Bandama Caldera

From the rim the ground falls 200 m into a bowl about a kilometre across, and on a clear day the same path looks the other way, out to the ocean. The marked loop around the edge runs 3.5 km and takes about an hour, with the crater beside you the whole way.

A second path drops to the floor. Down there the volcanic ash shows in different colours, and the walls rise on every side. Inside the crater grows the Dama de Bandama, a bush found nowhere else.

The eruptions that blew the crater open happened about 2,000 years ago, the most recent volcanic activity recorded on Gran Canaria. For the view without the walk, you can drive right up to the Mirador de Bandama viewpoint.

• The trails are rocky and turn slippery going down and climbing up. Wear shoes with real grip.
• The rim loop is the easier walk, though uneven in places. The path to the floor is steeper and harder; skip it in the midday heat.
• There is no drinking water near the crater. Bring all you need, above all for the climb back out of the floor.
• Parking is awkward: spaces line the road, and the golf club car park nearby is for customers only.
• Toilets: a paid one about 420 m away and a free one about 610 m away, both in a straight line.

The crater lies not far from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and you can drive right up to the Mirador de Bandama viewpoint. For the walks, parking is the awkward part. Spaces line the road and go to whoever finds them; the golf club car park, about 410 m away, is for customers only, and another car park lies about 530 m away.

By bus, the stop is called Bandama, about 600 m away in a straight line. Information boards for the Bandama Natural Monument stand about 390 m away. From the road everything is on foot: the 3.5 km loop around the rim, or the steeper path down to the floor.

Best: early morning, on a clear day.

Avoid: the path down to the floor in the midday heat, and the rocky trails straight after rain.

The climb back out of a crater 200 m deep is the hardest part of the visit and heavy going in full sun, wet rock makes the slippery paths worse, and the ocean view from the rim needs clear air.