A jeep safari through the southern valleys and mountain villages

Behind the beaches of the south coast, the ravines climb into a ring of mountain villages. This tour takes you up there without driving the mountain roads yourself. The jeeps collect you from your hotel on the south coast, from Puerto de Mogán round to Maspalomas, at about 08:30; the operator's resellers describe open jeeps with a driver guide and up to six passengers each, and the listing's photos show a convoy of white Land Rovers.

The route climbs from the coast over the Lomos de Pedro Alfonso ridge, with views down the Arguineguín ravine, then leaves the tarmac for a dirt track to the Chira reservoir, at about 900 metres among the pines; GetYourGuide's description promises views of the Roque Nublo on the way. The next stop is Tunte, the old centre of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, at 890 metres in the Tirajana basin, where there is time for a coffee and a look at the church of San Bartolomé, consecrated in 1922, according to the Cabildo's tourism site.

From Tunte the road drops through the Fataga ravine, which guides call the Valley of the Thousand Palms for its groves of Canary and date palms, past the village of Fataga, set into the ravine wall. The last stop is the Las Moscas viewpoint, above the valley, with the Maspalomas dunes in sight on the coast below, before the run back to your hotel at around 14:00.

Much of this ground is inside the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve, which UNESCO designated in 2005 and which covers 43% of the island's central and south-western land. Lunch is not included, free cancellation runs to 24 hours before, and you must book at least 9 hours ahead.

On 6 November 2026 this was the bestseller among the jeep days on GetYourGuide's Gran Canaria search, rated 4.5 from about 1,500 reviews at 69 euros for 5 hours with pickup. The Premium Safari 4x4 Tour held 4.0 from about 110 reviews at 64 euros for 6 hours and adds an aloe vera farm. The Off-Road Buggy Adventure in the Canyons is the higher rated, at 4.8 from about 3,800 reviews from 65.25 euros, but it is a shorter trip of 2 to 2.5 hours in the Ayagaures canyons that you drive yourself. The Rural Villages Guided Sightseeing Tour, 4.6 from about 840 reviews at 79 euros, spends 8 hours in a minivan for up to eight people. Book this one for the classic half day in the southern mountains with someone else at the wheel, and back by mid afternoon.

The same route is sold under other names: Lopesan's excursion desk charged 73 euros for it on 6 November 2026 and Headout 68 euros, so GetYourGuide's 69 euros is a fair price, with its 24 hour free cancellation. If you have a hire car, you can drive to Tunte and Fataga on the GC-60 yourself, and Global's line 18 bus runs from Faro de Maspalomas to San Bartolomé, but neither takes you down the dirt track to Chira. For the Roque Nublo up close, on foot, book our page Roque Nublo and the summit; for the mountains after dark, The night sky.