Hike Gran Canaria 9 Dec 2012 Artenara to Los Berrazales

Took the "Sunday" 0815 hrs bus nr 220 from the Telmo Bus Station in Las Palmas to Artenara, arriving there at around 1015 hrs

Had elevenses at a cafe in Artenara before starting hike nr 25 in the Sunflower Walking Guide to Gran Canaria

 The hike would take us via a combination of minor roads and old tracks down the Barranco de Agaete via the hamlets of Lugarejos, El Hornillo and El Sao to Los Berrazales near San Pedro.

Very soon after leaving Artenara we had views of the cave hamlet of Las Cuevas

 zooming in to one of the more elaborate cave dwellings which had an extensive facia built in front of the cave

 more caves

 are we going the right way?

 covered levada type waterway

 route well signposted

 Good spot for a break with super view of the cave dwelling hamlet of Lugarejos on the side of the Embalse de Lugarejos reservoir

 zooming in

zooming in closer on some of the cave dwellings

 The Embalse de Lugarejos reservoir

 Terraced fields

 Inquisitive goat

 .... another inquisitive goat

 Prickly pears

 The Embalse de Lugarejos reservoir

our route crosses the dam

 and climbs through the Tamabada pine forest above the reservoir

 views of the reservoir

 The track splits, one way going to Tamabada, the other going to the northern side of the lower reservoir, the Embalse de Los Perez reservoir which lies below the Embalse de Lugarejos reservoir - our route

 The famous landmark, Roque Nublo just visible on the horizon

 zooming in to Roque Nublo

 The Embalse de Los Perez reservoir

 crossing the Embalse de Los Perez reservoir dam

 Looking down into the Agaete Barranco

 spectacularly perched cave houses of El Hornillo high up in the cliffs

 zooming in to one of the cave houses

 can just see the sea at the end of the Agaete Barranco

 Cave for sale

 another cave house - complete with satellite dish at the right

 End of the road - El Hornillo

 small church in El Hornillo

 Start of the steep track down the Agaete Barranco

 landslide

 top of old disused flour mill at El Sao

 can just see the old flour mill left center

 El Sao

 Car Park at end of road Agaete on the coast up the Agaete Barranco

 our track soon leaves the road again

 looking back up the Agaete Barranco

 Looking towards Los Berrazales and San Pedro

 Los Berrazales

 Bus stop at Los Berrazales

 where we caught the 1542 hrs nr 102 bus to Agaete

In Agaete, the 102 bus changed number to become the nr 105 bus which left at 1630hrs for Las Palmas

Back on Dutch Link around 1730 after a very interesting and enjoyable hike