Andén Verde · La Aldea de San Nicolás, Gran Canaria

Mirador del Balcón

Everything you need to know before you go: Getting there, parking, prices, best time.

Last checked: September 2026

Does it cost anything?No, €0Free viewpoint, and the car park is free too.

How do I get there?~10 min from La AldeaVia the GC-2, then 2.4 km on the old GC-200. No bus.Where do I park?Right thereSmall free car park, fills up quickly in high season.When is it best?Late afternoonLow sun on the cliffs. In storms the access road closes.

The cliffs north of the Balcón towards Agaete (2008) — Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, License: CC BY 2.0

The Balcón sits on the old coast road from La Aldea to Agaete, right on the edge of the Andén Verde cliffs. By day you look along the cliffs to the north; at night it is one of the island's official stargazing viewpoints.

Straight talk

What to know before you go.

From the north you drive past it first. From Agaete you pass under the viewpoint through the mountain and then drive 2.4 km back on the old road. Don't be surprised when the satnav sends you past it first.
It is windy. Even the tourism board writes about the wind that challenges visitors. Hold on to hats, phones and children.
Not for a fear of heights. Glass railings and glass in the floor above a cliff of up to 600 m. If that's too much, the view from the car park already reaches far along the coast.

Getting there

Since the Faneque tunnels on the GC-2 opened, the old stretch of the GC-200 at the Balcón has been a dead end. You always drive in from the La Aldea side.

By car

From La Aldea

~10 min

From Agaete

~35 min

From the GC-2 exit

2.4 km

01From La Aldea de San Nicolás take the GC-2 towards Agaete and leave it for the old GC-200 before the tunnels.
02Coming from Agaete, drive through the Faneque tunnels. The exit comes after them, just before La Aldea; then head back north on the old GC-200.
03Follow the old road 2.4 km along the coast to the car park at the viewpoint.
04Return the same way to the GC-2.

The old GC-200 ends north of the viewpoint. It has been closed at Andén Verde since 2016 because of rockfall, so the only way to Agaete is the GC-2.

Route to the car park

Public transport

No bus to the viewpoint
Global's line 101 (Gáldar – Agaete – La Aldea) runs through the tunnels and does not stop on the old road. The nearest stop is 3.3 km away as the crow flies, down in the La Aldea valley, with no marked footpath.
Taxi
From La Aldea de San Nicolás. Arrange the ride back before you go; there is no bus to fall back on.

Check before you go

In storms the Cabildo closes the access road, the old GC-200 from km 27.1 to 21.5, because of the risk of rockfall. That happened in February and again in March 2026. Check the status with the Cabildo on the day you go.

Parking & arriving

Car park at the viewpoint

0 €

Tarmac, right next to the platform. No official capacity is published; in high season it gets tight.

No overflow parking

No other car park is mapped within 1.5 km. If it is full, you wait.

On site

A platform with glass railings stands on the edge of the Andén Verde cliffs, which drop up to 600 m into the sea. You look north along the 20 km arc of cliffs to Agaete, and through glass slits in the floor down to the surf below.

Time there: ~15–30 min
Walk from car park: A few steps from the car park, then a stone staircase to the platform
Toilets: None listed by the tourism board or the town hall
Food & drink: Sometimes a mobile snack stand, otherwise nothing until La Aldea
Wheelchair: The platform is only reachable by stairs

When is it worth it?

The Balcón has no opening hours. Light, wind and the access road decide your visit.

As of September 2026. Check closures with the Cabildo on the day you go.

Late afternoon

The low sun falls on the cliff face, and sunset is popular. Afterwards you drive back along the winding access road in the dark.

At night

Turismo de Gran Canaria lists the Balcón as a stargazing viewpoint: dark, away from the valley lights, looking at the northern sky over the Atlantic.

Forecast

Open full forecast ↗

Facts

Entry: Source: Turismo GC · 09/2026; Free, no opening hours
Location: Source: Turismo GC · 09/2026; Old GC-200, La Aldea de San Nicolás
Elevation: Source: Turismo GC · 09/2026; 357 m
Other names: Source: Turismo GC · 09/2026; Mirador de Andén Verde, formerly Paso Marinero
Cliff: Source: IGME · 09/2026; Andén Verde, up to 600 m high
Platform: Source: Town · 03/2021; Rebuilt as a stargazing viewpoint, opened March 2021
Faneque tunnels: Source: Gobierno Canarias · 02/2024; Open since February 2024, replace 3 km of the old GC-200