Degollada de las Yeguas Viewpoint

Step out of the car and the ground opens straight into the Barranco de Fataga. Ridge after ridge of bare volcanic rock folds down towards the valley floor, and at the far end, on a clear day, Maspalomas shows as a pale strip on the coast.

Come at sunrise. The low sun reflects off the mountain walls and brings out every layer in the rock.

The name gives away the second reason to stop: this is an astronomical viewpoint, set up for looking at the sky. After dark the view turns upwards, and the same lookout that frames the canyon by day frames the stars by night. Sunset sits between the two.

• There is no drinking water at the viewpoint and none nearby. Bring your own.
• The nearest toilets are about 770 m away in a straight line, and one of the two is for customers only.
• The road up is a serpentine mountain road. It needs steady driving, so take the bends slowly.
• The view and the information boards take five to ten minutes. Sunrise, sunset or stargazing earn a longer stay.
• Coming for the stars, bring a warm layer: air on a mountain pass cools fast once the sun is down.

You arrive by car or by bus, and the last stretch is the serpentine mountain road itself, climbing through the bends to the pass. The lookout sits right beside the road.

Two asphalt car parks lie about 30 m and 110 m from the viewpoint, so there is no walk to speak of. Two bus stops, Mirador and Mirador de las Yeguas, stand within about 110 m as well.

Best: sunrise, when the low sun lights the mountain walls; sunset; or a clear, moonless night for the stars.

Avoid: the middle of the day, when the light falls flat from overhead.

The canyon is all ridges and shadow, and it only shows its depth when the sun sits low.