Descending the Agaete ravine is one of the simplest and most rewarding excursions that can be done in the northwest of the island of Gran Canaria. It runs along the bed of a dry river, walking over lava solidified 30,000 years ago and, in the most complicated steps, an installation of stairs and railings prevents slipping.
The landscape and botanical rewards are multiple during this itinerary. But almost at the end, a historical and archaeological surprise appears that puts the icing on the cake: the Maipés. It is a cemetery that archaeologists have dated to the 8th century AD and that would correspond to a mass burial place of the original inhabitants of the island, the Canarians (erroneously, the ancient inhabitants of the archipelago tend to be identified as Guanches. , when these were only found in Tenerife).
Intensely studied by archaeologists since the end of the last century, the accumulation of tumuli (up to almost 500) on the solidified lava allows us to get an idea of the importance of the necropolis. In 2009, a system of walkways was installed that allows the terrain to be recognized without trampling on it. In addition, materials were chosen that camouflaged with the environment. Thus, the Corten steel mostly used, with a rusty appearance, is perfectly disguised by the ocher, orange and purple rocks.
The interpretation center allows you to learn about the daily life of the native Canarians. It also reproduces what one of their tombs looked like. It must be taken into account that, as the malpaís (maipés in the native name) is very fertile despite its misleading name, a good part of the tombs are hidden under crop fields. Scientists believe there could be two hundred more burials hidden in the tilled fields.
For the less walkers, the Agaete necropolis can be accessed by a shorter path from the town center itself, following some wooden signs. The archaeological park is open at different times depending on the time of year and there is a fee. The ticket also gives the right to visit the so-called Cenobio de Valerón, about twenty kilometers to the west.
In reality, it is not a monastery, despite its name, but rather another archaeological site of the original Canarians. Specifically, it is a granary that took advantage of the natural holes – which were perhaps widened or adapted to have greater capacity – of a cooled volcanic cone in the area known as the Montaña del Gallego.
Cereal was basic in the economy and diet of the Canaries, so its conservation once harvested was essential. These walls full of holes were ideal places to keep them away from animals that could eat them or from the humidity of the ground in rainy weather. Furthermore, the verticality of the rock made it easy to defend in case rival clans or even pirates from the African coast wanted to get hold of the grain.
The popular name of monastery comes from the misleading idea that the silos could have been the cells where young people were confined before the marriage rite, watched over by the harimaguada teacher-priestesses.
If you have your own vehicle, visiting both sites in a single day is perfectly feasible. They are separated by only 16 kilometers from the highway (GC-2) that "cuts" the northwestern sector of Gran Canaria.
