Caldera de Bandama crater near Las Palmas

The Caldera de Bandama sits between the municipalities of Santa Brígida, Telde and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, close enough to the capital for a short trip out. The crater is 216 metres deep and about 1,100 metres wide, with a perimeter of more than 3 kilometres, and a circular route runs around it towards the coast through the Las Goteras and Guiniguada ravines.

It was formed roughly 5,000 years ago by a phreatomagmatic explosion, when lava met groundwater, next to the old Pico de Bandama volcano. The crater walls show the different stages of the island's volcanic activity, which is why it is protected as an Espacio Natural Protegido. Thermophilic plants grow inside, and birds of prey such as the Canary buzzard and the kestrel are seen here.

The name comes from Daniel Van Damme, a Flemish merchant who was the first to explore the inside of the crater and planted vines there, though the old Canarians very likely farmed the site before the conquest. Vines are still part of the area around Monte Lentiscal in Santa Brígida, where several bodegas make wine from grapes grown on black volcanic picón and let you taste it.

A road winding up through the vineyards of Tafira Alta reaches the Mirador del Pico de Bandama, with a panoramic view over Las Palmas, the crater itself and much of the northeast of Gran Canaria.

• The address given is Calle la Caldera, 1, 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
• From the capital you can take the Global bus 311, which leaves from the San Telmo central station.
• By car from Las Palmas, take the road towards Santa Brígida, then the GC-802 exit (carretera de Bandama) from the Monte Lentiscal roundabout.
• The route around the crater is circular and its perimeter is over 3 kilometres.
• There are bodegas in the Monte Lentiscal area where you can taste the local wine.
• The source text says nothing about opening hours, admission prices, guides or facilities, so check before you go.