Artenara

The municipality of Artenara is located at the top of the island of Gran Canaria, 50 kilometers away from the capital. It is a small town whose altitude is 1,270 meters above sea level. Artenara, was an important aboriginal settlement.
Its orography is very steep and in its large extensions of forests the mountains of Los Moriscos, La Mora, Roque García, El Brezo, Altavista (1,376 m) and Tamadaba with Pico Bandera (1,444 m) stand out.

Artenara has the largest basin on the island, the Caldera de Tejeda. Also, in this municipality are the oldest geological materials of Gran Canaria, in fact, it is one of the towns with the largest number of caves that were formerly dwellings of the aborigines.

Artenara is an ideal place to appreciate the archaeological sites that show the way of life of the Canarian aborigines. Thus, the visit to the municipality includes a walk through the Acusa Archaeological Complex, one of the most important archaeological sites in the place, made up of housing and funeral caves, or a visit to the Caballero Caves, an area of ​​refuge for aboriginal shepherds and a significant archaeological complex where the caves offer us a unique symbolism of the Canarian aborigines.

The Cueva de Los Candiles is another of the traditional visits. It is located in the Mountain of Artenara and its importance lies in the decoration of its walls, in which rock carvings are appreciated.

The visit to the Hermitage of the Virgin of La Cuevita is also unavoidable, since this hermitage is dug into a cliff and located 400 meters from the town center.
The Church of San Matías is the place where the current Parish of Artenara is located. Here we must highlight the images of the Virgen del Rosario, the Virgen de los Dolores, San Matías and San Juan. It is also important to highlight the Ermita de la Candelaria in Acusa.

The natural surroundings of Artenara are one of the main attractions of the municipality, which is integrated into the Tamadaba Natural Park, a wooded area with a great variety of flora and great scenic interest. The impressive Pinar de Tamadaba is the area of ​​greatest natural value in the municipality and on the Island. It extends over 8 square kilometers and its views are spectacular. The visitor can appreciate them in several of the routes and trails of Artenara. Likewise, another of the most recommended visits is the Nublo Rural Park, from where spectacular views are observed and where the rural environment in its purest state is appreciated.

The network of ravines, escarpments and massifs in this area forms an erosive landscape of contrasts and great beauty, where natural elements of notable geomorphological interest can be identified.

Artenara is an eminently inland municipality. However, to the west, it borders a small coastal area where it is possible to locate the only beach in the municipality: Punta Gongora or Punta de Las Arenas. It is a little-known beach on the island, which is possible to reach on foot because it does not have access for car.