Hiking in the Rapador and Las Ánimas ravines, Valleseco

In this article we are going to share with you a hiking route through the El Rapador and Las Ánimas ravines (Valleseco), within the Rural Park of Doramas. It is a circular path that runs through one of the greenest areas of Gran Canaria where even some species of laurel forest grow. Here we give you all the details so that you can enjoy hiking in Gran Canaria on your own.

Hiking through the Rapador and Las Ánimas ravines

As we said, the route runs mainly through the Rapador and the Las Ánimas ravines, in the municipality of Valleseco. We start at the Laguna de Valleseco, because of the easy parking facilities you’ll find here. However, as it is a circular route, you can start wherever is most convenient for you. We also recommend that you follow the track so that you can link each of the trails. There are sections where you will have to walk a few metres along the road.

Rapador ravine, Doramas Rural Park

The first part of the route runs through the Barranco del Rapador ravine where you will walk under a leafy grove of trees. This will protect you from possible drizzle, as well as from the heat on warmer days. Along the trail you will walk among huge vermilion trees and canary bicacaros, which you will see in flower throughout the winter. Please note that from La Laguna to El Rapador you will have to walk a few metres along a secondary road.

Barranquillo de Las Ánimas ravine

The route we propose also passes through one of the most beautiful hidden corners of Gran Canaria, the ravine of Las Ánimas. In this area of the island you will find species of the laurel forest such as the viñátigo, laurels and some fayas. Also of note are the ferns that surround the entire path. A beautiful trail that will inevitably leave you speechless.

Characteristics of the La Laguna – El Rapador – Las Ánimas trail

Regarding the technical details, we can say that this hiking route through the Doramas Rural Park is of intermediate level. It took us two and a quarter hours to complete the 8.6 kilometres with many stops to record the route. It is important to bear in mind that there are stretches where we will have to cross the road to link the different trails, so be very careful.

On the other hand, it is important to be prepared with sufficient warm clothing in the cooler months. We recorded it at the end of April and started the hike with a jacket. Other months of the year we have even hiked here with a thermal T-shirt because of the humidity. Please note that La Laguna de Valleseco is at an altitude of almost 900 metres. Finally, we recommend that you wear suitable footwear, as the terrain can be somewhat slippery due to the humidity of the area, especially if it has recently rained.

Download the track of the route Rapador and Las Ánimas ravines

Next we give you the option of downloading the track of this hiking route through the Rapador ravine from the Laguna de Valleseco 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 navigator or smartphone with the Guru Maps app, here we explain it to you. If you want to support us so that we can continue creating content for you about Gran Canaria, we would be grateful if you could buy some of our tracks, either to enjoy incredible routes or as a donation. Oh, and don’t miss the video we’ve prepared for you below!

Places to eat around

For lunch you can organise a picnic or barbecue at the Laguna de Valleseco after the walk or, as we did, have breakfast at the Sidrería Niebla in Valleseco. We had already come for lunch as we told you in the circular from Valleseco to Valsendero, but this time we tried the breakfast (so yummy). We recommend the Gran Valle toast with organic pumpkin bread, avocado, Canarian cheese, Iberian ham and egg. Their rib sandwich and homemade cakes were also super tasty. Breakfast is available until 12:00 pm and they are only open from Friday to Sunday.

Video of the route through the Rapador and Las Animas ravines

Below you can see a more detailed video of this hiking route through the Doramas Rural Park. If you want to be the first to know when we release new videos, just subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on the bell. You can activate the English subtitles in this video!

Guides to Gran Canaria

Finally, if you want to know the best places to visit in Gran Canaria, 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 of things to do and places to eat in our guides. You can see them all below.