Caldera de Bandama

Walk through an enormous natural reserve in the northeast of Gran Canaria

This crater to walk along is situated between the municipalities of Santa Brigida, Telde and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The seaward route through Caldera de Bandama goes between the ravines of Las Goteras and Guiniguada. This area of enormous natural richness was formed five thousand years ago along with the ancient volcano Pico de Bandama. The crater is 216 metres deep, 574 metres high and 1,000 metres wide. Along with its geological value the archaeological site of Cueva de los Canarios, which the ancient settlers used as a granary for storing harvests and food is of great interest.

Trekking among plants and native birds through viewpoints and caves

With a trekking route of just under three kilometers, the route through Caldera de Bandama ( named in honour of a Flemish trader called Van Damme) goes by the viewpoint at Cornical and continues along las Casas de Fondo, the cave of Bodegas, the pond of El Culatón and the cross of the Tres Piedras. It is a demanding trek with an average gradient of 18%, along the walk you can see plants such as white echium and wild olive tree as well as island birds like the kestrel and the blackcaps. Don’t forget to take sun cream.

Length
4,2 km
Public transport
Localidad
Santa Brígida
Downloadable files selection
Archivos
Imagen Archivo
Título Fichero
Caldera de Bandama
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TENERIFE

TENERIFE

GRAN CANARIA

GRAN CANARIA

FUERTEVENTURA

FUERTEVENTURA

LANZAROTE

LANZAROTE

LA GRACIOSA

LA GRACIOSA

LA GOMERA

LA GOMERA

LA PALMA

LA PALMA

EL HIERRO

EL HIERRO
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Imagen
Subtítulo
The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
Título
Casas de la Caldera

The pathway starts from a group of houses, which in some cases maintain the traditional typology, including a wine cellar which situates us in a landscape marked by vines and the world of wine.

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The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
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Los Cuartos Viewpoint

We come across this viewpoint when we start our trek along the footpath on the left of a small flatland. It gives us a panoramic view of the inside of the crater and its walls; it is an excellent observatory to appreciate the geological diversity of the crater. On the left, among the most important elements, on the slope of the peak of Bandama, is a deposit of fluids in an interior area of the crater, which we recognize as a set of horizontal layers on a 50 metre stretch in an irregular triangular shape.

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Subtítulo
The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
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Cornical Viewpoint

This viewpoint above a rocky protrusion is at a height of 380 metres and from it we see the whole crater. From here we see the rings of rocky layers which make up the walls of the crater. We clearly distinguish the different areas at the bottom, zones where remains of agricultural work are to be seen as well as the thermophilic forest, which is taking up more space, thus regaining lost terrain.

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The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
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The Boulders

We go through an area in which the ground goes from volcanic gravel in the first part to scree on the slopes. We go into an area where a thermophilic forest of mastic, wild olive and palm trees mixes with large rocky boulders which have fallen from the crag thus lending its name to the area.

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Subtítulo
The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
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Casas del Fondo

This half ruined hamlet takes us back to the first colonist of the crater, Daniel Van Damme, in the XVI century, and whose name it takes. The hamlet is made up of an L shaped house cellar with a wine press, one of the oldest in Gran Canaria, a barn for animals, a threshing floor and oven.

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The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
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The Barn’s Threshing Floor

From Casas del Fondo we take the circular path which will lead us to all corners of the crater; we leave behind the house of the crater’s last labourer, Agustinito. We pass by a pond with a bird watching observatory and then we get to the barn’s threshing floor, opposite Casas del Fondo, above El Natero, name of the central part of the crater, the crater has three threshing floors which gives an idea of how important cereal growing was in the area.

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Subtítulo
The Bandama Route in Gran Canaria
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Through the forest

On the southeast side of the crater, we go through a beautiful thermophilic forest with wild olive, mastic, palm and dragon trees which grow along the slopes up to the crag. In this area is the only source of water in the crater which is channeled to a simple tap in Casas del Fondo. Before making our way back along the slope we stop to appreciate the silence of the crater and absorb ourselves in nature as the impressive vertical walls isolate us from the world outside.

Sustainability
Sostenibilidad
  • Never leave waste of any type lying around, including cigarette butts. Leftover food leads to a proliferation of rats and wild cats, which pose a serious threat to the fauna.
  • Respect the animals. Do not bother them or feed them. If you see an injured specimen, you can call the emergency number: 112. Do not pick flowers or plants.
  • Do not pick up or take away stones or any other item from the natural environment. And do not move them to pile them up into sadly famous 'towers'.
  • Respect the signposting along trails. Leaving the set paths causes damage to the environment and could also be dangerous for you and anyone with you.
  • It is safer to keep your pet on a lead.
  • Try not to alter the peace of the environment with excessive noise (loud music, yelling, etc.).
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