Barranco de las Vacas

Narrow gorge of curved, banded volcanic rock beside a hairpin bend on the road above Agüimes.

Barranco de las Vacas is a defile, a small and narrow section of gorge, in the municipality of Agüimes in the east of Gran Canaria. Its walls are layered volcanic tuff in shades of cream, ochre and rust, worn by water into rounded, wave-like folds. It lies beside a hairpin bend on the road climbing out of Agüimes, is not clearly marked, and has become one of the island's much-photographed natural sights.

Canyon

Entrance: Free; there is no ticket.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible: neither the parking nor the way in is step-free, and reaching the gorge means climbing over a roadside barrier and down a path.
Parking: Six or seven free roadside spaces before the bend, hard to get at busy times; two free parking spots about 160 m and 320 m away in a straight line.
Difficulty: A walk along the road edge with no pavement, a climb over the roadside barrier and a path of a few hundred metres beneath the road. A longer route comes down the hillside into the gorge.
Transport: Nearest bus stop: Cruce Corralillos, about 2.3 km away in a straight line.
Advance booking: No booking needed; the gorge is open ground with no ticket.
Hours: Open at any time.
Address: 35270, Las Palmas, Spain

What makes it special

Step round the corner under the road and the rock walls close in, folding over each other in bands of cream, ochre and rust, smoothed by water into curves that look poured. The gorge recalls the slot canyons of Arizona at a far smaller scale, and the visit itself is brief: the narrow section can be seen in ten minutes.

What takes longer is the photograph. The gorge is narrow enough that one group fills it, so expect to wait for a clear frame. Colour depends on the light. When the sun reaches down between the walls the bands glow; in shade they flatten to a dull brown. Small as it is, standing between those walls gives a strong sense of how much rock the water has cut through.

Good to know

Nothing on the road marks the gorge clearly: pin the hairpin bend on a map before you set off.
Roadside parking is limited to a handful of spaces, and finding one can be difficult.
The road has no pavement, so the walk down to the bend is on the carriageway.
There are no toilets and no drinking water nearby; bring water, especially in the heat.
Reaching the gorge means climbing over a roadside barrier, which is awkward for very young children and less steady walkers.

Getting there

By car, the gorge lies at a hairpin bend on the road climbing out of Agüimes, about 5 km past the town. There are six or seven roadside spaces before the bend; from there you walk down the road to the bend at the bottom, on the carriageway, as there is no pavement.

At the bend, cross the roadside barrier and drop down to the path that runs beneath the road, then turn right. The gorge opens a few hundred metres along. A longer way in leads down the hillside into the gorge instead of along the road.

The nearest bus stop, Cruce Corralillos, is about 2.3 km away in a straight line, so arriving by bus leaves a long walk.

Best time to visit

Best: late afternoon, when far fewer people are in the gorge.

Avoid: around midday, when it is very hot and at its most crowded.

The gorge is narrow, the road walk is on open hillside with no shade, and there is no water nearby, so heat and crowds both weigh heavily here.

Sun & daylight

CanyonCave

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