El Bufadero is a rocky peninsula on the east coast of Gran Canaria, at La Garita in the municipality of Telde. The name is Spanish for a blowhole: the sea has cut cavities into the volcanic rock, and with each set of waves the Atlantic forces its way in, foams and drains out again. It is a free public spot with information boards beside the rocks, known as a place to watch the force of the ocean at close range.
El Bufadero Blowhole
Local name: El Bufadero
Rocky point on the east coast of Gran Canaria, with a hole in the lava where Atlantic waves surge in and boil white.
- Entrance
- Free; a public spot with no ticket.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible parking; the ground at the blowhole is slippery volcanic rock.
- Parking
- Free car park and free street parking; car parks about 140 m and 360 m away in a straight line; wheelchair-accessible spaces.
- Difficulty
- Easy: a walk of about 140 m in a straight line from the car park, ending on slippery rock where shoes with grip matter.
- Transport
- Bus stop La Garita (no. 3501), about 700 m away in a straight line.
- Advance booking
- Not needed; it is a public spot with no ticket.
- Hours
- An open public spot with no real opening hours, though listings give Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00 and closed on Saturday and Sunday.
- Address
- Calle Romero, 1, C. Romero, 2, 35212 La Garita, Las Palmas, Spain
What makes it special
You hear it first: a deep thump as a wave hits the rock, then a long hiss, like air out of a tyre, as the water drains back out of the hole. At El Bufadero the Atlantic pushes into cavities in the dark lava shore, fills them and boils over white before falling away. Every few minutes a bigger set arrives without warning and the whole basin disappears under foam.
The coast here faces east, so the sun comes up straight out of the sea behind the spray. High tide gives the biggest show, when the swell reaches deepest into the rock.
Good to know
- Shoes: wear soles with real grip. The rock around the hole is slippery.
- Toilets: free public toilets stand about 380 m away in a straight line.
- Water: there is no drinking water nearby, so bring your own.
- Shade: the rocky point is bare and offers no shelter from the midday sun.
Getting there
El Bufadero sits at the edge of La Garita, a coastal neighbourhood of Telde. Parking lies about 140 m away in a straight line, with a second car park about 360 m away and room to park along the street as well. From the car, the last stretch is on foot out onto the rocky point, where information boards stand beside the hole. Without a car, the La Garita bus stop is about 700 m away in a straight line.
Best time to visit
Best: high tide, and sunrise.
Avoid: low tide on a flat-calm day, when the hole barely stirs.
The swell reaches deepest into the rock at high tide, and because the shore faces east, the sun rises out of the Atlantic directly in front of the blowhole.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
Similar Places
El Bufadero Blowhole on the map
Bigger waves arrive without warning every few minutes and sweep over the rocks around the hole, and being dragged in is deadly. Stay off any rock that is wet and never turn your back on the sea.
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Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to visit El Bufadero?
No. It is a public spot on the shore with no ticket, and the parking nearby is free.When is the best time to see El Bufadero?
At high tide, when the waves push deepest into the rock. Sunrise is good too, as the coast faces east over the Atlantic.Is El Bufadero dangerous?
Close to the hole, yes. Larger waves come in unexpectedly every few minutes and the rocks are slippery. Wet rock shows where the waves reach: never stand on it.Are there toilets at El Bufadero?
Free public toilets stand about 380 m away in a straight line. There is no drinking water nearby, so bring your own.Can you reach El Bufadero by bus?
The La Garita bus stop is about 700 m away in a straight line.