Gran Canaria walking tours, Canary Islands
“An 8 day, small group guided walking tour of Gran Canaria, east to west, following ancient trails and staying in historic mountain towns. ”
Highlights
Aguimes | Guayadeque Canyon | Tejeda | Artenara | Roque Nublo | Inagua ForestDescription of Gran Canaria walking tours, Canary Islands
This week-long walking tour of Gran Canaria is the perfect way to catch some winter sun while exploring the historic mountain trails of the island. The dramatic, volcanic landscapes of the Canary Islands are best enjoyed with an energising hike – so lace up your walking boots and let’s go.Starting in Aguimes, near the eastern coast, we’ll wind our way through craggy, sun-baked scenery, past the highest point on the island, Pico de las Nieves, to the mountain villages in the west of Gran Canaria. Highlights include the deep gorges of the Guayadeque Canyon, where we will discover the remains of a lava field and former cave dwellings, and reaching the summit of Roque Nublo, an iconic landmark. Rust-red mountain passes open out onto lush, semi-tropical valleys and the fresh-smelling pines of the Inagua Forest.
Travelling as a small group, guided by expert leaders local to the area, we’ll stay in small hotels well away from the traditional tourist route and dine al fresco on typical Canarian cuisine. Walks are mostly moderate, with five days spent on our feet. Routes vary between 10 and 17km, around two to six hours of walking each day, and trekking is done along well-maintained trails – although spectacular views do mean a few dramatic drops alongside some of the paths. If you’re hungry for more, an optional, more challenging trek is also offered.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates, prices & availability
Date
Price per adult
Basis
Status
23 Oct 2021
£1356
including UK flights
Available
06 Nov 2021
£1198
including UK flights
Available
13 Nov 2021
£1171
including UK flights
Available
20 Nov 2021
£1104
including UK flights
Available
22 Dec 2021
£1433
including UK flights
Available
29 Dec 2021
£1390
including UK flights
Available
15 Jan 2022
£1167
including UK flights
Available
29 Jan 2022
£1130
including UK flights
Available
05 Feb 2022
£1140
including UK flights
Available
19 Mar 2022
£1207
including UK flights
Available
22 Oct 2022
£1334
including UK flights
Available
05 Nov 2022
£1184
including UK flights
Available
12 Nov 2022
£1184
including UK flights
Available
19 Nov 2022
£1184
including UK flights
Available
21 Dec 2022
£1334
including UK flights
Available
28 Dec 2022
£1429
including UK flights
Available
Vouchers
Accepted
Holiday type
Small group holidays
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, travelling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week holiday, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.
The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
What are the main benefits?
Big experiencesHave big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
Who is it ideal for?
Travellers who are short of timeIf you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Mythbuster
“I won’t get any privacy!”Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Meet a local guide
No matter how experienced your group leader, they can never make up for the knowledge gained from a lifetime in the destination. That’s why many of our trips work with local guides around the world – who invite you into their homeland with pleasure.
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
On this in-depth tour of Gran Canaria we stay in a small, locally run hotel well away from the tourist hub to get an authentic feel of life in the Canary Islands. As our tour leader is from the island we'll get a unique insight into island life - something most visitors never experience! Our main mode of transport on this trip is our own feet and all other transport is provided by local companies, supporting the local economy, as well as using public transport on some occasions to reduce the need to charter transport specially. All tap water in the Canary Islands is readily drinkable, so we urge you to take and use a water bottle rather than buying water to reduce pressure on the small islands’ limited resources for dealing with plastic waste.
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. CoolEarth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
Environment
On this in-depth tour of Gran Canaria we stay in a small, locally run hotel well away from the tourist hub to get an authentic feel of life in the Canary Islands. As our tour leader is from the island we'll get a unique insight into island life - something most visitors never experience! Our main mode of transport on this trip is our own feet and all other transport is provided by local companies, supporting the local economy, as well as using public transport on some occasions to reduce the need to charter transport specially. All tap water in the Canary Islands is readily drinkable, so we urge you to take and use a water bottle rather than buying water to reduce pressure on the small islands’ limited resources for dealing with plastic waste.
In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. CoolEarth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.
Community
Climate
5 Reviews of Gran Canaria walking tours, Canary Islands
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 19 Feb 2020 by Joy Withers
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Great walks, great company
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ensure that youre fit for the described holiday. The holiday was exactly as described. Most had been on many holidays previously with this operator and all said that this was the first one when everyone was able to do the walks. They said that often people 'thought' they'd like to, but weren't able to, so held everyone up.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The guide, Weronika, was amazing. She sorted EVERYTHING. She engaged with the locals and efficiently sorted anything that needed sorting, and usually
before we had time to ask.
Reviewed on 06 Mar 2019 by Jane Lucas
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Fantastic walks in the sunshine with a small group of like-minded people.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I was a bit anxious before the trip as I had never travelled solo before, but it turned out to be a great experience. The group of nine was a good mix of solo and couple travellers; all very friendly. Lunches and evening meals weren't included, but the optional meals organised by the guide were good value: allow less than 5 euros for picnic lunches and 15 euros for three course evening meals. We used public transport where possible; this was generally good but one bus driver was much too fast on hairpin bends and some of the group were travel sick.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We used local buses and stayed in small hotels. Optional meals were organised in good local restaurants.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent
Reviewed on 24 Nov 2019 by Alan Thomas
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Good company, good scenery, great weather.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't expect what's on the brochure online.
The Guayadeque canyon experience with fabulous rock formations per grand canyon just didn't happen. Instead we had a "lunch break" for two hours in a cave. The museum "interpretation centre" in the canyon that was promised was shut ... surely that was easy to know in advance?
Taking a bus up the canyon to a point where the walk would work time wise would have been so easy and would have allowed us to be in the more interesting scenery.
The "easy" option we experienced may suit some, but if it's a feature on the web that sets expectation, this was sadly let down.
If you post pictures of what will be seen -- then surely the features should be seen.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No, other than tourist money inbound -- bus, restaurants, bars.
Conservation support was non-existent.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Iffy, not as advertised.
Food not great. Although the group meal ideal is good, the "set menu" approach as an extra cost was a rip off and annoying.
We should have adopted a "solo" approach from the start to avoid indifferent and too abundent food. We did later adopt this solo approach.
However the hotels provided good accommodation and excellent breakfasts. Both hotels were really good.
Overall dissappointed and surprised by the lack of thought. We will not be coming back to this operator.
Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your feedback. I was sorry to see that the Guayadeque canyon experience was not as you expected. I appreciate both the walk up and down was in poor weather and accounted for the long stay in the cave – as it was dry and warm with a café on site. It’s also a shame the interpretation center was closed. This was an unexpected closure, on the day, due to a maintenance issue – as per the notice on the door.
We use public busses and being a walking trip we do keep our impact on the local environment to a minimum but we don’t have any conservation projects currently ongoing in the area or mention that we will be partaking in any within the itinerary. This trip only has included breakfasts, as such the meal choices are your own. The guide will always suggest options and groups tend to like buffets at the beginning of a trip. This way everyone has a choice at one location and the group can have a social evening while ensuring every palate is catered to. I was pleased to see you had great company and enjoyed the scenery.
We use public busses and being a walking trip we do keep our impact on the local environment to a minimum but we don’t have any conservation projects currently ongoing in the area or mention that we will be partaking in any within the itinerary. This trip only has included breakfasts, as such the meal choices are your own. The guide will always suggest options and groups tend to like buffets at the beginning of a trip. This way everyone has a choice at one location and the group can have a social evening while ensuring every palate is catered to. I was pleased to see you had great company and enjoyed the scenery.
Reviewed on 03 Dec 2018 by Helen Jones
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The varied walking.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Walking reasonably strenuous so need to be used to steep ups and downs. Few places take cards, so go with plenty of cash (there are ATMs).
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Made good use of local buses, and places chosen to eat out were run by local people with locally sourced food.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good. We really enjoyed the scenery on this lovely island. Bert, the leader was excellent in his flexibility. Weather conditions meant it was not possible to get to the summit peak on the allotted day, but he chose a lovely alternative walk. Hotels were adequate. We liked the one in Aguimes, lots of atmosphere but the rooms were very poorly lit so it was difficult to read.
Reviewed on 25 Feb 2013 by Sarah Reeve
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The hiking was fantastic in Gran Canaria. The group was ideal in that we all seemed to be similar abilities and ages and there was no fear of feeling left behind. The guide was very enthusiastic and encouraging. Always felt very confident in the routes.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The walking was quite challenging and should be entertained by walkers who are relatively fit and experienced only. The listing as moderate is fair and should be continued.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We stayed in a small town 1.5 hours from the airport in a locally run hotel. There were few restaurants in the town and my impression was the group provided very welcome business to the town. The food appeared to be very fresh and locally produced.
As a group we made little environmental impact as simply spent the days walking mostly using public transport.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I thought the holiday was excellent as the members of the group got on exceptionally well with the ages and abilities very well matched.
As far as walking, fresh air, scenery and local food was concerned I would only recommend.
However, if one were looking for varied, gourmet food with a vibrant night life the town would not provide it. This to me was an advantage but if evening socialising was sought you might be disappointed. From my point of view it was ideal.
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