# Sunday in north-west Gran Canaria: Cenobio de Valerón, a free Painted Cave and lava pools at Puerto de las Nieves

The Cenobio de Valerón at opening time, the Painted Cave free on Sundays, lunch in the square at Gáldar and an afternoon of swimming and sunset at Puerto de las Nieves.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/agaete-and-north-west-gran-canaria/itineraries/painted-cave-and-lava-pools · Revisado: 2026-11-13

## El día
- 09:30 · Salida: 45 min by car (via the GC-2 towards Gáldar; exit 20 onto the GC-291 for the Cenobio)
- 10:00 · Cenobio de Valerón (Opens at 10:00 · €3)
  - 15 min by car, 8 km
- 11:00 · Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park in Gáldar (Free on Sunday: the ticket is collected at the box office when it opens, no booking)
  - 3 min on foot
- 13:30 · Agáldar Restaurant (On Plaza de Santiago · on Sunday, 13:00 to 16:30; booking) · Agáldar Restaurant, €€€
  - 15 min by car, 10,1 km
- 16:00 · Las Salinas natural pools (Water shoes and goggles; with swell there is no swimming)
  - 10 min on foot
- 18:00 · Nieves Chapel and the view of the Dedo de Dios (Sunset facing the cliff)
- 19:00 · Vuelta (In Las Palmas around 19:45)

This Sunday takes advantage of the day when the Painted Cave does not charge for entry. The only thing to watch is the time: the free tickets are handed out at the museum on the day itself, until capacity is reached, and cannot be booked. That is why the day starts early, with the Cenobio de Valerón on the way, and leaves the afternoon for the sea.

## The day, hour by hour

9:30 · Set off. From Las Palmas on the GC-2 heading west. At exit 20 take the GC-291 and follow the signs for the site.

10:00 · Cenobio de Valerón. It opens at 10:00. About 300 chambers dug into a tuff wall, the fortified granary of the ancient Canarians. €3, free for under-10s. Allow 45 minutes.

11:00 · Painted Cave, in Gáldar. A quarter of an hour further on the GC-2. Park on Calle Guillén Morales and go straight to the ticket office: on Sundays it opens at 11:00, entry is free and a maximum of two tickets per person are given out. There are no guided tours on Sundays; the visit is self-guided. Allow 70 minutes for the museum and the settlement.

13:30 · Lunch at Restaurante Agáldar. In the Plaza de Santiago, three minutes on foot. Open on Sundays from 13:00 to 16:30; book on 928 897 433.

16:00 · Las Salinas natural pools. A quarter of an hour by car to Puerto de las Nieves. Park at the harbour and walk down along the Paseo de los Poetas. Three lava pools joined by tunnels: bring water shoes, goggles and a snorkel, and check the sea before you get in.

18:00 · Las Nieves chapel and the Dedo de Dios. Ten minutes on foot along the promenade. The 16th-century chapel, the jetty and the Tamadaba cliff with the sun going down.

19:00 · Head home. In Las Palmas around 19:45.

## With children and teenagers

The whole day suits children: under-18s do not pay at the Painted Cave on any day, and the route has no architectural barriers. At the pools, only with a calm sea and with an adult alongside. With teenagers who swim well, swap the afternoon for a try dive at Sardina del Norte: €89, from age 10, booked ahead.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
About 40 minutes from Las Palmas to Puerto de las Nieves on the GC-2. The Cenobio, at exit 20, is about 35 minutes away.

### Without a car
Global line 103 stops at Gáldar and ends at Puerto de las Nieves; lines 105 and 100 also reach Gáldar. The Cenobio de Valerón has no direct bus: start at the Painted Cave. Check the Sunday return timetable before you leave.

## Consejos

### Arrive at the Painted Cave at 11:00
On Sundays entry is free but cannot be booked, and capacity is limited.

### Book lunch
On Sundays the centre of Gáldar fills up with museum visitors.

### Bring water shoes
The lava at Las Salinas cuts.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Is the Painted Cave free on Sundays?
Yes, every Sunday. The ticket is collected at the museum on the day, without booking and until capacity is reached.

### How long does it take from Las Palmas to Gáldar?
About 30 minutes on the GC-2; to Puerto de las Nieves, about 40.

### Where can you eat in Gáldar on a Sunday?
At Restaurante Agáldar, in the Plaza de Santiago, from 13:00 to 16:30.

### Can you do it by bus?
Almost all of it: Global's 103 stops at Gáldar and at Puerto de las Nieves. The Cenobio needs a car.