home : photos : GPS tracks : 2014 visit This page describes our 2022 MTB rides in Gran Canaria, where we spent a week near Santa Lucia and a week near Ayagaures. A companion page describes the routes we took in 2014. Sorrueda (Mon Apr 25): [GPS track]
San Bart (Tues a.m.): [GPS track] Another morning ride. We climbed to Cruz Grande on the road, and then headed back east to San Bart (Tunte) along part of the Camino de Santiago. This is quite a pleasantly ridable descent, made up chiefly of steps with a few hairpin bends. Ill-advisedly we attempted it in reverse on our previous visit, cursing all the way. From San Bart we found a descent on narrow (and sometimes steep) access roads to Rosiana. A route through Gran Canaria connecting two churches dedicated to Saint James – one in San Bartolomé and the other in Galdar – has the status of a Camino de Santiago. The route is usually walked south–north, and walkers often start at Maspalomas to make a traverse of the island. A GPS track of the entire Camino will be found at here. Much of the Camino de Santiago is also a camino real, which means that it’s a traditional route for pack animals.
Around Santa Lucia (Tues p.m.)
The Ruta de la Sal was worse. It turned out that the Wikiloc track was a walking route which had erroneously been entered under Mountain Biking.
Camino de Santiago (Weds): [GPS track]
In 2014 we rode up the GC600 as far as Los Tabuquillos and joined the Camino heading south from there. We reckied as far as the zigzags and returned to descend them another day. In 2022 we started from Cruz Grande and climbed higher on the road, having lunch (papas arrugadas and garbanzada, both excellent) at La Cumbre; then we took a singletrack descent (not strictly part of the Camino) to join our 2014 route at the Degollada de los Hornos. We were afraid the descent would be too steep to ride, but it was only moderate for difficulty. From the Degollada the route follows a rocky path with some pleasant obstacles, at one point opening out into a lava field whose knobbly rock protrusions need to be steered with some ingenuity.
In 2022 we finished here, but in 2014 we continued the roughstuff beyond Cruz Grande on part of our San Bart ride. La Culata (Thurs): [GPS track] We took a short tarmac ride the following day, following the scenic loop north of Rosiana through Risco Blanco and La Culata: a fabulous steep narrow road and a wonderful place; lush, sheltered and feeling very unspoilt. We had previously incorporated this loop into a longer ride in 2014.
Chira loop (Fri): [GPS track]
From CG you take an access road south which soon becomes a forestry track and continues as far as the Degollada de Manzanilla. Here you bear right on a footpath which offers some technical challenges (mod) and a pleasant situation, eventually dropping down to the dirt road south of Chira. You ride past Chira and begin a long road climb from which you turn onto a dirt road on which you lose half the height you’ve gained (with some routefinding difficulties at the beginning) before embarking on a climb as long as the previous one. You emerge on the GC60 a little north of the bar/resto La Candelilla where he had lunch. Heading south, you meet the junction with the Chira road at the Paso Herradura, and here a footpath can be taken running slightly below the road to CG. It offers good entertainment, but we were forced by a no-entry sign to return to the road half way to CG. Embalse de Tirajana (Sat) This was a shortish ride. We headed south following our Sorrueda route as far as the first half of the technical descent; then we followed the doubletrack south and then west to El Sitio de Abajo where we crossed below the Embalse and climbed on steep tarmac, using a footpath (part of the Ruta de la Sal) to reach the main road.
Degollada de la Manzanilla (Sun): [GPS track]
Amurga and the Yegua trail (Tues): [GPS track]
We tried to follow a route across the Amurga plateau (downloaded from Wikiloc) but after a certain point there was no path on the ground, so we backtracked and rode down to Maspalomas on rider-made trails by the roadside. These are good fun.
The Bumpy Barranco (Barranco de Vicentes) (Weds): [GPS track]
El Diablo (Thurs): [GPS track]
Begin by taking the Ayagaures–Arteara road all the way to the GC60 and then climb on tarmac to San Bart for lunch. Ride/push up to the Degollada de la Manzanilla, reversing the descent of a few days ago. Initially you follow minor roads out of town, then the route settles down to a dirt track which becomes steeper and bumpier so that riding becomes impossible. From the Degollada take the doubletrack south until a footpath descends to the right. After dropping steeply (this stretch is difficult) it starts contouring along the ridge – this is only moderate (maybe even easy), but Colin was spooked by the exposure and mostly pushed. With the exposure behind us the route becomes a normal rocky footpath with enough obstacles to maintain one’s interest, and some good views.
Arguineguín (Fri): [GPS track]
From Arguineguín a dirt road climbs steeply onto the Mesa de las Vacas and proceeds along the Lomo de las Toscas. At a certain point you turn back along footpaths. They offer some pleasure but are exposed in many places. There are lots of signposts put here by mountain bikers, so people must like the place.
Fataga (Sat): [GPS track]
A sequence of footpaths and minor roads makes it possible to descend from San Bart to Arteara parallel to the road (the GC60). We started from Arteara (which we reached by car, not wanting to make the ride any harder) and rode up the GC60 almost to San Bart. Then we turned back on a footpath on the west side of the road. Almost at once it dips into a hollow and sneaks below the road via an underpass. It then becomes briefly rather exposed, but soon after shows better behaviour with some steep and enjoyable rocky sections. The gradient eases off approaching Fataga, a slightly touristy village which turned out to be less spoilt than we’d feared. We leave along the road, and now divert to the left (east), following minor roads and tracks which turn into a footpath, becoming progressively harder and more entertaining (mod).
Las Tederas (Sun): [GPS track]
For our last full day we limited ourselves to a morning’s ride along the dirt road from Ayagaures to Las Tederas and back. We found it surprisingly enjoyable, the scenery making up for the lack of technical interest. Las Tederas is something of an oasis compared with the rather slaggy terrain near the coast. The route can be extended to a circle on the map, but the connecting footpath has been closed owing to rock fall. Lunch at La Cuevita (south of Ayagaures) where we ate starters only, which were very good. Los Palmitos (Mon May 9) Ayagaures is popular with cyclists for one sole reason: heading out from Maspalomas, the road snakes up a 220m climb to Los Palmitos. Roadies head out every hour of the day. Having a little time at our disposal, we determined not to miss out. It’s a nice enough ride. Then we got back to the pool. home : photos : GPS tracks : 2014 visit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||