Bandama Caldera — Attraction in Santa Brígida

The Caldera de Bandama and nearby Pico de Bandama are two excellent places to visit and are only 30 minutes away from Las Palmas by car. As the name suggests, the Caldera is a volcanic crater, created during violent volcanic activity some 5000 years ago, and is the biggest crater in the Canary Islands. The caldera is roughly 1000 metres across and 200 metres deep. There are numerous caves in the walls of the crater which were occupied in prehistoric times. In later times the bottom of the crater was occupied by several farming families. It is possible to see several stone threshing floors, a wooden wine press and a number of stone water channels which give an idea of the kind of agricultural activity the crater supported in times past. Access to the crater is from the hamlet of Casas de Fondo, where there is a bar/restaurant for sustenance after the walk down and back. The descent takes 30 minutes and is steep and the surface of the path is fine volcanic scree and is quite rough. Good walking footwear and drinking water are highly recommended.There are a number of paths around the bottom of the crater which allow the visitor to view the old farm buildings and very varied flora. Close by is the Pico de Bandama which is the highest point in the area and was one of the focal points of the eruption that caused the crater below. Nowadays, the Pico has a small carpark, a bar/cafeteria and is popular because of the matchless panoramic views. Just below the car park there is an entry point to the walk around the crater perimeter. The path is narrow and steep and rough in places. The full circuit takes roughly two hours. Again, strong footwear and drinking water are advisable. A...

This crater to walk along is situated between the municipalities of Santa Brigida, Telde and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The seaward route through Caldera de Bandama goes between the ravines of Las Goteras and Guiniguada. This area of enormous natural richness was formed five thousand million years ago along with the ancient volcano Pico de Bandama. The crater is 216 metres deep, 574 metres high and 1,000 metres wide. Along with its geological value the archaeological site of Cueva de los Canarios, which the ancient settlers used as a granary for storing harvests and food is of great interest. With a trekking route of just under three kilometers, the route through Caldera de Bandama ( named in honour of a Flemish trader called Van Damme) goes by the viewpoint at Cornical and continues along las Casas de Fondo, the cave of Bodegas, the pond of El Culatón and the cross of the Tres Piedras. It is a demanding trek with an average gradient of 18%, along the walk you can see plants such as white echium and wild olive tree as well as island birds like the kestrel and the blackcaps. Don’t forget to...

It is easy to get down and really tough to get all the way back up again. It starts off with a pathway but quickly it disappears. Be careful when it's raining as it can be slippery.

As there is an old wine vineyard/distillery there it makes me think how they managed to get all the wine up haha. They do have a information board explaining the house there but not that part.

There are so many pretty flowers, green trees and other interesting plants. If you can I'd recommend a trip down to see everything there. Do explore most of it!

Unfortunately there are so many people carving names into the great tree there, such a...