Roque Bentayga

The Roque Bentayga is a beautiful and spectacular basaltic piton that has left the geology in Gran Canaria, it rises 1,404 meters inside the volcanic caldera in which Tejeda is located. It is formed by the Roque itself, Los Roques del Andén del Tabacalote or Camello, El Roquete and Las Cuevas del Rey, which make up the Bentayga Archaeological Park. It is surrounded by several dozens of granaries, silos of difficult access and several smaller caves of habitation. A place of habitat and burial for the aborigines, it is also associated with the celebration of religious rites. Near the top is located the so-called Almogarén del Bentayga, although, according to other sources and recent discoveries, it is not of religious purpose and are two overlapping aboriginal houses. This basaltic stone monolith located at an altitude of 1404 meters is also interpreted as a place to observe the stars and the moon. Amateurs of archaeology and astronomy understand that it may be related to rituals performed at the summer equinoxes, at sunrise. It was also almost the last bastion of the aboriginal Canary Islanders before the conquest of the island by the Castilians. In it they barricaded themselves with sticks and stones resisting as much as they could the onslaught of the conquerors. The Park's Interpretation Center has recently reopened, a space where visitors can observe and interact first-hand with the living habits and customs of the ancient inhabitants, unraveling the most important culture and rites of the pre-Hispanic culture.