dare to discover one of the hidden jewels of the island's flora?
