This initiative, scheduled between April 30 and May 30, 2026, will follow the route of the GR 131 Canary Islands Long-Distance Trail. This nearly 600-kilometer path will be transformed into a living classroom where students from eight secondary schools, one from each island, can learn and rediscover the territory.
The students' participation is a continuation of the Aula GR131: Connecting Trails initiative, supported by the General Directorate for Educational Planning, Inclusion and Educational Innovation of the Government of the Canary Islands. Through workshops and talks, young people have explored the GR131 as an educational resource that intertwines history, landscape, culture, and daily life. The proposal aims to turn the territory into a learning space and walking into a methodology, fostering experiential learning and collective work.
This third edition of Contramapas focuses on education, having previously centered on culture in its first year and social inclusion in its second. The month-long route will connect peaks, midlands, and coasts, crossing Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, and La Palma, until reaching El Hierro. At each stage, meetings and activities will be held with students and local communities.
“"Reaching a third edition is, in itself, a sign that the project has meaning and trajectory. Contramapas has grown thanks to the support of many entities and individuals, and that allows us to continue advancing in the defense of the values we intend to transmit. The GR131 is an extraordinary resource, still little known by a large part of the population, and has enormous potential as an educational tool and as a space to understand the reality of the Canary Islands."
The multidisciplinary team leading the project combines experience and sensitivity for this demanding journey. As a novelty, this edition will allow real-time tracking of the walk through the Contramapas Instagram account, providing the team's exact location 24 hours a day.
The project is supported by various public institutions and private entities, including the Government of the Canary Islands, several island councils such as those of Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, and El Hierro, as well as the El Pinar de El Hierro City Council, among other collaborators.
