Los Cernícalos ravine is one of the most beautiful and, therefore, visited by residents of Gran Canaria. In this ravine, the water runs 365 days a year and, let’s hope it stays that way for a long time! Below we will give you the details to take into account if you want to do this hiking route in Gran Canaria.
The channel of the Los Cernícalos ravine is located in the Los Marteles Special Natural Reserve (Valsequillo) and also within the Lomo Magullo Protected Landscape in Telde. That is, the ravine runs through part of the two municipalities.
Here you will find one of the largest Canarian willow forests in the archipelago. At the same time, more than half of the flora that lives here is endemic and 10% of it is exclusive to Gran Canaria.
Hike characteristics
It stands out for being one of the most beautiful in Gran Canaria, since it has a stream that carries water all year round, as well as several waterfalls of different sizes. The route can be categorised as easy and, therefore, one of the best routes for hiking with children in Gran Canaria. This is so since 90% of the route is flat and without great dangers. This does not mean that you have to stop watching your son, since there are some climbs and areas of gorges where you will have to be careful. At the same time, it is important to wear the right footwear to avoid slipping.
The length of the track through the Cernícalos ravine is approximately 7 kilometers round trip. It is not a circular route, that is, you have to go and return from the same place. Regarding the duration of the trail, depending on the pace you take and if you go with children, it may take 2 to 3 hours to reach the last waterfall. It took us 2 hours and 20 to reach the last waterfall (including the way back), making stops to record and take photos. We leave you a small summary below.
| Distance | 7,3 km |
| Estimated duration | 2,5 hours |
| Total ascent | 328 m |
| Level | Starter |
| Circular | No |
| Picnic area | Yes |
Below, you can download the track if you need it, although in principle it is marked. If you are downloading from an Android device and you have problems with the file, here is the solution. In this link we also explain how to follow a track with your mobile or navigator watch.
How to get to Los Cernícalos ravine
To get to the Barranco de Los Cernícalos, we recommend that you enter the name Merendero del Barranco de Los Cernícalos in your navigator. The navigator or Google maps will take you to the picnic areas or recreational area before the start of the hike. This recreational area is called Los Arenales. Here you can park your car, since a few steps away is the beginning of the trail. You just have to follow the path of the car on foot until you come across some signs indicating “cascadas” (waterfalls in Spanish). It’s over there.
You do not have to look for the route in Wikiloc, everything is marked and you will hardly be able to get off the trail. Of course, pay attention to deviations during the route to see all the waterfalls. The one shown below is the first and it is somewhat hidden.
Tips to make your visit to Los Cernícalos a success
✔ Try to avoid weekends and bank holidays, since there is a lot of local tourism that visits it.
✔ Go as soon as possible in the morning. If you can’t avoid Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, go early. The path loses all its charm when there are many people and, unfortunately, there is no control of the number of people who can visit it in one day.
✔ Wear appropriate shoes and clothing. The trail is easy, but there are areas where it can be dangerous. Have a look at our post with some tips for your hiking kit for starters.
✔ Try going on a rainy day (like us). The landscape looks twice as beautiful and you will avoid a lot of people. In that case, bring a good raincoat and boots, as well as dry clothes to change into afterwards.
✔ Bring water and food to make a break, especially if you go with children. There is no where to buy water or food in the area.
Places to eat around
As we show you in the following video, we recommend you to go for lunch to the Valsequillo village. We love the Asador Hijos de Ortega restaurant (previously Monzón Restaurant or Ca’ Eusebito). It is a very localguider place. They have some very good Saharan calamari, also snails, knuckle, chickpeas, croquettes. Overall, very good Canarian and Spanish food.
Video of the hike through Los Cernícalos ravine
We leave you with a video of the route, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you don’t want to miss more videos about Gran Canaria, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Do you want to discover the most authentic side of Gran Canaria? Check all our guides and itineraries below!
Thank you for inspiring us to go on this walk – it was a real treat and felt so wonderful to be in the wilderness of the mountains with the river running by.
Hi Anne! Thank you for your comment 🙂 it is so nice to read that it we inspired you 🙂 keep hiking, Gran Canaria is awesome!
How do I get to the start of the hike by bus please? I do not have a car. I am in Playa des Ingles Thank you.
Hi Jean! The have to take a bus from Playa del Inglés to Telde. Then in Telde you have to take a taxi since there are no public buses working to this point. It is a bit remote. We are so sorry that we can not help.