An open air archaeological park in Gran Canaria
Almost 700 tombs in large burial mounds built with volcanic stones make Maipés de Agaete a unique open air archaeological park which has lots to tell about the aborigine universe. Located in the northwest of Gran Canaria, just behind Tamadaba pine wood, it rests on a great lava flow, dominated by a strangely beautiful arid landscape; it has tombs dating back over 1,300 years. It is a spectacular place and has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest where the grey of the land and the green vegetation make for an evocative colour composition.
Visiting the tombs in Maipés
The secrets of Maipés necropolis are revealed on a walk, which is just over a kilometre long and adapted for people with reduced mobility. As an introduction, the visitor interpretive centre explains the types of tombs and goes into the world of the ancient island dwellers. The steel plate pathways lead to the hundreds of burial mounds of up to eight metres wide and three high, spread out discreetly along the ground. There is a guided visit to this pre-Hispanic world in an almost film like atmosphere.