Hiking route through El Hornillo, Agaete

If you like to discover authentic places of Gran Canaria, this route of hiking from El Hornillo in Agaete You're going to love it. It is a circular path that part of the hamlet of El Hornillo and passes through El Sao with views of the Agaete ravine. We consider it to be a route of hiking in Gran Canaria de intermediate level, pulling advanced, as they are 685 meters of total ascent. Below, we share with you all the information about this area of ​​the island with a great plan to eat. We also give you all the details of the trail so you can do it on your own.

El Hornillo, Agaete

The Hornillo It is a small hamlet in the municipality of Agaete. We could not categorize it as a town, since it is only made up of a few houses, the church of El Hornillo and El Refugio (where we will go to eat at the end of the route). This is where we will start the route and where we will leave the car. Please note that the parking is VERY limited.

Very characteristic of this area are the cave houses that you can see as soon as you arrive and throughout the entire walk.

It is also very well known small trail that runs through some of these caves, although it is currently closed due to landslides. We show you a section below.

Another of the points of interest that you can see along the way is El Sao, also in Agaete. It is another hamlet that you will reach almost at the end of the route as you descend along the El Sao ravine. Without a doubt, the most beautiful part of the route. Likewise, when you ascend From El Hornillo you will have views of the coast of sardine Gáldar, as well as at Los Pérez and Lugarejos dams (from the highest point of the route).

As it is a circular route, you can start from El Hornillo or from El Sao. We recommend you start at El Hornillo to end up eating at El Refugio (as we do on the track route and we show you in the video). On the other hand, if you want enjoy the car ride to get here, on the way We recommend taking the road that passes through Juncalillo, with views of the Risco Caído caves, a World Heritage Site. For your return We suggest the road that passes through the Las Hoyas, Lugarejos and Los Pérez dams. They are narrow roads, but believe us, they are worth it.

Characteristics of the El Hornillo – El Sao trail

Regarding the technical details, we can say that this hiking route through Agaete is intermediate level, towards advanced. Because? Why are almost 700 meters of ascent and there are parts of the road that are not very clean.

We take to long 3 hours and a quarter in completing the almost 8 kilometers of trail. Of course, with many stops to record the route.

On the other hand, it is important that you go prepared with enough warm clothing in the cooler months, and suitable footwear. We even recommend hiking boots and long pants for the undergrowth that we will find in some parts.

Download the track of the El Hornillo – El Sao hiking route

Next we give you the option of download the track of this circular hiking route through El Hornillo and El Sao in .gpx format so you can do it without getting lost. If you don't know how to download it and follow it from your GPS-watch or smartphone with the Guru Maps app, here we explain it to you. If you want to support us so that we continue creating content for you about Gran Canaria, we would appreciate it if you purchased any of our tracks, either to enjoy incredible routes or as a donation. Oh, and don't miss the video we have prepared for you below!

Where to eat on the route?

To eat you We definitely recommend El Refugio del Hornillo with incredible views. This small lodging-bar is run by an Italian man who cooks like an angel (the truth is that I don't know if angels cook, but you understand me). We recommend you try the fennel stew (very typical of the area) and goat meat. It is also essential to ask for the bread they make there (with oregano, delicious) and a cheese tapa from the Cortijo de Caideros cheese factory. The desserts are also homemade, we loved the yogurt cake.

Of course, as Nicola indicates, "don't be late because if the food runs out, it's over." We arrived at 13:30 p.m. and those who came after 14:00 p.m. were not able to try the stew. Another recommended option is spend the night before the route in El Refugio, have a quiet breakfast and start calmly at 10:00. The road can be somewhat tedious for those who are not used to curves, but the views during both routes are exceptional.

Video of the route through El Hornillo in Agaete

Below you can see the video of the walk with more information and stop to eat in El Hornillo. If you want to know the first when we release new videos, just subscribe to our YouTube Channel and activate the bell.

Gran Canaria Guides

Finally, if you want to know what to see in Gran Canaria Because it is your first time on the island, in this blog you will find a lot of free content. However, if you prefer not to waste your time looking for information, you have all our recommendations for plans to do and places to eat in our guides. You can see them all below.

Ruth González

Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.