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Best Hikes in Gran Canaria (2026): Roque Nublo Booking, Pico de las Nieves & More

Roque Nublo now needs a free booking, the La Goleta car park is closed and a shuttle bus takes you up. How that works, plus Pico de las Nieves, Roque Bentayga, Bandama and Charco Azul.

3 min readBy Alby, canary islands resident & travel writer· Updated 3 October 2026

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Travellers inspecting a rental car before exploring Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria: the destination context behind this guide.

The summit trailheads are an hour or more from the coast on slow mountain roads, and buses serve the villages rather than the trails. Compare Gran Canaria car hire ↗

Roque Nublo: book first, then take the shuttle

Roque Nublo, the rock monolith on Gran Canaria's summit, is a short and clear walk, but it is no longer a park-and-go visit. Trail S-70 needs a free booking on the official site, where you choose a date, group size and time slot; the slots run during the day (reported as 09:00 to 17:00, with around 60 places an hour), and outside them no booking is required. The old car park at La Degollada de La Goleta is closed: leave your car in one of the designated car parks and take the shuttle bus to the start of the path, or walk in along the summit trails. Parking on the GC-600 verge is forbidden and fined. Bookings are switched off whenever there is a forest-fire alert, so check the island's fire-risk traffic light before you go, along with the weather: cloud can sit on the summit for hours.

Official Roque Nublo booking →Guided Roque Nublo excursion with pickup →

Pico de las Nieves and Roque Bentayga

Pico de las Nieves is the island's highest point and one of the few summits you can reach by car, with a viewpoint looking across to Roque Nublo and, on clear days, Teide on Tenerife. Longer walks link it with the summit trails if you want to make a day of it. Roque Bentayga, above Tejeda, is a shorter climb to a sacred site of the island's first inhabitants, with a small interpretation centre at the start and views over the Tejeda basin.

Caldera de Bandama: a crater rim near Las Palmas

Twenty minutes from Las Palmas, the Bandama crater is the easiest volcano walk on the island: a path around the rim, or a steep trail down to the farmland on the crater floor, with the Pico de Bandama viewpoint above. It is a good half day if you are staying in the capital, and it pairs well with Arucas and the north.

Bandama, Arucas and the rest of Gran Canaria →

The north-west: Agaete and Charco Azul

From the village of El Risco, near Agaete, a path follows the ravine inland to Charco Azul, a pool and small waterfall in the rock that holds water after rain and can be almost dry by late summer. It is a short walk on uneven ground, best combined with lunch in Puerto de las Nieves. Further inland, the Tamadaba pine forest has longer, quieter trails with views down the west coast.

Planning a hiking day in Gran Canaria

The interior needs a car or a guided tour: the summit roads are narrow and slow, and buses serve the villages rather than the trailheads. Start early, because the summits are clearer in the morning, carry water and layers, and check two things on the day: the weather and the forest-fire risk level, which can close trails and suspend the Roque Nublo bookings.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you need a reservation for Roque Nublo?

Yes, during the daytime slots: book trail S-70 for free on reservasroquenublo.com and show the confirmation on arrival. Outside the bookable hours no reservation is needed.

Where do you park for Roque Nublo?

Not at La Goleta: that car park is closed. Use the designated car parks and the shuttle bus, or walk in on the summit trails. Parking on the GC-600 verge is fined.

What is the highest point you can drive to in Gran Canaria?

Pico de las Nieves, the island's highest summit, has a road to the viewpoint at the top, with views to Roque Nublo and, on clear days, Teide.

Is there an easy hike near Las Palmas?

Yes: the Caldera de Bandama, about 20 minutes away, has a walk around the crater rim and a steeper trail down to the crater floor.

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