Barranco de las Vacas Canyon

You might have heard of it or seen it mentioned on social media, the small canyon between Agüimes and Santa Lucía called Barranco de las Vacas. Many stunning shots are taken there and shared on Instagram and Facebook frequently by people patient enough to wait for the right light and their turn. As a result the small canyon was rediscovered by hikers and walkers from near and afar. We only found out about it in 2019!

The very popular Barranco de las Vacas

The small part of the canyon which looks like the Antelope Canyon in Arizona is actually called Barranco de Barafonso. The Barranco de las Vacas canyon is actually very long stretching over several kms.

We got it wrong a couple of times. After we finally found the right stretch called Barranco de Barafonso we were surprised how many people were coming out of the valley. And how many were right behind us going in!

We never had the chance to take a shot on the main rock, as seen on the photo above, without cueing for 20 minutes. No fans of cueing we took some shots on the side of the canyon instead.

In May 2020 we went again

In 2020, right after the Covid19 lockdown, we went to visit the canyon again. This time we actually had this beautiful place a half hour to ourselves.

Don’t get disappointed – it is small!

When we say it is a small canyon, we mean small. The Barranco de las Vacas canyon stretches for a few kilometres and crosses the road from Vecindario to Temisas two times. But the Barranco de Barafonso itself is only about 80 metres long and it only takes a 10 – 15 minutes hike from the road to reach it.

The correct access to Barranco de Barafonso

It can be tricky to find the correct access. If you see a sign with Barranco de las Vacas written on it, you are at the WRONG part of the road, to be exact at the lower part of the Canyon.

Finding the right Curve

Drive up towards Temisas for another 5 km or so until you arrive at the stretch of the road as seen on the image below. Notice the tunnel under the curve. That tunnel is where you will be heading to.

When you see this part of the road, you can park your car at a small parking space for two cars a few metres further on the right. On the left just before the curve starts you will find the path which leads you down to the valley. See the images below.

Good foot wear is important

A few metres of this hike are steep and with loose earth. We recommend good foot wear. Don’t attempt to do this in flip flops or high heels!

We Recommend

• Good walking footwear
• Bring water
• Bring sun protection
• Combine this hike with a visit to Cueva de la Audiencia

Enjoy it and let us know how it went. Don’t forget to follow us, Love Gran Canaria on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK.

Author: Judith Schjorring

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