Camino de Santiago of Gran Canaria

The path climbs out of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, gently in some stretches and steeply in others, and the village drops away until the whole basin lies open below. The views are the reason to come. The country is wild all the way round: no café, no kiosk, nothing on the loop except the trail itself.

For walkers who want more, the path runs on past the loop to the Degollada de la Cruz Grande viewpoint (Mirador Degollada de la Cruz Grande), then north through rocky mountains and pine forest to the Bailico campsite (Zona de Acampada de Bailico). Fit walkers who set off early cover the whole way from San Bartolomé de Tirajana in a day. The campsite has tap water, benches and barbecue pits.

• There is nowhere to buy food or drink on the route. Fill your bottles at the water point in San Bartolomé de Tirajana before setting out.
• San Bartolomé de Tirajana itself has few places to eat, so bring your own food for the day.
• The path is usually clear, but the first descent on the loop is easy to miss. Check the route on a map before you leave.
• Wear sturdy boots; walking sticks help on the steep climbs and the descents.
• Walking on to the Bailico campsite in one day takes good fitness and an early start.

You arrive in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, a village in the mountains of southern Gran Canaria, and the walk starts from there. Two car parks lie close by, about 150 m and 380 m away in a straight line. The nearest bus stop, also called San Bartolomé de Tirajana, is about 700 m away. Free public toilets and a water point sit at about the same distance, and they are the last ones before the trail, so use them. A PR GC 40 guidepost marks the way.

Best: early morning, in the cooler months of the year. Avoid: the middle of a summer day. There is no water on the route, and the mountain interior of the island heats up quickly once the sun is high; an early start also leaves enough daylight for the longer walk on to Bailico.