On this occasion we want to share with you a circular hiking route known as Entre Cortijos (between farmhouses). It starts in Montaña Alta and passes through Mount Pavón, in the municipality of Santa María de Guía, northern Gran Canaria. The name Entre Cortijos (between farmhouses) is because it passes through different farmhouses and cheese factories. In addition, every year a race with that name of different distances is held here. We will give you all the details below in case you want to do this hike on your own.
Hiking Entre Cortijos in Montaña Alta and Mount Pavón
As we mentioned, this hiking route is circular and, therefore, begins and ends in the town of Montaña Alta, municipality of Santa María de Guía. One of the main attractions of this route is Mount Pavón, known as the Ireland of Gran Canaria. All this area is livestock, mainly sheep.
In fact, the path passes through paths that are fenced to prevent the herd from escaping and not have to prohibit the passage. With what you will have to open them and close them again. Therefore, do not be surprised if the track passes you through “closed” places.
Another attraction along the route is walking surrounded by the centuries-old Pinos de Gáldar (pine trees) that form part of the Montañón Negro Natural Monument and the Las Cumbres Protected Landscape. As you can imagine from the photos, it is a very humid and cool area, hence everything is so green. However, in the summer months the landscape is more arid. In fact, during the third stage of the Way of St James of Gran Canaria there is a part that passes through Mount Pavón and you can see how dry it was. Even so, if there is no heat wave, in summer it is also a cool area, since the entire trail runs between 900 and 1,300 meters of altitude.
Characteristics of the Entre Cortijos route
The total distance is about 13.4 kilometers with a positive slope of up to 670 metres, making it quite flat considering the orography of Gran Canaria. We did it at a good pace, since in the plains we jogged and it took 2 hours and 50 minutes. This includes the stops to record and take photos. By the way, you can enjoy the video of this route at the end of the post!
| Distance | 13,2 km |
| Estimated duration | 3-4 h |
| Total ascent | 630 m |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Circular | Yes |
| Picnic area / provisioning | No |
We recommend you wear trail shoes with studs for wet days, as there is quite a bit of mud and even some gravel areas that can be more slippery. In any case, keep in mind that the last 2-3 kilometers are on asphalt, although on a very little traveled and beautiful road. As we see it, this is one of the best hikes of Gran Canaria if you want to get closer to its rural life.
Track Entre Cortijos (Montaña Alta – Mount Pavón)
If you want to know how to download the track in .gpx format and follow it from your GPS or smartphone with the Gurú Maps app, we explain it here. On the other hand, if you want to support us so that we can continue creating content for you about Gran Canaria, we would appreciate it if you purchase any of our tracks, either to enjoy incredible routes or as a donation.
Montaña Alta viewpoint and the Cheese house, Guía
On the other hand, since the route starts from Montaña Alta, we recommend that you take the opportunity to visit the famous Mirador de Montaña Alta with 360º views to the north, south, east and west. To get here you can enter in Google Maps Mirador de Montaña Alta. Here there is a large parking lot, so you can get there after the hike by car. The path to the Montaña Alta Viewpoint is about 300 meters up some stairs, so it is not accessible for prams or people with reduced mobility.
Lastly, right next to the viewpoint of Montaña Alta is the Casa del Queso (Cheese House) where you can taste or buy some Protected Designation of Origin Guia cheeses to take away. We highlight the cheeses made from vegetable rennet: the half flower cheese and the flower cheese. We recommend the flower cheese from Guía El Cortijo de Caideros. You will also be able to try some of the cheeses from the farms that you will pass along the hike. For example, the half-flower cheese from Cortijo de Pavón and the Matured Sheep cheese from the La Caldera cheese factory. Anyway, during the hike you will also pass by both dairies in case you want to make a break 🙂
Video of the route
Below you can play the video of this route with more details about the hike and landscape. You can activate the English subtitles if you don’t speak Spanish. We are waiting for you in our YouTube channel with more videos about Gran Canaria!
We hope that all this information has been useful to you and that you can continue discovering the most authentic side of Gran Canaria with our help. Remember that you have more plans to do on the island and places to eat in our digital guides just one click away. Thanks for your support and until next time localguiders!
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