Gran Canaria Walking Festival presents its eleventh edition as “an unforgettable experience”

 

The international hiking meeting 'Gran Canaria Walking Festival' presented this Thursday the keys to its eleventh edition, with a marked international character, as it has the participation of 162 registered participants and 15 different nationalities. Ahead, between October 27 and 30, participants face a program of activities and hiking, divided into four stages, which will allow them to explore the most natural and authentic side of the island; discover its natural and emblematic enclaves, its culture and flavors; and get to know some of its establishments full of charm and history.

 

The event, which is held from October 27 to 30 and includes four new routes, one of them to the magical and wild Guguy massif, was presented this Thursday, October 20 at the headquarters of the Gran Canaria Tourist Board, with the presence of Carlos Álamo, insular Minister of Tourism, and Nicolás Villalobos as president of Gran Canaria Natural & Active. In this proposal, which has the official sponsorship of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria through Turismo de Gran Canaria, the Tejeda City Council, the Gran Canaria Wine Route and Aqualy collaborate, water in cardboard distributed by Pricemesa of the Fedola Group

 

 

The Tourism Councilor of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, explained: “The Gran Canaria Walking Festival returns one more year as a consolidated event to celebrate its eleventh anniversary and it does so as always, with the intention of offering an unforgettable experience to its participants. In addition, it allows hikers and nature lovers from all over the world to value and learn about some of the most spectacular landscapes of Gran Canaria, as well as its gastronomy and its historical and ethnographic heritage, through a tour of the geography of the area. island".

 

 

Nicolás Villalobos, general director of the BeCordial Hotels & Resorts chain, explained that this proposal has become a benchmark and an authentic melting pot of nationalities, which travels around the Island with walking sticks and hiking boots to visit some of the most charming places. of the Island. Among the participants, as announced by Villalobos, there are 162 registered in 406 activities. Therefore, this edition will have representatives from Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Estonia, Belgium, Finland, Slovakia, Japan, and Italy. The peninsular registration has representatives from Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, Asturias and Castilla la Mancha. While, at a regional level, hikers from Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria participate.

 

 

“This proposal brings value to that other Gran Canaria,” said Villalobos. “To highlight this miniature continent that has a lot to offer and a vacation experience that unites our wonderful beaches in the South with our unique climate, a pulsating city and a summit and inland areas that are increasingly valued by our clients,” added the president of the organizing entity. 

 

“This proposal has been an economic stimulus for the entire summit and for our people to know our territory and value it. Furthermore, our proposal has a clear commitment to sustainability, ecological and renewable, with zero use of plastics and with water, which will be distributed in returnable containers," explained the counselor who assured that the client interested in knowing our geography will through hiking has increased significantly. 

 

Carlos Álamo valued that “hiking is an activity that is gaining in popularity, as pre-covid data demonstrates. There is more and more interest and demand. And in this scenario, mountain and hiking lovers take advantage of the slightest oversight to return to Gran Canaria. The fault of all these round trips lies with the Island, a very unusual place, which hides a thousand different landscapes under the carpet and at the same time offers all the comforts that the visitor requests.

 

Guguy, among this year's routes

 

As in previous editions, Gran Canaria Natural & Active has scheduled four new routes for this year, one per day, all of them unique and of great natural beauty, especially the one that runs through the Guguy or Güigüí massif, a territory that is part of the Canary Islands Network of Protected Natural Spaces, of the Special Conservation Area of ​​the Natura 2000 Network and of the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve.

 

 'The heart of the volcano' is the route planned for October 27, a 13-kilometer path that begins in the Fontanales payment, one of the greenest areas of the island, and ends in the town of Tejeda, considered one of the most beautiful towns in Spain.

 

The route on the 28th, 'Ansite yesterday and today', is an invitation to visit one of the most important archaeological sites on the island: La Fortaleza, witness to the surrender of the ancient Canarians against the Castilian troops. The trail covers a distance of 8,5 kilometers with a duration of approximately four hours. 'In search of water' is the route scheduled for Saturday, October 29. This route, 15,4 kilometers long, begins in the town of Juncalillo, in the heights of the municipality of Gáldar. Its journey runs along the Barranco Hondo riverbed, where crops alternate with landscapes eroded by water and the imprint of man in the form of troglodyte settlements. 

 

The route on Sunday the 30th, 'After the last steps in Guguy', is perhaps one of the most attractive of this edition. Despite its hardness, with 11,2 kilometers of distance and six hours of duration, exploring the impressive and magical landscapes of Guguy and reaching the beach of the same name is an adventure that will not be forgotten. Guguy is the oldest volcanic massif in Gran Canaria, 14,5 million years old, with large slopes where cardonal-tabaibal predominates among other plant populations. It is also possible to enjoy the presence of birds such as the osprey, Bulwer's petrel or the canary crow here.

 

All routes include guides specialized in hiking and languages, who will explain the natural, ethnographic and cultural values ​​of the areas visited, and a tasting of Canarian products or a snack or picnic lunch. The tastings will take place at the end of each of the routes in rural accommodation associated with Gran Canaria Natural & Active. Specifically, the one on the 27th will take place in the town of Tejeda, a town full of charm where places with history such as the Hotel Rural Fonda de La Tea are located; On the 28th, it will be at the charming Casa Rural La Longuera de Tirajana, with exceptional views of the characteristic palm groves of “Santa Lucía de Tirajana”; on the 29th at the Hotel Rural La Longueras, known as “La Casa Roja”, a 30th century colonial-style mansion located in the municipality of Agaete, and on the XNUMXth at the Hotel La Aldea Suites, in the Village of San Nicolás, located in a privileged area to enjoy the mountains and the sea. 

 

In this edition, the Gran Canaria Natural & Active Association has the support of the town councils of Tejeda and Agaete, while continuing its eco-friendly commitment with the use of paper packaging and the total elimination of plastic in its snack or lunches. tastings, and picnics planned on the four scheduled routes, counting for the fourth consecutive year with the support and collaboration of Aqualy cardboard water distributed by Pricemesa.

 

Registration also includes civil liability insurance and accident insurance, as well as the possibility for participants to obtain magnificent gifts.

 

On the other hand, it must be remembered that the Gran Canaria Natural & Active association has adopted all the health measures recommended by the competent authorities to guarantee the safety of the participants and the staff themselves and, at the same time, offer the best possible experience.

 

The asociación

 

Gran Canaria Natural & Active is an official brand of the Gran Canaria Tourist Board, which aims to promote the island as a destination for active and nature tourism. Under the same quality seal, this association brings together the offer of hotels and rural houses, outdoor activity companies and establishments linked to archaeology, culture and gastronomy.

 

Specifically, Gran Canaria Natural & Active brings together 26 rural accommodations, 21 rural houses and 5 hotels: Hotel Rural Fonda de la Tea, Hotel Rural Las Longueras, Hotel Rural Las Calas, Hotel Rural La Hacienda del Buen Suceso, as well as the companies Climbo and Vivac Aventura, specialized in the organization of outdoor activities, and Turinka Canarias, experts in the organization of archaeological, cultural and gastronomic routes. In addition, the Los Berrazales-Finca La Laja wineries, in Agaete, and the Las Tirajanas wineries, in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, where visits and wine tastings are carried out, as well as the La Fortaleza Interpretation Center, in Santa Lucía de Tirajana, where guided tours of the museum complex and the nearby archaeological site are organized, as well as workshops and temporary exhibitions related to the Aboriginal world.

 

https://www.grancanariawalkingfestival.com/es/

www.grancanarianaturalandactive.com