Inagua

Inagua is a small hamlet in the municipality of Mogán on Gran Canaria, sitting right beside the GC-200 highway just a few hundred metres from the centre of the town of Mogán. The name is more widely associated, however, with something far larger: a vast protected area deep in the island's interior that shares this name and ranks among the most ecologically valuable corners of the entire Canary archipelago.

What is the Inagua Nature Reserve?

The Inagua Integral Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Integral de Inagua) was established in 1987 and forms part of the larger Nublo Rural Park (Parque Rural del Nublo). It spans roughly 4,000 hectares across the territory of three municipalities: Mogán, San Nicolás de Tolentino and Tejeda. This makes the hamlet of Inagua something of a gateway to this extensive protected area, located in the west-central part of Gran Canaria.

What mountains and landscapes does the reserve cover?

The reserve protects a mountain range made up of Inagua, Ojeda and Pajonales. The terrain sits at an average altitude above 1,000 metres, with several peaks exceeding 1,400 metres, including Alsándara, Lina and Yescas. It is a rugged, mountainous landscape cut through by deep ravines that originate within the reserve itself, including the Mulato and Mogán ravines, which play an important role in recharging the island's underground water reserves and preventing soil erosion.

Why are Inagua's pine forests so significant?

The Inagua, Ojeda and Pajonales mountains hold one of the best-preserved stands of native Canary pine (Pinus canariensis) on all of Gran Canaria. This pine species is endemic to the Canary Islands and superbly adapted to the region's dry, sun-exposed mountain climate — its long needles and remarkable capacity to regenerate after fires have made it a symbol of the local ecosystem's resilience.

Why does Inagua matter for wildlife?

The reserve's extensive, largely undisturbed pine forests serve as the principal stronghold for one of the world's rarest birds: the Gran Canaria blue chaffinch (Fringilla polatzeki), an endemic species found nowhere else on Earth and classified as critically endangered. It is precisely the presence of this bird that makes the Inagua area a cornerstone of wildlife conservation on the island, closely monitored by local authorities and conservation organisations.

What protection status does the area hold?

The Inagua reserve belongs to the Network of Protected Natural Areas of the Canary Islands and is also part of the EU's Natura 2000 network. Because it is classified as a strict nature reserve, public access is restricted, and visiting the interior of the protected zone generally requires special authorisation issued by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the island's governing council responsible for managing its protected areas.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors freely enter the Inagua reserve? No — as a strict nature reserve, access to the interior is restricted, and touring it requires authorisation from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria.

What is the difference between the hamlet of Inagua and the Inagua Nature Reserve? The hamlet of Inagua is a small settlement along the GC-200 highway near Mogán, while the Inagua Nature Reserve is a far larger, mountainous protected area in the island's interior that also extends into the municipalities of Tejeda and San Nicolás de Tolentino.

Which animal species is most closely associated with this place? The Gran Canaria blue chaffinch (Fringilla polatzeki), an endemic and critically endangered bird for which the pine forests of Inagua are the principal habitat.

How high do the peaks in the reserve rise? The average elevation exceeds 1,000 metres, with several peaks — Alsándara, Lina and Yescas among them — rising above 1,400 metres.