Pilancones Natural Park

From the high ground the ravines fall away southward in bare folds of rock, like a Grand Canyon cut down to island size. Canary pine holds the hilltops, a well-preserved forest with plenty of birds in it, and cactus and spurge grow among the rocks. After rain, water collects in natural pools, the pilancones that gave the park its name.

The park was also home to the Pino de Pilancones, a Canary pine 30 to 40 m tall that ranked among the hundred most notable trees in Spain. The fires of summer 2007 doomed it, and a storm brought it down in 2008. A sample studied in Madrid dated it to around the winter of 1457–1458, the oldest age known for any Canary pine.

• No shade, no water. Much of the ground is open, and there are no toilets or drinking water nearby. Carry plenty to drink and sun protection.
• No bus. No bus stop serves the park, so plan on a car or a guided trip.
• Car parks sit well out. The nearest mapped car parks are about 3.3 km away in a straight line; expect to walk in.
• Open drops. Viewpoints look straight down into the ravines, which is hard going for anyone uneasy with heights or wide open space.

No bus stop serves the park, so the approach is by car or with a guided trip. The nearest mapped car parks lie about 3.3 km away in a straight line, and from there the rest is on foot or by mountain bike: the park's trails carry both hikers and riders. The information point at Cruz de Agustina is a useful landmark once you are inside. Fill your bottles before you set out, as there is no drinking water and no toilets nearby.

Best: early morning or late afternoon, in the cooler months of the year.

Avoid: the middle of a summer day.

The south of Gran Canaria is the island's hot, dry side, and the open ravine ground offers no shade once the sun is high. The pools that name the park only hold water after rain, which on Gran Canaria falls mostly in winter.