El Espinillo still has a small permanent population. Specific things to explore during a stay include hiking, archaeological sites and the surrounding landscape. A municipal hiking activity through the values of the Biosphere Reserve passed through El Espinillo, La Solana and El Chorrillo before reaching El Carrizal de Tejeda. This makes El Espinillo part of a hike that includes several named places and has its own endpoint.

Hiking routes and waypoints

Another route is Cruz Timagada–Bentayga. It has a left-hand turnoff that leads to the district of El Espinillo. The two route descriptions differ in their direction: the municipal hike gives a sequence of places ending at El Carrizal de Tejeda, while the left-hand turnoff leads directly to the district. Check local trail conditions before planning this route.

Roque Bentayga and archaeological sites

The Roque Bentayga archaeological site lies near El Espinillo, and an interpretation centre is located at the foot of the monolith. An older route description mentions a somewhat steep path from there to the archaeological site and gives an approximate walking time of ten minutes. Check the condition of the path locally before setting out; the walking time is an estimate from the older description.

Roque Bentayga includes an ancient defensive wall, an almogarén and caves. Cuevas del Rey is also nearby: a settlement of artificial caves carved into tuff, which were used as living quarters and grain stores. For those interested in archaeology, the sites have different points of focus: Roque Bentayga brings together several features of a single site, while Cuevas del Rey combines caves with a settlement and their former residential and storage uses.

Landscape and local character

The population of El Espinillo, La Solana and El Chorrillo is primarily agricultural. The surrounding landscape is another focus: the pine forests consist of Canary Island pines; alongside the remnants of the original large pine forest, there are extensive reforested areas. Some goats are also kept in the area for milk and cheese. The forests and livestock add specific landscape and food-related interests to the hiking routes and archaeological sites. When planning your trip, you can therefore take the rural character of the area into account alongside its trails and cultural attractions.

Fiesta del Almendro

One cultural point of interest is the Fiesta del Almendro. The 2025 programme noted that the festival had been running for 55 years at that time. El Espinillo’s contribution to that year’s event was tortilla pastries and rice pudding for visitors to sample. These are two different details to keep in mind when planning a trip: the 55-year figure places the festival tradition in 2025, while the tasting describes El Espinillo’s culinary contribution for that edition. If you would like to include the festival in your travel plans, check the dates and programme for the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Arguineguín, Vega De San Mateo, Playa de Tasarte, Melenara, Ojos de Garza, Artenara, Mogán, Tejeda

Go to the main travel overview: Gran Canaria.