Valleseco

The writer Miguel de Unamuno has a great link with Gran Canarias. Unamuno, belonging to the generation of '98, was banished to the islands by the government of Primo de Rivera, for the writing this exile was an enriching adventure. In Canarias he met many people with whom he had a great friendship and with whom he shared interesting gatherings. Unamuno settled in Fuerteventura, but visited the different islands of the archipelago including Gran Canaria and visited the town of Valleseco. During his visit to this part of the island, Unamuno defined Valleseco as "a path between ravines where the path covers the humble laburnum, leafy chestnut and walnut. We made a stop in Valleseco, a small town lying on the mountain and that was decorated for being in parties ". In honor of this visit there is the Mirador de Miguel de Unamuno, which is at a strategic point for the landscape and for tourists to see amazing views thanks to the fact that It is about 1122 meters high. The visit of the Basque writer to Valleseco made that many writings describe some points of the island, among which were this population.

Located in the municipality of Valleseco the Barranco de la Virgen is part of the Doramas Rural Park, one of the most protected landscapes important of the Canarian archipelago. In the Barranco de la Virgen you can still find remains of the laurel forest that used to occupy a large part of the island in former times. This ravine also houses another one called the Barranco Oscuro which has the category of Reserva Integral Natural which is the maximum level granted by the Network of Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands The landscapes that can be found in this part of the island are impressive, strong cliffs that preserve an endemic flora unique to this part of the island such as La Cresta de Gallo or the Salvia Blanca. This Barranco de la Virgen has an abundance of water so it developed as an important area of agriculture, you can see old estates and manor houses in addition to mills that once They served to promote economic development. The Barranco de la Virgen is surrounded by imposing mountains, you can find a lot of springs such as Los Chorros, El Rapador, San Juan etc. The climate is characterized by mild temperatures and moderate rainfall.

The Montaña de la Retamilla is located on the island of Gran Canaria, in the municipality of Valleseco. It should be noted that Montaña de la Retamilla is the point on the island where the greatest number of precipitations falls throughout the year. The Retamilla is located at an altitude of approximately 1450 meters above sea level and is within the Las Cumbres Protected Area, a space that plays an important role in the maintenance of ecological processes such as collecting water from the rain. It is a landscape with peaks where you can find unique natural elements of geological and geomorphological interest. It should be noted that in the Montaña de la Retamilla offers of the castañeros from all the archipelago, any time of the year is good to visit it, in summer it will surprise the greenery of its leaves, autumn as they turn to a multitude of brown tones, in winter all its branches are clear and already in spring it dominates the green and yellow and appearance of the flowers. It should also be mentioned that the name of La Retamilla is due to the amount of brooms that can be found in the area.

Located in the heart of Parque Rural de Doramas, the largest protected natural area on the islands, is the Laguna de Valleseco, a recreational area within the municipal area of the population of Valleseco. The curious thing about the Laguna de Valleseco is that it is located inside a volcanic caldera covered by a luxuriant autochthonous vegetation. The Laguna de Valleseco as a recreational area is with everything you need to spend a great day, has fireplaces, jets of water, tables in the shade of chestnut trees where you can do picnic. In addition to the recreational area, the Laguna de Valleseco has another very interesting point, one of the few hippodromes in the archipelago where horse races are held in summer and during festivals. There is also under the Pico Osorio a shelter or the classroom of the Laurisilva from where nature activities are organized, such as hiking trails, environmental education workshops, traditional games, zip lines and many other activities. In the Laguna it is also possible to find ducks in their habitat and of course several species of laurisilvas. In addition to migratory birds such as pochas, common herons, herons, capirotes, blackbirds, common finches and many other species. A perfect place to unwind and enjoy nature.  

Situado en pleno Parque Rural de Doramas, el paraje natural protegido más grandes de las islas, está la Laguna de Valleseco, un área recreativa dentro del término municipal de la población de Valleseco. Lo curioso de la Laguna de Valleseco es que está situado dentro de una caldera volcánica cubierta por una frondosa vegetación autóctona.La Laguna de Valleseco como área recreativa está con todo lo necesario para poder pasar un día genial, dispone de fogones, chorros de agua, mesas a la sombra de los castaños donde poder hacer picnic.Además del área recreativa, la Laguna de Valleseco tiene otro punto muy interesante, uno de los pocos hipódromos del archipiélago donde se celebran carreras de caballos en épocas estivales y durante las fiestas. También existe debajo del Pico Osorio un albergue o el aula de la Laurisilva desde donde se organizan actividades en la naturaleza como rutas de senderismo, talleres de educación ambiental, juegos tradicionales, tirolinas y muchas otras actividades.En la Laguna también es posible encontrar patos en su hábitat y por supuesto varias especies de laurisilvas. Además de aves migratorias como pochas, garzas comunes, garzas reales, capirotes, mirlos, pinzones comunes y muchas otras especies más. Un lugar perfecto para desconectar y disfrutar de la naturaleza.