Agüimes stands at 275 m in the east of Gran Canaria, 5 km back from the coast. Its old town has been restored with care into a model of the traditional Canarian hill town: quiet streets, statues placed where you come upon them, and the domed Church of San Sebastián, begun in 1796 and finished in 1940. The municipality runs from the cave houses of the Guayadeque ravine (Barranco de Guayadeque) down to Arinaga and the El Cabrón marine reserve, Gran Canaria's main diving area.
Agüimes
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Spanish; English, German in resorts
- Power plug
- Type C/F, 230 V
- Visa
- Schengen
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1 (WET/WEST)
- Tap water
- Safe; mineral taste in the south
- Tipping
- Not expected; 5–10% for great service
- Emergency
- 112
Things to do
All tours in Agüimes on GetYourGuide
Paid links: booking through them supports YowJourney.
When to go
High season
Nov – Apr
The island's winter-sun season: mild days suit the old town and the Guayadeque ravine, and evenings in the hills turn cool.
Shoulder
May – Oct
The hottest months, when the ravine is best walked early and the trade wind blows hardest along the windsurfing coast below the town.
How long to stay
One full day covers Agüimes well: a morning in the old town, following the street sculptures to the church, and an afternoon in the Guayadeque ravine, where a cave village still lived in today has its own chapel, bar and restaurants. Divers should add a day for the El Cabrón reserve at Arinaga, and stargazers can plan around one of the events at the Temisas Astronomical Observatory.
Getting around
The old town is for walking. Its streets, the statues set along them and the church on Plaza Nuestra Señora del Rosario all sit within the restored centre.
The rest of the municipality is spread out, and each part is a separate trip by road: the Guayadeque ravine inland, the village of Temisas in the hills, and Arinaga with the El Cabrón reserve on the coast, 5 km from town. The GC-1 motorway passes east of Agüimes.
What to see
Destinations in Agüimes
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in the old town of Agüimes?
The restored streets themselves, with statues and sculptures placed along them, and the large domed Church of San Sebastián on Plaza Nuestra Señora del Rosario, a noted example of Canarian Neoclassical architecture. Building started in 1796 and ended in 1940.What is the Guayadeque ravine?
A ravine in the municipality lined with cave houses hundreds of years old. It holds a complete village dug into the hillside, still lived in, with a cave chapel, a cave bar and cave restaurants.Where is the diving near Agüimes?
In the El Cabrón marine reserve next to Arinaga, the main diving area on Gran Canaria. The dives take in caves, arches, walls and volcanic reefs, with sea life ranging from seahorses to rays and angel sharks.What is there at Temisas?
The Temisas Astronomical Observatory, on Montaña de Arriba, which holds regular astronomy events. The caves and granaries of the Audience site at Temisas were declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 2016.Why does Maspalomas have a copy of the Agüimes church?
A full-scale replica of the Church of San Sebastián was built in 2014 by the hotelier Eustasio López González, who came from Agüimes, as part of the Lopesan Costa Meloneras hotel, 23 km south-west on the south coast. The hotel's buildings recreate the look of old Agüimes.