21-12-05

Finally back in my hiking shoes!

Bikinis, ‘proper’ clothes and shoes fly back in H.’s suitcase.

Again due to available accomodation and bus time tables, I choose to hike the first stage on Gran Canaria ‘backwards’. So the day starts – as so often – with a bus ride.

I arrive at Palmitos Park all eager to get hiking; feeling very clever to have spottet this alternative – the plan is to hike the 2 or so kilometers to Ayagaures on a road clearly showing on all maps (as there is no busses to Ayagaures itself it seems).

But….

After enqueries at the park ticket booth, where I get a clear and final ‘no’, there seems nothing I can do, but walk back the 8km that I just came into this valley by bus.

But, after 200m a car stops next to me, and a very kind and helpful man offers me to drive me through the ‘closed’ strech; he has access since he works at the hotel further in; and from there it’s public and open paths and roads again!

Walking through ‘lush’ Ayagaures, with it’s lemon, orange, fig and olive trees. Considering to stop for ice cream at the curch square café – but decide it’s too early for a break.

Then it’s across the dam – first time I see open water, that’s not the sea, on any of the islands. Tomorrow’s stage will continue from here and further into this valley.

Today I turn around and follow a steep gravel road up, opening up more great views of the valley with it’s canyon-like cliffs and green strip at the bottom.

Over the next ridge, I continue down into a parallel barranco/valley just east of this.

The -now smaller- path ist zigg-zagging steeply down and then follows the river out towards Maspalomas. And often times the ‘river’ is actually the path.

There is gorgeos rocky cliffs on both sides, and dramatically light ‘glowing’ cacti.

(Almost) too soon the path opens up again and leads into the back side of civilisation.

I follow the wide and regulated -but empty- river bed all the way to the coast, where it’s joining the sea just by the Maspalomas lighthouse.

That’s the end of today’s stage, or rather would have been the start of the GR131 across Gran Canaria.

After a snack and sugary drink, I get a bonus hike to find my hotel – across the famous dunes.

It’s quite .. well, very .. windy, so I get properly sandblasted, sand sticking everywhere.

But, I also get to see a super beautiful sunset – perfect end of an exciting start to my part 2 of the hiking adventures!

Approximately 27km hiked today (incl. about 5,5km of ‘bonus’ hike).

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