Itinerario de la ruta
Artenara – Ventanieves – Presa de la Candelaria – Mesa de Acusa
To reach the town of Artenara, take the number 220 Global bus, departing from the centre of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Once you reach the village it’s well worth taking a stroll around to see the places of interest, including the church and the lookouts perched over Tejeda Caldera.
Start walking in the direction of Tamadaba and at the roundabout by the football field, head up towards the cemetery. Shortly before the cemetery you’ll find a path on the left with a sign indicating the direction of the walk.
Go up the dirt track and at a small lookout you’ll see that the path divides. From here take the path to the left that goes down between broom plants and Canary Island pines.
From here simply follow the path, which zigzags its way to the hamlet of Ventanieves, where you’ll come to a sealed road. Go between the houses and head down to the bed of the ravine on a small abandoned pathway that heads to the tail of the dam, Presa de La Candelaria. If the dam’s empty it’s easy to walk along the bed as far as the wall, where you need to go up again on a path to the left.
On the wall of the dam, there’s a dirt track that goes down to the old engine rooms. Look carefully, because before you head down, there’s a small path to the left that goes down the ravine from half way up the slope. As you go along this path you’ll see a metal pipe that serves as a reference to take you right to the end of the path and the sealed road.
Continue along the sealed road that heads down, as far as km 16 of the GC-210 road, walking past the local community centre in Acusa. When you reach the sign for km 16, go up a dirt path and take the track that goes right around Mesa de Acusa, from the western side.
This track will take you to the hamlet of Acusa Seca, a spectacular pre-Hispanic site, and from there you need to go up to the church of Our Lady of Candelaria, in Vega de Acusa.
The length of the walk is about 9 km and it takes an estimated four hours.
Things to see:
Presa de La Candelaria-Mesa de Acusa
Presa de La Candelaria tiene un volumen de almacenamiento de 453.000 m3 y es propiedad del Cabildo Insular. Fue acabadado en el año 1969, aunque el proyecto data de febrero del año 1944 y era de Ruperto González. La presa está situada en la cuenca hidrográfica del Barranco de La Aldea y se asienta sobre materiales muy antiguos del Ciclo I – Mioceno, ignimbritas traquítico-riolíticas.
El muro de la presa tiene una altura de 32 metros de alto y recoge el agua del Barranco de la Candelaria y las escorrentías de las montañas de Los Brezos y Cruz de María, y de Llano de Aguilar, la Hoya del Baño y Las Mesetas.
Unamuno’s lookout (centre of Artenara)
Pasando senderos cortados a pico en abruptos y escarpados derrumberos, dimos vista al Valle de Tejeda. El espectáculo es imponente. Todas aquellas negras murallas de la gran caldera, con sus crestas, que parecen almenadas, con sus roques enhiestos, ofrecen el espectáculo de una visión dantesca. No otra cosa pueden ser las calderas del infierno, que visitó el florentino. Es una tremenda conmoción de las entrañas de la tierra; parece todo ello una tempestad petrificada, pero una tempestad de fuego, de lava, más que de agua. (Miguel de Unamuno, 1909)
