Roque Nublo — Gran Canaria's Landmark

The Roque Nublo (Cloud Rock) is the landmark of Gran Canaria and one of the most famous natural monuments in the Canary Islands. The 80-meter-high basalt monolith rises at an altitude of 1,813 meters from the volcanic rock and was a sacred cult site for the indigenous people (Ancient Canarians). Today, it is the symbol of the island and the destination of the most popular hike in Gran Canaria.

The Hike

The hike to Roque Nublo is one of the easiest and most rewarding hikes in the Canary Islands. From the parking lot on the GC-600 road (above the Degollada de la Goleta), a well-marked path leads through pine forest and over volcanic rock to the foot of the monolith. The route is about 1.5 km each way with about 100 meters of elevation — achievable in 25–40 minutes, even for families with children (from about 6 years old).

The Panorama

The panorama from Roque Nublo is spectacular: On clear days (especially in the morning, before the trade wind clouds gather), you can see the Teide on Tenerife (Spain's highest mountain, 3,718 m) to the west, the dunes of Maspalomas as a bright strip by the sea to the south, Las Palmas to the north, and all around the rugged volcanic landscape of the Caldera de Tejeda. Right next to Roque Nublo stands the Roque del Fraile (Monk's Rock) — together they form one of the most iconic silhouettes of the Canary Islands.

Risco Caído & the Sacred Mountains

Since 2019, the Cultural Landscape of Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage. This area around Roque Nublo includes caves with astronomical markings of the indigenous people, grain storage, and cult sites — a unique testimony to pre-Hispanic culture. The Risco Caído itself is a cave near Artenara, where sunlight falls through an opening at certain times of the year and illuminates rock carvings — an astronomical calendar over 800 years old.