The Tilos de Moya hike is one of the easiest and most beautiful to do in Gran Canaria. In the same way, if you are starting to do hikes in Gran Canaria or traveling with kids, this is one of the best to start with for you. In the following lines we tell you everything about this Special Nature Reserve, as well as what else you can visit in Moya with restaurants recommendations. Here we go!
Los Tilos de Moya Special Nature Reserve: flora and fauna
This Special Nature Reserve is located within the Doramas Rural Park, specifically, in a 2-kilometre stretch within the Moya ravine. Here we can find one of the small remaining laurel forest populations in Gran Canaria. Its flora and fauna is made up of typical laurel forest species, many of them endemic. We list the most relevant below:
- Flora: Salviblanca and Gallo de Doramas crest (both in danger of extinction), the til or tiles in plural, the viñátigo and the laurel. We can also find other Canarian species such as the bejeque and the bicacaro.
- Fauna: Turquoise pigeon and rabiche pigeon
Tilos de Moya hike
The mythical trail of Los Tilos is a 1.8 km circular route that starts next to Los Tilos Restaurant. In this same area there are some parking places. However, you have to arrive soon, since the path is quite crowded and places are limited. The path is quite flat, except for a small initial climb. It was closed due to landslides from February to June 2023, but has now reopened.
A part passes by a secondary road, but it is fenced, so there is no danger. Therefore, it is one of the trails to do with children in Gran Canaria. It may take perfectly half an hour to complete the entire tour that ends at the Los Tilos Interpretation Center. The path has no loss and is fully signposted from beginning to end. In addition, along the route there are several benches in case you would like to make a stop to eat.
✔ How to get to Los Tilos de Moya
To get here, as we said, there is no loss. As long as you enter the Los Tilos restaurant in your navigator, you will be able to park around it and in a few meters you will see the beginning of the path. The entire path is well signposted.
✔ Extension of the route, for more experienced hikers
On the other hand, if your intention is to know Los Tilos and, in addition, you would like to discover hiking the area of Moya and Guía, we suggest you park in the town of Moya and walk along the road till Los Tilos restaurant. The road is safe and it’s just a few meters towards the beginning of the Los Tilos trail. After doing the circular hike of Los Tilos that we mentioned before, you can continue the route to Santa Cristina, in the municipality of Guía.
Later you would have to cross the Moya Ravine until you reach Moya town again. This addition to the Los Tilos route is recommended only for expert hikers or fit people, since the journey is about 15 kilometers per mountain. That is, almost four hours of hiking. If you still decide to do this route, take a look at this post about the basic hiking kit that you should take with you.
| Distance | 15 km |
| Estimated duration on foot | 4 hours |
| Circular | Yes |
| Total ascent | 845 m |
| Level | Advanced |
| Picnic area | Yes |
Likewise, at the time we made the route, there were some parts where the trail was not very clean (vegetation on the path), which made it difficult for us to identify the trail. We were asking the locals of the scattered houses so as not to make mistakes on the way back to Moya town.
Download the track of the hike
In the following link we leave you the track of the extension route that also passes through Los Tilos de Moya in case you want to do it and avoid getting lost. Especially for the remaining 13 kilometers, since the part of Los Tilos has no loss. If you don’t know how to download the route and follow it from your GPS or smartphone with the Guru Maps app, we’ll explain it to you here. Finally, if you want to support us so that we continue creating content for you about Gran Canaria, we will appreciate if you purchase one of our tracks, either to enjoy incredible routes or as a donation.
Things to do in Moya
Once in the town of Moya, we recommend you to visit the Church of La Candelaria and appreciate the beautiful views from the viewpoint behind it. Likewise, a few steps away is the Tomás Morales House Museum. A renowned canary poet.
Finally, we suggest you take a walk through its pedestrian streets and enjoy the typical biscuits and pastries from Moya (bizcochos and suspiros). In particular, we recommend a visit to Casa Juana. A very authentic place managed by an old lady of the town and her family.
Places to eat in Moya
As we said, when we did the route we had lunch at Los Tilos restaurant, but we also recommend other restaurants in Moya such as La Trastienda, Casa Pedro and Raíces Canarias. In all of them you will eat well.
On the other hand, if you have the chance to drive to Fontanales, we love La Colonial de Fontanales. This restaurant is located in an old two-storey house and has a very carefully selected menu. Here you’ll be able to try up to 7 types of cheese from different local dairies, ropa vieja (like you’ve never eaten it before), among others.
Video Los Tilos de Moya hike
Below you can have a look at this video of Los Tilos and activate the English subtitles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to enjoy more videos of Gran Canaria.
Guides to Gran Canaria
We hope this route and information is useful for you and that you continue discovering Gran Canaria with us. If you would like more information about the island, be sure to check out our Guides section where you have at your disposal our complete Guide of the island with 35 plans to do in each of the municipalities. You also have there other guides, among which we highlight our specific restaurant guide. Do not miss them by clicking on the following image!
We are Ruth & Jorge, Gran Canarians with a travelling soul. Experts in tourism and digital marketing. We share the most authentic side of Gran Canaria (where we live) and… our adventures around the world!
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