Charco Azul, an oasis close to El Risco de Agaete

In this post we are going to tell you about Charco Azul hike and how to get there. The Charco Azul is located at El Risco ravine, a few kilometers on foot from the small village of El Risco. This is at the municipality of Agaete, in northwest Gran Canaria. It is one of the few parts of the island with flowing water the whole year. In addition to this, when it has rained a lot, there is a waterfall which goes directly to the Charco Azul. This makes that the water runs along the ravine.

Charco Azul hike, Agaete

You should know that the only way to get to Charco Azul is on foot. Therefore, once you have parked your vehicle, you should head towards the area of houses and bars and ask for the start of the trail. Anyway, we leave you the track in case you want to download it, here we explain how to follow it with your mobile or navigator. If you download the map from an Android device, you also might need to read the previous article, as you have to follow some steps. Below is also a brief summary of the route.

Distance	3 km
Estimated duration	1 h
Total ascent	140 m
Level	Starter
Circular	No

Download track

In general, the path is not very difficult, especially if you are used to hiking and sport. However, as it is not an approved trail, you should be aware that if it has rained recently the path can be complicated. This hike could be included among the hiking routes with children in Gran Canaria due to the short distance to be covered. However, you should know that there are parts where you have to walk carefully, but not all the way.

As can be deduced from the previous photo, the riverbed carries water all along the ravine. Depending on how much it has rained you will see more or less water, but there is always water. The path is quite wide and there is no marked path. Try to watch where there are more footprints so that you don’t have to make big jumps or turn back. We also recommend that you check the weather forecast before you go and prepare your basic hiking kit.

There are some local people who jumps into the water of Charco Azul, but we always recommend you the salty water. Once you come pack form the hiking you can visit El Risco beach.

How to get to Charco Azul

1. If you are at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the best option is that you drive direction Agaete. Once you have passed it, you should continue west direction until you reach a village and ravine called El Risco. You should park there. In total there is a 55 minutes drive from the city.
2. If you are staying around Maspalomas, you should drive approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. In the same way, you should take direction Agaete, but El Risco is about 14 kilometers before. You will see a brown sign where it is said “barranco El Risco”. Once you see it, you should look for the parking area shown below.

Both ways are gorgeous, though there are some parts of the road with a lot of curves. Be calm. In case that you are planing to get here on Sunday or any bank holiday, you could have problems to park because it is an excursion which the local people usually do. So that, try to be there soon because you could easily park and enjoy the Charco Azul peacefully.

El Risco beach, Gran Canaria

A few metres by car from Charco Azul we find this virgin beach of pebbles and black sand. It is situated just a few metres from where you parked your car. In any case, the best thing to do is to take your car again and leave it in the car park next to the sea. The beach of El Risco is very quiet, the problem is that it has no surveillance or services. Moreover, you have to BE VERY CAREFUL with the sea.

All of this area is inside the Tamadaba Natural Park and the Biosphere Reserve from Gran Canaria.

Video of Charco Azul Hike

In the following video you will see part of the trail that takes you to El Charco Azul and its waterfall. Is it the first time you read us? If so, take the opportunity to subscribe to our YouTube channel so as not to miss our videos of Gran Canaria. You can activate the English subtitles!

That’s all folks! If you are organizing your visit to Gran Canaria, leave everything, we have already done it for you. You have at your disposal a guide of restaurants by type of cuisine and area of the island, as well as guides per day. Do not miss them!