Mirador de Jinama (The Old Royal Road Viewpoint)

A spectacular clifftop viewpoint on the north-eastern rim of the El Golfo valley, offering one of the most dramatic panoramas of the entire valley collapse amphitheatre. The Mirador de Jinama sits at approximately 1,200 metres above sea level on the very edge of the Risco de Jinama escarpment, with the entire El Golfo valley floor spread out nearly 1,000 metres directly below. The viewpoint is reached via a short path from the car park on the HI-1 road. The view encompasses the full sweep of the valley from Punta Grande in the west to the Punta de la Dehesa, with the blue Atlantic stretching beyond. This viewpoint is also the start (or end) of the **Sendero de Jinama**, one of the oldest and steepest trails on the island — an ancient Camino Real (Royal Road) that descends 1,000 vertical metres through a series of stone-paved switchbacks from the clifftop to the village of La Frontera on the valley floor below. The trail was for centuries the main route connecting San Andrés (on the high plateau) to the agricultural lands of El Golfo. The walk down takes approximately 1 hour; the walk back up is challenging (approximately 2 hours, 1,000 m ascent). Local tradition holds that the path was originally built by the Bimbache and later paved by the Spanish — the stonework of some sections dates back over 600 years. The viewpoint has parking, interpretive panels, and is wheelchair-accessible. Free access.