If during your stay in Gran Canaria you are going to visit Tejeda, you cannot miss a stop to see Roque Bentayga Natural Monument. Together with Roque Nublo, it is one of the most important symbols of the island. In addition, this geological formation was used by the Canarian aborigines as a fortress until the Castilian troops arrived at the end of the 15th century. In this archaeological site you will find different caves, walls, inscriptions and cave paintings. We tell you everything below!
Roque Bentayga, Gran Canaria
In addition to the sites that we told you about in the introduction, it stands out for housing the almogarén del Bentayga, a place associated with the religious practices of the ancient Canarians. Apparently, the location and design of the Bentayga almogarén is naturally aligned with Roque Nublo and indicates its astronomical use as an equinoctial marker. In addition, of all the above, keep in mind that it is within 46% of the island’s territory declared a Biosphere Reserve.
As you can imagine, it is a place with a lot of history, full of energy and spectacular views of the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. There is a short hike that leads to the foot of the Bentayga, we will tell you about it in the following lines in case it is of interest to you to complete your list of places to visit in Gran Canaria.
Hiking to Roque Bentayga Natural Monument
As we told you, there is a delimited path of less than 2 kilometers, although it has a huge vertical drop. There is a part that you have to hold on to a rope to climb, we can say that it is a hiking route suitable for children if you are careful. The path is well marked and the distance is short. We spend less than an hour between stops to take photos and inspect the area.
Once up, you will be able to appreciate some of the archaeological sites and several artificial caves. In addition, you can enjoy the best views of the beautiful town of Tejeda, Roque Nublo and all the surroundings.
By the way, if you are going to visit this town, also take a look at our article on things to do in Tejeda and the best places to eat.
Interpretation Center
Next to the beginning of the trail, there is an Interpretation Center that you can visit (in December 2022 they were under construction). Here they will explain much better than we do the archaeological complex of the Sierra de Bentayga and everything related to the sites. The entrance is free.
Keep in mind that depending on where you are in Gran Canaria, you could end up confusing the Bentayga with the Nublo. They are quite similar. In addition, as you will have been able to verify in this article, depending on where you look at the Bentayga from, its shape changes completely.
How to get to Roque Bentayga Natural Monument
Roque Bentayga is about a 10-minute drive from the town of Tejeda. There is a car park before the start of the route where you can park for free without any problem. As we always tell you, avoid leaving things in plain sight in the car. If it were of your interest, they just put a charger for electric cars in its parking area.
The basket of Tejeda
If you like photography, on the way to Roque Bentayga, once past the town of Tejeda, we find this great basket. Here you can take one of the most instagrammable pictures of Gran Canaria framing the Roque Bentayga in the background. A nice memory from your trip to Gran Canaria Island! Tag us or mention us @welovegrancanaria, we will be very happy!
This work is completely made of metal and symbolizes the trades of agriculture and livestock. Specifically, the hard work of harvesting almonds and potatoes from Tejeda. It was designed by the Portuguese artist Doña Rita Loureiro da Silva during a Plastic Art Symposium held in this municipality. Then, the Tejeda City Council chose this basket and location to commemorate the Marrero GarcÃa family, residents of Tejeda who died in a flood during a strong storm in 1946.
Circular hike Charco de La Paloma, Cruz de Timagada and La Culata of Tejeda
From the Tejeda basket starts a very beautiful hiking route that we recommend you to do if you have enough time. It goes through the famous Charco de La Paloma, Cruz de Timagada and La Culata de Tejeda. During this route you will enjoy awesome views to Roque Bentayga and Roque Nublo. You can also have a look at the circular track that departs from Cruz de Tejeda with awesome views to Roque Bentayga at our hiking in Gran Canaria section.
Keep in mind that the Charco de La Paloma and its waterfall will only run water after rainy days, in summer it is completely dry. Even so, it is a route that we recommend doing through the beautiful areas through which it runs, especially during the flowering of the almond tree (January-February).
Video of the route to the Roque Bentayga Natural Monument
Finally, below we leave you with the video of the route to Roque Bentayga Natural Monument, we hope you like it. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven’t already! You can activate the English subtitles in all our videos 🙂
Guides to Gran Canaria
Finally, by clicking on the following image, you will be able to see all our Gran Canaria travel guides. We will help you discover the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own without leaving anything behind and, most importantly, without wasting your time looking for information on the internet.
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