Trip Report - GR131 - Hiking and camping in Gran Canaria in February 2026
This is an extension to the Fuerteventura post as I went from one Canary Island to the another.
Below is a quick trip report of the Gran Canaria leg I completed earlier this year in March 2026:
Public Transport - Buses on the island is reliable, cheap and all accept card. But make sure to download the official GuaguasGLOBAL app to access the most up to date timetable and schedule. Google maps get’s you close but does have up to the minute updates.
Camping Gas - I couldn’t find any screw top gas canisters in Las Palmas itself. I had to catch a bus out to Tamaraceite and get the camping gas at Decathlon. The return journey took about 2 hours for me as the schedule didn’t really line up.
Water - Similarly to Fuerteventura, you’ll be relying on shops and restaurants for water as the island is quite dry in the summer months and tap water comes from desalinating sea water which can upset sensitive stomaches. Bring a water filter too as Gran Canaria is not as dry as Fuerteventure which provides more water sources.
Campsites - There were very few people at the official campsites. I was alone at Llanos de la Pez and there was only 1 other person at Llanos de la Mimbre (Tamadaba). Keep in mind that booking your space as a foreigner can be quite the process. I put together this short guide of what is involved.
Weather - I was quite unlucky that it rained every day I was there. The weather is also very region specific; it will be fine along the coast (especially in the south) but completely miserable in the mountains at the center of the island.
Food - The route takes you through at least one town a day which makes getting food easy. There are plenty of nice restaurants open and lots of little supermakets to restock on supplies.
Cash - Most places accepts card. I only spent about 20 EUR in cash for my entire thru-hike of Gran Canaria.
Road walking - The first day from Maspalomas to San Bartolomé de Tirajana (locally known as Tunte) was terrible. 70% of the day was road walking along windy mountain road where I did not feel safe at all. If I had to do this again, I would skip this leg and simply start at Tunte.
Phone Reception - Reception was great. The only where reception was near the campsite in Tamadaba Natural Park.
People - Expect to have the trail to yourself as there are very few people walking the GR131. During my time, I met about 6 others and most of them were going in the opposite direction.
Trail - The trail from day 2 to 4 was amazing. You cover lots of elevation providing stunning views with changing terrain from rocky mountains to lush forests. I just wish I had better weather as my views were obscured about 80% of the time 😅.
I put all my planning notes and lessons learnt on this page: https://www.chalkypeaks.com/gr131-gran-canaria-maspalomas-to-puerto-de-las-nieves-4-days
