Guayadeque

Though it's just a few minutes' drive from the motorway, through the town of Agüimes, Guayadeque is remarkably unspoiled, and gives you a glimpse into the island's past.

The barranco is rich in native plants and is home to a big variety of birds and other creatures.

You can easily visit Agüimes and Guayadeque in half a day.

However, we don't advise going there on Sundays, as it's popular with local families for picnics and barbecues, and parts of it get crowded.

There is a good visitor centre on the left just as you enter the barranco, which has lots of info about the natural and human history of Guayadeque (including a Guanche mummy). There is also a small shop selling Canarian crafts, foods and books about the island.

People still live in cave houses in Guayadeque. There's a group of these about half way into the ravine.

Today's inhabitants have electricity and water - but they are the modern successors to the Guanche farmers who once lived in the caves you can still see high up in the cliff wall.

Climb the steps up past the houses and you will find homes offering honey for sale (and the odd pig asleep in a stall).

At the base of the cliff below the houses, there's a tiny church hollowed out of the rock face.

Once your reach the top of the barranco and the restaurant there, you can go no further and have to head back down again.

The restaurant, called Tagoror, is famous because it too is hollowed out of the rock face. It serves a range of typical Canarian food and is a popular tourist destination.

The drive back to Agüimes will take you about 15 minutes. Even if you don't like driving on mountain roads, this is an easy journey.