Cenobio de Valerón (Santa María de Guía)
One of the most spectacular primitives sites in the whole of the Canary Islands: an enormous communal granary which gives us great insight into the meaning of agricultural activity to these early inhabitants of the Canary Islands and revealing the extent of the power which the ruling castes exerted.
La Cueva Pintada (The Painted Cave) (Gáldar)
One of the most important archaeological sites in the Canary Islands, not only because of its size but also because it houses the finest example of indigenous Canarian artwork: the Cueva Pintada (The Painted Cave) which depicts the household environment of the time. It is decorated with geometrical shapes in red, black and white paint. There are several theories about what the cave was used for funeral rites, as a sacred place and as a dwelling place, among others, but there is not sufficient evidence to allow us to reach a definitive conclusion.
Maipés Archaeological Park (Agaete)
A spacious burial area with a surface of over one square kilometre and made up of nearly five hundred sepulchres in lava.
Arteara Necropolis (San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
Prehistoric burial ground made up of over a thousand burial mounds. The archaeological area is two kilometres long and one kilometre wide. It is well worth a visit.
Punta Mujeres (San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
This large dwelling structure is one of the numerous settlements to be found along the coast of the Island.
Tunte Settlement (San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
The most extensive cave complex in the whole of the Canary Islands. This is a large settlement comprising an entire underground village, complete with dwellings, granaries and burial areas and rupestrian paintings.
Las Fortalezas (San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
This is a fine example of a fortified settlement formed of both natural and artificially excavated caves. The remains of rock paintings can still be found on the walls of these caves, while others were used for burial rites and grain storage.
La Audiencia (Temisas)
A cave settlement hewn out of the rock by hand and used for a variety of functions, such as sleeping quarters, kitchens, silos and granary, among others.
Los Letreros de Balos (Balos Carvings) (Agüimes)
The most important set of cave carvings in Gran Canaria featuring examples of practically all the different types of cave carvings existent in the Canary Islands: anthropomorphous, zoomorphous, alphabetical and geometrical inscriptions, etc.
Risco del Canario (Agüimes)
Located in the ravine known as 'Barranco de Guayadeque', this is a set of some thirty man-made caves which were easily defended in case of attack since access to them was so difficult.
El Draguillo (Telde-Ingenio)
Located in the ravine that separates these two municipal areas. At this site, visitors can get a close look at engravings, silos, funeral caves and dwelling caves.
Almogarén de Amurga (San Bartolomé de Tirajana)
One of the most complex and spectacular examples of these archaeological sites, which is believed to have been a place where religious ceremonies were held.
Cuatro Puertas (Telde)
A very large cave excavated by hand from volcanic rock. The most characteristic features of the cave are the four doorways which lead out to a flat balcony. The cave is associated with the religious/magical practices of these early Canary Islanders.
Tufia Settlement (Telde)
A settlement made up of a group of caves and several stone houses comprising a number of separate nuclei and burial grounds. The precise function of many of these constructions has yet to be ascertained.
Tara Settlement (Telde)
Some of the most important artificial caves in the Island of Gran Canaria are to be found here. Several tools which the primitive islanders used for everyday tasks have been discovered on this site.
La Restinga / Llano de Las Brujas (Telde)
This settlement is made up of constructions which served a domestic purpose together with burial mounds and other constructions which may have been used for grain storage. In El Llano the constructions can be seen to have been repeatedly reused which emphasizes their prolonged use throughout the course of time.
Bandama (Santa Brígida)
One of the most peculiar settlements to be found on the island; the so-called 'Cuevas de los Canarios' (The Canary Islanders’ Caves), a group of rooms and communal granaries located on the inside face of a volcanic caldera or crater. The rupestrian carvings are the most significant feature of the site.
The Canary Islanders’ Caves (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
This archeological site is made up of two large man-made dwelling caves and several other smaller caves with silos excavated on two levels and protected by a huge natural arch..
La Cerera (Arucas)
This is a habitation made up of both caves and man-made constructions and islocated in one of the most fertile coastal areas of the Island.
Bocabarranco / El Agujero / La Guancha (Gáldar)
The remains of one of the most important of the Island’s primitive surface settlements are preserved on this site. Apart from the many dwelling places in evidence, the outstanding feature of this site is its burial mounds, considered to be amongst the most important on the Island.
Acusa settlement (Artenara)
A set of ancient settlements located in one of the parts of the Island most suited to cultivation. The majority of the dwellings feature painted rooms, burial caves and important grain storage areas.
Caballero Caves (Artenara)
A complex of cave rooms. Three of these feature prehistoric artwork in the form of triangles and other shapes. The site is believed to have had an important function in the magical-religious practices of the early inhabitants.
Los Candiles Cave (Artenara)
This is a man-made cave which occupies pride of place in terms of the archaeology of the Canary Islands. The inside of the cave is divided into six small excavated niches covered by dozens of inverted triangles, both carved and /or bas-relief, which are believed to be associated with fertility.
Bentayga / Cuevas del Rey (The King's Caves) (Tejeda)
Composed of three nuclei, constructed in an unusual straight line archaeological formation. Here we can find important examples of dwelling caves, burial areas, granaries, areas for worship and an important “almogaren” (religious site).
Caserones settlement (La Aldea de San Nicolás)
These are the remains of what was once one of the largest settlements on the Island with a large number of dwellings and burial mounds.
Castillete de Tabaibales (Mogán)
This site is quite unique because it features watch towers and ramparts, and also because of the unusual way in which the constructions are distributed.
Majada Alta (Mogán)
This is a smallish cave which features anthropomorphous pictograms painted in red ochre. It is unique both in terms of its motifs and the painting technique which was used to create them.